GE2025: More, better support schemes on the cards if PAP team is elected in West Coast-Jurong West, says Desmond Lee

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SINGAPORE – The PAP team in West Coast-Jurong West GRC will improve on its grassroots networks to strengthen and expand schemes that help residents with cost of living and job security if elected, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee.

This is on top of legislative duties, in debating policies and working with the government of the day to improve them, he said in a media session on April 25.

Mr Lee also addressed opposition criticism that the PAP risks groupthink, as well as calls for the GST to be reduced to 7 per cent. He pointed to the diversity of the PAP’s slate, and stressed that the Government must manage public finances in a way that ensures long-term stability.

Making his pitch for the slate he is leading in the constituency, Mr Lee said that efforts to help residents with cost of living and job security issues are already in place in the constituency, along with support schemes for groups such as lower-income families. And they are producing results.

For example, Mr Lee, who is also Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration, noted that about 25,000 households in West Coast and Jurong West have benefited over the past five years from local support schemes aimed at easing financial pressures.

Among the initiatives is the Community Shop in Boon Lay run by charity Food from the Heart, which Mr Lee visited earlier that day with fellow slate members Shawn Huang, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Education, and Dr Hamid Razak. The shop provides monthly food support to over 1,000 lower-income families, offering a selection of essentials, including fresh produce, canned food, sauces and beverages.

Asked whether the PAP shows compassion in the policies it designs, a concern raised by

the PSP during its rally on April 24,

Mr Lee said that the walkabouts and community events he attends are opportunities to build trust, understand concerns on the ground and hear residents’ views directly.

He added: “When we say we walk the community, when we serve in the community – five years, 10 years, 15 years – it is not political walkabouts, it is not house visits to push our political cause. It is principally about serving the community.”

Dr Hamid held up the role that volunteers play, noting how they are good listening points, given the deep relationships they have with the residents and beneficiaries they serve. The feedback can then translate into programmes that tackle the residents’ issues, such as job searches.

On the employment front, Mr Lee said close to 10,000 residents in the GRC have received help with job matching or skills upgrading through government programmes in the last five years. The latest initiative was an April 20 job fair at Boon Lay Community Club, which he also attended.

If elected, the PAP candidates will work closely with their partners to address employment opportunities for seniors and individuals with special needs, said Mr Huang.

He noted that as Singapore’s population ages, there is a need to create flexible “micro jobs” for seniors that allow them to stay active while maintaining time for their families and interests. Also, more work can be done to help those with special needs learn skills, and with companies to redesign jobs.

Opposition comments on GST, PAP slate

Mr Lee was asked about opposition calls to roll back the recent goods and services tax hike, a key proposal raised by PSP, which is also contesting in West Coast-Jurong West, and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), during their April 24 rallies.

The Government must have enough resources to support Singaporeans through future challenges, and it must be able to fund its programmes without compromising long-term fiscal stability, Mr Lee said in response.

More money will need to be spent on support for seniors, on healthcare and on other forms of support, he noted.

“We certainly recognise that the Finance Ministry, the government of the day, needs to be able to say, ‘Well, I want to do more. I hear you.’ But we must also be able to fund these programmes responsibly and sustainably,” said Mr Lee.

He added that the GST increase has been accompanied by a comprehensive package of support measures. These include permanent schemes such as the GST Voucher programme, as well as additional payouts. When taken together, these measures provide significant support to help middle- and lower-income households offset cost-of-living pressures.

This approach, he said, helps blunt the impact of the tax increase on ordinary Singaporeans while still allowing the Government to collect more revenue from higher-income individuals, tourists and large enterprises.

At the PSP’s rally, the party’s founder and chairman, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, spoke about the importance of having an opposition presence in Parliament to avoid groupthink, especially when the ruling party’s candidates are largely drawn from the civil service and armed forces.

Dr Tan is part of the PSP slate in

West Coast-Jurong West,

which also includes party secretary-general Leong Mun Wai and vice-chairperson Hazel Poa.

Mr Lee responded by pointing out the diversity in the PAP’s slate, which Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had assembled. It, he noted, includes individuals from the public and uniformed services, private sector, professions like law and medicine, and those from non-governmental organisations and advocacy work.

He noted that many of those chosen by PM Wong, who is the PAP secretary-general, have served as grassroots volunteers or in community organisations, and bring a range of life experiences.

“Let’s look at the slate of candidates that our secretary-general has assembled, as well as the other incumbents who are standing and seeking a re-election to serve Singaporeans. They are a diverse group in terms of age, gender, background, life journey,” he said.