Straits Times: PAP not a First World Govt, says WP chief
ELECTION 06
>> WORKERS' PARTY
He also attacks use of upgrading as an election carrot
BY KEN KWEK
DON'T criticise the opposition for not being of First World standard when the PAP Government is itself not a First World Government, said Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang yesterday.
kenkwek@sph.com.sg
Brandon Siow Wei Min, 30
Occupation: Sales manager, Singapore Airlines Cargo.
Melvin Tan, 31
Occupation: Sales executive with local IT startup Acemark Media
Family: Married to Ng Swee Bee, 25, a marketing executive. No children
Home: Five-room HDB flat in Hougang
Education: Monk's Hill Secondary. Advanced certificate in industrial relations from Ong Teng Cheong Institute of Labour Studies and diploma in computer studies from Informatics
Hobbies: Reading current affairs magazines and Chinese novels
If I were elected, the first thing I would do for residents is... "ensure town council amenities are up and running". Mr Tan said it was too early to talk about details
My biggest beef is... "Central Provident Fund and labour policy".
Mr Tan believes CPF funds should be invested in sectors with better investment returns. CPF funds are invested in Singapore government bonds and advance deposits. He declined to name which sectors would give better returns, saying he will touch on the topic in greater detail when campaigning starts.
He also declined to elaborate on how Singapore's labour policies should be changed, except to say that unions should have a greater say, such as during retrenchment exercises.
"The management should be more consultative with the unions," added Mr Tan, who was a branch secretary and branch chairman with the Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers Union between 1999 and 2003.
"At the moment, the employees and unions are able to negotiate on the compensation package, but the reasons and number of workers involved are not negotiable."
Abdul Salim Harun, 24
Lian Chin Way, 36
Occupation: Regional business manager with TTPCOM, a British software company.
