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The Workers' Party
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The Workers' Party#throwback to 16 Feb 2013: WP's position on foreign workers has been consistent.
WP's position on foreign workers has been consistent
www.straitstimes.com
MR PATRICK Liew Siow Gian ("WP needs to decide on its stand - and stick to it"; Thursday) wrote that during the Budget debate last year, Workers' Party (WP) secretary-general Low Thia Khiang had criticised government measures to tighten the foreign worker inflow and argued...
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WP sets up fund for social causes
WPCF's programmes will focus on financial and food aid, and health schemes
Posted on Jun 2, 2014 2:47 PM Updated: Jun 2, 2014 2:47 PM
By Toh Yong Chuan, Andrea Ong
Workers' Party MPs during the party's thank you parade in Punggol East in January 2013. The party has set up a charity fund to run community programmes like financial aid, food distribution and health screenings. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
Workers' Party MPs during the party's thank you parade in Punggol East in January 2013. The party has set up a charity fund to run community programmes like financial aid, food distribution and health screenings. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
The Workers' Party (WP) has set up a charity fund to run community programmes like financial aid, food distribution and health screenings.
The WP Community Fund (WPCF) is structured like the PAP Community Foundation (PCF), the ruling party's charity arm.
The WPCF was registered as a company limited by guarantee in January this year and accepted by the authorities as a charity in February.
The party has been low key about the fund's existence, but according to company and charity records obtained by The Straits Times last week, its board of 10 directors includes WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang as chairman, and Members of Parliament Png Eng Huat, Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap and Lee Li Lian.
The other directors are understood to include doctors and lawyers. Among them are WP executive council member Dennis Tan and party member Terence Tan, both lawyers who are seen as promising new faces.
Responding to The Straits Times' queries yesterday, Mr Low said the WPCF builds on the party's previous charity efforts while drawing a line between political work and social and charity work.
"Setting up a charity is not new to the Workers' Party," said Mr Low, citing as examples the Hougang Constituency Education Trust set up in 1992 and the WP youth wing's charity work.
After winning Aljunied GRC in 2011, the WP set up a welfare fund under its Aljunied Constituency Committee to provide interim aid to residents, said Mr Low.
"After settling more urgent constituency and grassroots matters which then gave WP MPs a chance to look at how the WP can better assist needy residents, it was felt that setting up an independent organisation as a charity with clear objectives would draw a clear line between political work and social and charitable work," he said.
The charity will also consolidate the efforts and resources of party members, volunteers and well- wishers in helping "the underprivileged of our society, regardless of political affiliation".
According to the fund's charity records, it aims to run three types of programmes. One will offer short-term financial help to those with difficulties despite having government grants and subsidies.
The second will give food vouchers to needy families and distribute food in collaboration with voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). The third centres on health, with schemes including screenings, caregiver training and home visits.
Mr Low did not disclose the amount of money in the WPCF's kitty or how it will raise funds.
However, he said the fund's current aim is to consolidate existing efforts to help needy residents and complement government-run social programmes.
Going forward, it will explore working with VWOs and other social agencies to develop new programmes for needy Singaporeans.
The WPCF's registered address is a Beach Road office belonging to law firm DennisMathiew, where Mr Dennis Tan is a partner.
The WP is believed to be the first opposition party to set up a community fund.
Democratic Progressive Party secretary-general Benjamin Pwee set up the Pwee Foundation in 2012, but in his personal capacity.
The PAP set up the PCF in 1986 with an initial $1 million contribution from the party. The PCF was registered as a company limited by guarantee in May 1986 and received its charity status a month later. The PCF took over running the PAP's kindergartens and today also runs other welfare schemes.
On the WP's move, political scientist Reuben Wong of the National University of Singapore said it could be taking a leaf from the PAP's early history by presenting itself as a party that also meets social needs. "The PAP was very successful in doing that in the 1960s and 70s," he said.
"This will be something new (for the WP) to show for themselves in the next election - that the party is not just thinking of votes but service to the community," he added.
Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University said that given certain restrictions which the party may face regarding the money it can use for social causes, having a charity arm similar to the PCF would place it in a better position to raise funds separately for these causes.
The public would also expect a level playing field for both the PCF and WPCF, in terms of fund-raising and activities that they can carry out, he added.
http://www.singapolitics.sg/news/wp-sets-fund-social-causes
WPCF's programmes will focus on financial and food aid, and health schemes
Posted on Jun 2, 2014 2:47 PM Updated: Jun 2, 2014 2:47 PM
By Toh Yong Chuan, Andrea Ong
Workers' Party MPs during the party's thank you parade in Punggol East in January 2013. The party has set up a charity fund to run community programmes like financial aid, food distribution and health screenings. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
Workers' Party MPs during the party's thank you parade in Punggol East in January 2013. The party has set up a charity fund to run community programmes like financial aid, food distribution and health screenings. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
The Workers' Party (WP) has set up a charity fund to run community programmes like financial aid, food distribution and health screenings.
The WP Community Fund (WPCF) is structured like the PAP Community Foundation (PCF), the ruling party's charity arm.
The WPCF was registered as a company limited by guarantee in January this year and accepted by the authorities as a charity in February.
The party has been low key about the fund's existence, but according to company and charity records obtained by The Straits Times last week, its board of 10 directors includes WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang as chairman, and Members of Parliament Png Eng Huat, Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap and Lee Li Lian.
The other directors are understood to include doctors and lawyers. Among them are WP executive council member Dennis Tan and party member Terence Tan, both lawyers who are seen as promising new faces.
Responding to The Straits Times' queries yesterday, Mr Low said the WPCF builds on the party's previous charity efforts while drawing a line between political work and social and charity work.
"Setting up a charity is not new to the Workers' Party," said Mr Low, citing as examples the Hougang Constituency Education Trust set up in 1992 and the WP youth wing's charity work.
After winning Aljunied GRC in 2011, the WP set up a welfare fund under its Aljunied Constituency Committee to provide interim aid to residents, said Mr Low.
"After settling more urgent constituency and grassroots matters which then gave WP MPs a chance to look at how the WP can better assist needy residents, it was felt that setting up an independent organisation as a charity with clear objectives would draw a clear line between political work and social and charitable work," he said.
The charity will also consolidate the efforts and resources of party members, volunteers and well- wishers in helping "the underprivileged of our society, regardless of political affiliation".
According to the fund's charity records, it aims to run three types of programmes. One will offer short-term financial help to those with difficulties despite having government grants and subsidies.
The second will give food vouchers to needy families and distribute food in collaboration with voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). The third centres on health, with schemes including screenings, caregiver training and home visits.
Mr Low did not disclose the amount of money in the WPCF's kitty or how it will raise funds.
However, he said the fund's current aim is to consolidate existing efforts to help needy residents and complement government-run social programmes.
Going forward, it will explore working with VWOs and other social agencies to develop new programmes for needy Singaporeans.
The WPCF's registered address is a Beach Road office belonging to law firm DennisMathiew, where Mr Dennis Tan is a partner.
The WP is believed to be the first opposition party to set up a community fund.
Democratic Progressive Party secretary-general Benjamin Pwee set up the Pwee Foundation in 2012, but in his personal capacity.
The PAP set up the PCF in 1986 with an initial $1 million contribution from the party. The PCF was registered as a company limited by guarantee in May 1986 and received its charity status a month later. The PCF took over running the PAP's kindergartens and today also runs other welfare schemes.
On the WP's move, political scientist Reuben Wong of the National University of Singapore said it could be taking a leaf from the PAP's early history by presenting itself as a party that also meets social needs. "The PAP was very successful in doing that in the 1960s and 70s," he said.
"This will be something new (for the WP) to show for themselves in the next election - that the party is not just thinking of votes but service to the community," he added.
Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University said that given certain restrictions which the party may face regarding the money it can use for social causes, having a charity arm similar to the PCF would place it in a better position to raise funds separately for these causes.
The public would also expect a level playing field for both the PCF and WPCF, in terms of fund-raising and activities that they can carry out, he added.
http://www.singapolitics.sg/news/wp-sets-fund-social-causes
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Daniel PS GohReflections on my mood swings on the President's address in May:
1. Lots of expectations for a political reform big bang so that governance would keep up with society, and then a great deflating sound as the President offered lots of motherhood semantics echoing previous speeches, not his fault because this is tradition?
2. Re-calibrated expectations for the details from the Ministers and the only wow was the nationalisation of the public bus system, which is to be called "government contracting" to avoid semantic confusion with the nationalisation called for by WP and others
3. Dragging my hopes into the debate this week, met in the first day by WP's Faisal offering a "social protection" framework to organise the kueh lapis charity bake, and WP's Low on his take on a public-centred constructive politics
4. A tad disappointed that the response to Low turned into partisan finger-pointing to paint WP as semantically compromised "flip flopper", with unsubstantiated great claims that the record clearly show this (because it is so clear, there is no need to show where in the record?)
5. Mere semantics turned into a semantic shoot-out with the PM accusing WP of being semantic weasels playing with words, though I learned that a "flip flop" becomes a "shift" when one admits to a "flip flop" (and thus we could logically conclude there is no such thing as a "flip flop" except rhetorically in a semantic shoot-out)
6. Because all eyes were now on the semantic shoot-out, new meaningful points were missed: the flip-flop-shift on retirement adequacy and CPF, WP Png's call for greater flexibility for older Singaporeans to access CPF savings, and PAP Baey's point on keeping policies simple, semantically and syntactically
All in all, a disappointment, a debate dismay.
But at least it was no debacle. At least partisan politics no longer descends into legal and character shoot-outs outside of Parliament, but involve rather benign semantic shoot-outs in Parliament that has revived interest in Parliament.
Okay, now it is the turn for going two steps forward.
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Daniel PS GohI met a young father at Nee Soon market on Sunday. I was smiling at his boy in his arms when he came over and said hello to me. We shook hands and he thanked us for giving up our time to speak up for people like himself. I smiled and said his son must be around 1.5 years old and that he is very cute, like my son. He said he listened to my PE rally speech and it resonated with him - the part about doing something to leave a better Singapore behind for our children.
Had to fight back a bit of tears. I nodded my head and he smiled in recognition. He wished me good luck and I said goodbye to his boy who waved back with vibrant curiosity in his eyes. Looking into the eyes of my soon-to-be 2-year old son, I hope the curiosity will never be beaten down and will blossom in search for a fulfilling life.
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Uztaz Habib Ahmad, a Eunos resident, has been organising free lunch for the community to celebrate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad for more than 20 years at Blk 142, Bedok Reservoir Road. His incredible generosity and sense of service is truly admirable. The least I could do was to thank him and his team for their unfailing commitment and dedication. Last Sunday, more than 30 institutions and organisations were invited to lunch including the Cheshire Home, Ren Ci, Metta Welfare Association, Christian Outreach to the Handicapped amongst many others. Of course, Ustaz Habib extended the invitation to residents of Bedok Reservoir many of whom savoured the fantastic briyani on offer. On behalf of everyone who has been touched by your kindness, Thank You Sir!
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[h=5]The Workers' Party[/h]The Workers’ Party welcomes the MediShield Life Review Committee’s recommendations on MediShield Life. Many of the recommended enhancements to the MediShield health insurance scheme have been articulated by Workers’ Party MPs in Parliament as well as by many Singaporeans over the years. These include adjusting co-payments and claim limits to ease the cost of healthcare for Singaporeans, and providing permanent premium subsidies for vulnerable groups of Singaporeans.
We note that the Government has accepted the recommendations and premiums will increase; and the Government has pledged to assist Singaporeans in minimising the impact of the premium increase. We will further study the details of the Committee’s recommendations and respond when Parliament debates these changes.
The Workers’ Party will continue to advocate that the Government should shoulder a higher proportion of healthcare costs, and share more risks on behalf of Singaporean families.
GERALD GIAM (严燕松)
Non-constituency MP and Chair, Media Team
The Workers’ Party
WP’s statement on MediShield Life Review Committee’s recommendations
wp.sg
The Workers’ Party welcomes the MediShield Life Review Committee’s recommendations on MediShield Life. Many of the recommended enhancements to the MediShiel
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Yee Jenn Jong, JJ (余振忠)Had a wonderful time last evening with the regular patrons of Adstragold Microbrewery / Lavastone Steakhouse at the junction of Telok Kurau and East Coast Road. Amongst the group were a couple of young Singaporeans reading political science in top UK universities who engaged Dennis and I in a lively discussion about political developments in Singapore.
I frequently passed by this joint but have never been inside until yesterday. Quite a lovely place with good English Ale and a tempting menu which I shall try on another day. Just a correction to their FB event though... I was called NMP instead of NCMP, something which still happen frequently by people confused about both appointments.
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Yee Jenn Jong, JJ (余振忠)Visited this home today where no one was in. We dropped our flyer into this letterbox with a see-through cover and then saw our flyer lying on top of that by the neighbourhood committee promoting an upcoming buffer dinner with the grassroots advisor. Looks like the grassroots are getting busy with their dinners.
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Yee Jenn Jong, JJ (余振忠)This is one of the most unique houses we have visited in Joo Chiat SMC so far. Tucked away in a corner of Opera Estate on a dead-end road and partially hidden by vegetation, it is an old kampong house with no door and with the toilets outside the house. It sits on a huge land with lots of vegetation and open space. This is surely the last of the kampong houses in Opera Estate where I had grown up in.
Back in the 70s, I would roam the streets with my trusty bicycle and make maps of the places. All the dirt paths, squatters and kampong houses have long made way for new houses and condominiums.
Unfortunately no one was in the house or they may not have heard us calling out. Later, a neighbour said that was the house of the caretaker and the land is owned by an organisation.
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[URL="https://www.facebook.com/wpyouth"]The Workers' Party Youth Wing (WPYW)[/URL]The Youth Day Art Competition is a free-form competition to allow you to express your creativity. What are you waiting for? Stand a chance to win fabulous prizes now!
http://wpyouth.sg/2014/05/youth-day-art-competition-2014/
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[h=5]Daniel PS Goh[/h]
"Expanded democracy at the local level could be the start of a process through which parliamentary democracies are revitalized, as citizens become more effective in holding their representatives to account.
This revitalization is a pressing task. In our own country and too many others, the divide between the political class and “the people” increasingly appears as an unbridgeable divide marked by hostility and deep distrust. Polanyi knew very well that this kind of divide is greatly exacerbated by the policies that we now call market fundamentalism."
The Return of Karl Polanyi | Dissent Magazine[url]www.dissentmagazine.org
In the first half century of Dissent’s history, Karl Polanyi almost never made an appearance in the magazine’s pages. On one level this is surprising, because Polanyi was a presence in socialist circles in New York City from 1947 through the mid-1950s, the period of Dissent’s...
[/URL]
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