Jamus Lim proposes having a wealth tax in Singapore
In Parliament on 1 Nov, Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim proposed imposing a wealth tax ranging 0.5 to 2 per cent in Singapore. He said this could help diversify Singapore’s revenue sources and reduce income and wealth inequality. Jamus also argued that the GST affects lower-middle and middle-income families disproportionately. He proposed a tax of […]
Netizens react to Raeesah Khan’s lie in Parliament
Something unfortunate happened in Parliament yesterday. Yes, we’re talking about Raeesah Khan’s admission to lying about the allegations she made against the police on 3 Aug. A quick recap: In parliament on 3 Aug, Sengkang MP Raeesah Khan shared an anecdote, in which she detailed that -she had accompanied a 25-year-old woman to make a […]
PSP’s arguments have ‘strong stench of xenophobia and racism’, says CEO Devadas Krishnadas
If you want to witness for yourself what ugly populist, conspiracy theorising, fear and hatred stoking politics looks like, watch the parliamentary proceedings and the exchanges between PSP members and Ministers Ong Ye Kung and Dr Tan See Leng, Devadas Krishnas said. Is this what you want for Singaporean politics and for Singapore, Mr Devada […]
2 common myths about CECA that causes a big hoo-ha
CECA has been an oft-used word in the FB comments section of news particularly pertaining to Indian nationals. It has also become synonymous with people’s critique of the Government and the supposed “free flow” influx of Indian nationals to Singapore. So, what exactly is CECA and why does it cause such contention? What is CECA? […]
4G Leadership: why you can be excited about Lawrence Wong
“I’ve devoted my life to public service, first as a civil servant and later in politics. I will continue to do my utmost to serve our people.” – Lawrence Wong – Mr Lawrence Wong, 48, now Minister for Education, was PM Lee’s former Principal Private Secretary. He then served as Chief Executive of the Energy […]
Leadership transition: never a straight line
Leadership transition should be smooth and fuss-free – shouldn’t it? Not quite. There are often curveballs to even the most meticulous approach – not even Lee Kuan Yew with his famous planning was immune to it. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, several promising leaders, thought to be on the way up and even eyed […]
Unexpected turn of events is setback for succession planning: statement from 4G Team
In a statement, the 4G Team describes the unexpected turn of events as a setback for succession planning. The statement said, “We recognise that Singaporeans will be concerned. We seek your support and understanding, as we choose another leader for the team. We will continue working as a team to serve our people, and to […]
Letter exchange between PM Lee and DPM Heng who steps aside as 4G leader
DPM Heng Swee Keat announced that he is stepping aside as the 4G leader to make way for a younger leader with a longer runway to lead Singapore in a post-COVID world. Here’s the letter reproduced in full: Dear Prime Minister, More than 2 years ago, the fourth generation (4G) PAP leadership chose me to […]
Tudung: change has to evolve gradually; Singapore cannot take precipitous changes
SIX MONTHS AGO in August last year, Law and Home Affairs Minister Shanmugam met with Muslim religious leaders in a closed-door dialogue and told them that the government was considering allowing nurses to wear the tudung at work. But the closed-door dialogues and discussions on the tudung did not start six months ago. It started […]
Class size reduction: who wants to be a teacher?
Everyone loves a small class. In Australia, the student-teacher ratios fell from 25-to-1 in 1964 to 14-to-1 in 2015. Most of the fall occurred in the 1960s and 1970s as unions and school reformers pushed for smaller classes. Did the fall in the student-teacher ratios in Australia schools lead to the expected improvement in students’ […]