Politics

Many citizens have been awaiting the approval of Dr Tan Cheng Bock's party, Progress Singapore Party. The party was registered on 28 March 2019 and they are now intending to officially launch the party on 15 June at Expo Hall 5.

Dr Tan will be releasing more details after they have received the approval from the police and hopes to see many Singaporeans there.

Over 200 citizens attended Progress Singapore Party's inaugural Meet the People Session on 9 May. With the official launch, more attendees might turn up to support the party.

Do you want Dr Tan's team to lead Singapore to greater heights?

Deputy PM Heng Swee Keat said that in order for Singapore to maintain what they have achieved since independence, then Singapore needs to remain cohesive and keep finding ways to solve problems together and think for the long term.

And this was the very man whose Party keep repeating that Singaporeans cannot think for the long term themselves, that's why they need a reserved election for a Malay President, Singapore not ready for a non-Chinese PM, and that Singaporeans also need to be told by the government what is fake news and what is not, because Singaporeans cannot think for themselves. 

Mr Heng further stated his opinion that he needs to find ways to mobilise Singaproeans to solve problems together. Then maybe perhaps he should look at his Party and tell them that, because that Party has always told Singaporeans what can be done and what cannot be done. Hardly solving problems together as Singaporeans, right?

Local human rights activist, and social worker with local NGO the Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Workers (HOME), Jolovan Wham, is currently appealing his conviction for scandalising the judiciary.

He has found a supporter in Lee Hsien Yang, the brother of current Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong.

The Lee siblings are at odds over the will of their father concerning the house at Oxley Road.

According to his Twitter account, Wham shared that he, as part of the legal process for his appeal, had to pay a $20,000 security deposit. This deposit is not refundable if he lost the appeal.

Subsequently, Wham updated his Twitter account, thanking LHY for his generosity in paying the security deposit on Wham's behalf.

The Lee family saga has been dragging on and many Singaporeans are jaded by the drama.

This development however gives Singaporeans hope that LHY may finally decide to contest the elections to take on his brother. 

We're holding our breath. When will LHL call for elections?

Joko Widodo and his running mate, Ma'ruf Amin, a Muslim cleric, were confirmed as winners of the latest Presidential election in Indonesia. Widodo will become Indonesia's President for a second term.

The duo won 55.5% of the votes compared to the 44.5% garnered by their competitors, Prabowo Subianto and Sandiago Uno.

During his campaigning, Widodo focused on growing Indonesia's economy with large-scale infrastuctural projects. In contrast, Prabowo adopted a more nationalistic approach.

The relationship between Singapore and Indonesia has grown from strength-to-strength. At present, this relationship appears more harmonious compared to Singapores's testy ties with Malaysia.

Like any relationship between neighbours, there will be tension, for instance, on the control of airspace over the Riau Islands.

Nevertheless, with mutual respect and a spirit of cooperation, the relationship between Singapore and Indonesia can be further enhanced.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has revised Singapore's economic growth forecast for the year. It previously estimated that the economy will grow between 1.5 to 3.5%. This has been revised downwards to 1.5 to 2.5%.

This revision is also made against the backdrop of uncertainties in the global arena as characterised by US-China tensions and Brexit.

The question on everyone's minds is if this revised forecast will force the PAP into deferring any plans to call for the general elections this year.

PAP has always believed that a hungry man is an angry man. Hence, its focus on bread-and-butter issues.

A slower economic growth may result in Singaporeans losing their jobs because of structural unemployment as businesses, particularly the SMEs, grapple with the loss of businesses.

People without jobs and are struggling to feed the family will lay the blame on the government, to PAP's disadvantage. With all the pressure that it has faced this year, the PAP may not be able to take any more of these setbacks. From its point of view, it would be more beneficial to defer the elections to 2020 so that any they can take credit for any turnaround in the economy.

Whatever PAP chooses to do, the opposition must not lose focus and must continue preparing for the elections. They must continue to work the ground and engage the residents.