APR 11, 2011
Scrutinise WP's manifesto
Wong Kan Seng urges voters to ask the Workers' Party how it will implement its proposals
By Rachel Chang
Wong Kan Seng. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
DEPUTY Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng called on voters to ask the Workers' Party for a detailed explanation on how it plans to implement the proposals set out in its manifesto.
'Like in all brochures that companies put out, you have to drill down to the details,' he told reporters on the sidelines of a community event in Bishan, 'What do they mean by the specific recommendations?'
He cited, for example, the WP's call to peg the price of HDB flats to the median income of eligible buyers, and for flats to be affordable enough that mortgages can be paid off in 20 years instead of 30.
'If you want to pay the mortgage in 20 years, does it mean you have to pay a higher sum every month?' asked Mr Wong. 'And if you fix the price at the median income, will there also be restrictions on the sale (price)?'
He also defended the Government's policy on immigration, arguing that the rapid economic growth of the years before the global financial crisis in 2009 created jobs which needed to be filled. 'If you don't have enough workers, what will happen to the companies that need them?'
'When people look at all these items (on the manifesto), they should look into the details, ask for better explanation on how these policies can be implemented,' he summed up.
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