In the FTA negotiations, I learnt that the PAP government would not agree to the clauses calling for the political rights and civil liberties of citizens to be respected. This is tragic because it is political freedom that will allow Singaporean workers to fight for minimum wage, Singaporeans First policy, affordable housing and healthcare, and other bread-and-butter issues.
It will also spur the growth of the entrepreuneurial class in Singapore which will drive our economic growth in the future and reduce our over-reliance in MNCs and GLCs. Our political rights and our economic well-being cannot be separated. They are inextricably intertwined.
At the moment all the PAP is doing is to bring in foreigners to keep wages down. This has affected productivity in the country and caused income inequality to rise. It is not a sustainable solution. Full story
