GE2025: SDP leaders urge voters to ‘send a message’ to PM Wong about GST hikes, cost of living pressures

Five party rallies were held across Singapore on Thursday night – the first physical rallies in almost 10 years.

SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan said the PAP “insisted” on increasing the GST despite the “financial hardship that Singaporeans had to endure during the COVID-19 period”.

“When the dark clouds cleared in 2021 and 2022, instead of ensuring that Singaporeans emerge stronger and healthier, the government piled on new pressures for the people,” he said. 

He listed out how prices of utilities, public transport and petrol, among others, have risen, but the government went ahead to bring up the GST.

The SDP chief also pointed to the Founders’ Memorial, which is estimated to cost S$335 million (US$256 million), as “one of those nice to have things, but one that benefits the people very little”.

Holding up a calendar that was “beautifully produced” with pages filled with “snazzy pictures of your favourite PAP MPs”, he questioned the cost of such an initiative.

He also noted the government’s allocation of an additional S$40 million to support the continued use of EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards, after there was a public outcry over the switch to the SimplyGo payment platform.

“Now, I cannot list all the examples of wasteful spending because we’ll be here until tomorrow morning and then we’ll have to buy everybody breakfast,” he said.