Party manifestos: Where the parties stand on issues

"The country we must be: a country that puts citizens first, yet welcomes those who share our values and can contribute to Singapore"

Taken from Page 15 of the PAP's manifesto titled "With you, for you, for Singapore". Click here to view.

"The Workers’ Party proposes to limit foreign workforce growth by holding steady the current level of foreign workforce numbers. Limiting foreign workforce growth does not affect workforce revitalisation. We do not seek to keep foreign workers out of Singapore, but for their numbers to be held steady, so that we can focus on growing and upgrading the Singaporean workforce."

"Our approach involves keeping the non-resident population constant at around 1.5-1.6 million as long as we achieve the 1%. This allows for a temporary addition of foreign workers to make up for shortfalls if we are not able to achieve the 1% target."

"We propose all Employment Pass and S Pass applicants with university degrees and diplomas earned outside Singapore be subject to mandatory ECA. The cost of the ECA should be borne by the applicant. The government should appoint an established education consultancy that is independent and has the expertise to conduct the ECA. The ECA report should be sent to the government, prospective employer and applicant."

"Prioritise foreign spouses and children of Singaporeans for citizenship as the family is the best setting to integrate new citizens."

Taken from Page 6 and Page 13 of the WP's manifesto titled "Empower your future". Click here to view in full.

"Enact the Singaporeans First Policy. Foreign PMETs wishing to work in Singapore will be assessed via a point system. Only those with required qualifications, skills, and experience will be able to work here. Employers will be able to hire foreign professionals only if they have made every effort to employ a Singaporean first."

Taken from SDP’s manifesto and proposals published on their website. Click here to view in full.

"The SDA advocates a “Singaporeans-First” Policy for employment, which will be legislated. This means that an employer must prove that he cannot find a suitable local for the current vacancy and has exhausted all means of employing a local for the job, before approval is granted for the employment of foreigners."

"On top of that, the SDA is also aware of the dichotomy between a “foreign talent” and a “foreign worker”. While stringent measures are taken for the hiring of foreign talents to cut out competition for our citizens’ employment opportunities, there are certain roles that may be only be filled by foreign workers. Such roles may include restaurant staff, logistics staff, construction workers, manufacturing industries etc, and we will repel the current “foreign workers quota” policy so that the SMEs and F&B businesses do not have to shortage of manpower, which in turn leads to lost sales and lousy service rendered."

Taken from the SDA's 2015 General Election manifesto titled "Singapore for Singaporeans" published on their website. Click here to view.

"The great influx of cheap foreign labour has displaced many lower and middle income Singaporeans from their jobs. This cannot continue and the NSP will fight in Parliament for every Singaporean to be given top priority in the engagement of workforce. It is not fair for Singaporeans to be discarded by their employers in favour of cheaper foreign labour. There must also be quotas imposed on Foreign PMETs seeking employment in Singapore."

Taken from Page 3 of the NSP's 2015 General Election manifesto. Click here to view the NSP's full manifesto titled "Singaporeans deserve better!".

"We will restructure the economy by making it much less dependent on cheap low-skilled foreign labour as it depresses our wage levels, lowers overall productivity, sustains low skill industries and adds to over-crowding. We will review the need to give very favourable foreign worker quotas to certain industries that are highly dependent on foreign workers; this special treatment is unfair to other industries and distorts our manpower policies. For example, shipyards employ 100,000 foreign workers out of a total workforce of 120,000. We should also question the desirability of promoting industries that harm social mores and destroy families. Are casinos worth the price in terms of costs to society and families? They also depend significantly on low skilled foreign labour in the entertainment and food & beverage sectors. They may contribute to the GDP but do not add to our social advancement or the development of wholesome skill sets."

"We should review policies that put Singaporeans at a disadvantage compared to foreign staff. One particular policy is the national service obligation of Singapore men. After 50 years, it is time to review the two-year national service period in light of technological progress and new organisational methods and training. Can the national service obligation and annual reservist training be shortened meaningfully so that our Singaporean men are not disadvantaged in the workplace?"

Taken from Singaporeans First 2015 General Election manifesto in English published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Cap foreign workers numbers and auction the right to work here. Total numbers can then be regulated in line with economic conditions and so as to keep wages growing in line with productivity growth for a fairer and more equitable society."

"Force those taking up PR and citizenship to do NS or pay a special tax."

Taken from the RP manifesto published on their website titled “Vote for a brighter future tomorrow, today”. Click here to download the manifesto in full.

"In order to allow Temasek Holdings, GICs and GLCs to gain access to investments in emerging economies, the PAP government has signed a series of Free Trade Agreements with these countries. Among these agreements, the PAP has agreed to allow unlimited labour from these countries to work in Singapore. CECA which was signed between Singapore and India is one prime example."

"India is a country with a huge population of 1 billion people. Can we even handle 1% (10 million) of this population size? Is such a GDP growth model sustainable in the long run? This will deprive Singaporeans of their rice bowls! Singaporeans who are above 40 years old are especially vulnerable. Once they lose their jobs, chances are that they will not be able to find similar jobs at the same wage. This is because there will always be cheaper and younger foreigners waiting to replace these Singaporeans! We are determined to stop this policy of unchecked influx of foreign labour."

Taken from the PPP’s manifesto titled "Securing our future" published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Our families are our anchors, sources of love and strength. We will: work to increase our birth rate; expand childcare and pre-school support; support strong families who spend time with each other, nurture their children and show respect and care for elderly parents; encourage social, economic and workplace support to make us productive at work, yet supportive of families."

Taken from Page 19 of the PAP's manifesto titled "With you, for you, for Singapore". Click here to view.

"The Workers’ Party believes that the only way to maintain a strong Singaporean core is through a singular focus on improving Singaporean birth rates. To improve birth rates, we need to move away from the current carrot-and-stick approach. We must instead engage in structural reforms to improve the Singaporean family’s quality of life."

"Our education system needs to change to a less stressful system that encourages innovation. Greater financial support should be given to families with young children. Flexi- work arrangements, better family care leave, and other work-life balance policies are required to increase both labour force participation and birth rates."

"Most young couples want to marry and have more than two children. We need to empower young Singaporeans to achieve these aspirations. This requires concerted efforts across a spectrum of social and work policies. We offer many proposals on education, work-life balance and support for young families in Chapter 3 Aspiring Students and Families."

"We believe households that have both financial security and a fulfilling family life are vital to the well-being of Singaporeans and the resilience of the nation. In order to achieve a balanced family life, we need to: provide equitable support to all families; support work-life harmony; fight problem gambling."

"Enhanced Child Development Account. We propose funds be allocated to the Child Development Account (CDA) of all parents automatically and the quantum should be standardised to $10,000 for each child, instead of the current dollar-for-dollar matching practice. This will narrow the gap between high and low-income families, while still leaving parents the option of topping up the CDA up to $10,000 for each child to earn higher interest as a way of earmarking savings for spending on the child’s education and well-being."

"Child Support Tax Credits. We call for progressive tax credits and reliefs for low to middle income parents of young children up to 18 years old. We propose that tax- related support should be directed based on household income and scaled back progressively as household income increases to ensure that support is directed at those most in need of assistance."

"Fee Subsidy for All Kindergartens. We propose the extension of the Kindergarten Fee Assistance Scheme (KiFAS) to all Kindergartens, similar to how its sister scheme, the Centre-Based Financial Assistance Scheme for Child Care (CFAC), can be used on all childcare centres. KiFAS can currently only be used in about half of all registered kindergartens, which are in centres run by Anchor Operators and MOE. This stifles competition with other operators that provide quality education but are not KiFAS- eligible, and limits parents’ choices."

"Equitable Support for Single Parents. We reiterate our call to grant single unwed mothers the full 16 weeks of paid maternity leave. In addition, single mothers should be made eligible for both the Working Mother’s Child Relief as well as the Foreign Maid Levy Relief. Excluding single mothers from these schemes unnecessarily penalises vulnerable children and single mothers. The government should extend the same help to single fathers."

"Flexi-work Arrangements. We call for fair regulation of mandatory flexi-work arrangements, where companies should be obliged to cater for a work-life friendly environment for workers. Employees who work for a company with more than 20 employees for more than 6 months should be allowed to make requests for flexible working arrangements. Employers can refuse the request on reasonable business grounds, but must discuss the options available with the employee. The discussion must be duly documented, and employees may appeal the refusal if there is a dispute over the grounds for refusing a request. Tax breaks and enhanced Work-Life Grants should be made widely available to help companies accommodate the flexi-work arrangements relevant to their respective industries."

"Enhanced Childcare Leave. We call for paid childcare leave to be extended to 12 days for parents of children 12 years old and under, regardless of marital status. Parents should be required to produce and submit valid medical certificates of their children, should they require the extra 6 days of childcare leave on top of the 6 days of childcare leave stipulated by MOM."

"Affordable and Accessible Quality Childcare. We propose the building of larger childcare centres that can house multiple operators in a common compound for better use of resources, especially in high demand areas. This will encourage greater economic grouping and centralised resources for economies of scale, and consolidation of the fragmented childcare industry. The government should also allow private operators access to schemes such as Partner Operator (POP) that aim to promote quality care at affordable prices that can be strictly regulated. This will promote more innovation in the industry and offer quality choices for parents."

"More Infant Care Centres. We propose the number of infant care centres be made more proportionate to the population demographic of the district. Since 2009, infant care centres have doubled. However, there are disproportionately fewer centres available in certain districts. We call for more centres with the necessary facilities to be available in districts where they are lacking. Fees should also be regulated to ensure that increases do not become a burden on parents, as around 90% of children are enrolled in the full-day programme."

Taken from Page 6, Page 7 and Page 23 of the WP's manifesto titled "Empower your future". Click here to view in full.

"Retain Singaporean talent. Singaporeans are emigrating at an alarming rate. To stem this brain drain, we need to lower the cost of living (especially housing and health care) which is creating a highly stressful lifestyle for our people. Reducing the cost of living will encourage young couples to stay and have more children."

Taken from SDP’s manifesto and proposals published on their website. Click here to view in full.

"The Population White Paper projected a population of 6.5 to 6.9 million by year 2030. While we understand that the purpose is to boost economic growth of the country, could it be possible that the social and safety aspects are being severely compromised? Also, from an infrastructure point of view, is the Government well-prepared to accommodate this sharp increase in population?"

"Besides that, with the increase of foreigners on the rise, true blue Singaporeans will soon become the minority race in the future. As such, where is the National Identity? We need to encourage Singaporeans to give birth or adopt children, so that these children will grow up with Singapore’s values instilled in them, to serve the country, and preserve our nationality. We need to breed and grow our own people, and not to “import” as this may translate to conflicting values and beliefs; that instead of integrating into our culture, we lose our Singapore identity."

"SDA will propose schemes to take care of mothers-to-be, to encourage childbirth as well as work-family balance. On top of that, the number of childcare centres will also be increased with good schemes in place so that mothers can continue to work and have peace of mind that their children have good minders. More incentives and grants will be awarded to couples with children, because their children are the future of Singapore, making up of the population of true-blue native Singaporeans."

"SDA proposes that all children should be taken care of well, and treated fairly. We will advocate the same rights, benefits, grants and welfare for single parents so that they can support their children and continue to play dual parental roles to the children."

Taken from the SDA's 2015 General Election manifesto titled "Singapore for Singaporeans" published on their website. Click here to view.

"The NSP is against the White Paper which proposes that the population be increased to 6.9 million within 15 years. The Singapore of today is already overcrowded and infrastructure strained. We shall make the call in Parliament for a more considered study as to the optimal population size for Singapore in both sociological and economic terms. The NSP proposes that Singapore should only start growing its population gradually when its infrastructure is ready. The disastrous mistake of the past decade with regard to population growth without proper infrastructure planning must be avoided. To increase our Total Fertility Rate, hopeful parents should be provided with a comprehensive security net for their children up to age 18."

Taken from Page 4 of the NSP's 2015 General Election manifesto. Click here to view the NSP's full manifesto titled "Singaporeans deserve better!".

"The ultimate solution to the persistent problem of manpower shortage is to raise the fertility rate from about 1.2 to well above 2. We must reduce substantially the costs to families of having more children by granting more and bigger child allowances and providing free education from pre-school to university. Childcare facilities should be heavily subsidised."

"Caring for children should not be at the expense of a mother’s career. Work should not take too much time away from the family. This can be achieved if jobs and services are available near home. Hence offices, workshops, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, clinics, hospitals, health clubs, cinemas, shops should be located in the community so that they can be reached within 15 minutes. These facilities should be decentralised throughout Singapore so that criss-cross travelling can be minimised and women do not need to travel far from home. Flexible working arrangements can be better organised to accommodate the needs of housewives and active seniors."

"We will provide the substantial funds needed to redevelop existing housing estates and transform them into vibrant self-contained communities where families live, work and play with jobs, services and entertainment provided near their homes. We will adopt a new method to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of public service agencies such as schools, childcare centres, clinics, hospitals and nursing homes. They will be judged not solely by internal cost calculations but more importantly, by how well they provide for the care and convenience of residents in the community."

"These new measures will enable more housewives and active seniors to join the workforce and provide immediate relief to the problem of manpower shortage. In the longer term, the vastly improved fertility rate will result in a more socially stable source of manpower for the economy instead of relying on an unending supply of foreign workers as envisaged in the misguided Population White Paper. We can develop a robust and internationally competitive economy without a high dependence on foreign labour as many countries have shown, for example Denmark and Finland, both of which have a similar population size of around 5 million as Singapore."

Taken from Singaporeans First 2015 General Election manifesto in English published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Child Benefit of $300 per month per child up to the age of 18 paid directly to the mother."

"Greater aid to those with permanent disabilities and to carers looking after children or adults with special needs."

"Abolition of any link between benefits and sterilisation for the poor (as seen in the current HOPE scheme) which represents an attempt to introduce discredited eugenics policies by the back door. Instead emphasis on education and providing work opportunities for mothers from low income groups to encourage family planning."

"Set up and appoint an Equal Opportunity Commission so that no group is left behind."

"Disability opportunity and equality of access provision. Disabled access to public buildings including recreational facilities to be made mandatory by law."

Taken from the RP manifesto published on their website titled “Vote for a brighter future tomorrow, today”. Click here to download the manifesto in full.

"To explain good government policies to the residents, and to help Mountbatten residents to attain their benefits and entitlements as citizens: I want to close the gap between good Government policies and their implementation on the ground. As a constituency with many elderly, I will help the elderly in the constituency understand and claim their benefits under Government initiatives such as the Silver Support Scheme which will be implemented in 2016. For residents in the constituency who are on public assistance and CDC support, I promise to continue to help you claim your public assistance as your Member of Parliament. I will also preserve existing bursary distributions in the constituency; I will work with existing VWOs operating in Mountbatten to help them continue to provide and to improve on the provision of their services to the community; To ensure the participation of the elderly in Mountbatten’s community life, I will work with Government agencies to make Mountbatten more elderly friendly. My top priority is to ask LTA to conduct a feasibility study on installing a lift at the overhead bridge at Kampong Arang."

"To enhance social mobility: I want to close the gap between Singaporeans’ dreams and their daily realities. Every Singaporean matters and is entitled to be given equal opportunities; The top tiers of our public service do not hire enough talent from polytechnics and private universities. This leads to a brain drain, and young Singaporeans going overseas; In the long term, my key platform in Parliament will be to strengthen the one element that has made Singapore an exceptional country: our meritocracy and diversity; I believe success in Singapore is too narrowly defined as academic success; I want to close the gap between the aspirations of Singaporeans and the reality of inequality."

Taken from Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss’ manifesto for Mountbatten SMC available for download here.

"We believe people want a clean and protected environment, conducive surroundings to raise a family, assisted living for the young, old and handicapped, and responsive Town Councils."

Taken from the joint SPP-DPP team’s manifesto for Bishan-Toa Payoh available for viewing here.

"The unchecked population expansion has become the Mother of All Problems in Singapore. From housing issues, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, the big squeeze in public transport, numerous breakdowns of MRTs, job insecurity, suppressed wages to unemployment of middle-aged PMETs, this wide spectrum of problems is all related to over-population."

Taken from the PPP’s manifesto titled "Securing our future" published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Together with employers, industry and workers, we will: help Singaporeans acquire skills and progress in their careers through SkillsFuture; invest in every Singaporean to help them get good jobs, upgrade and make the best in life; provide more support and job assistance for PMETs; help businesses with manpower resourcing, talent retention and development; keep Singapore the best place in the region to do business; be a global capital of ideas, innovations and thought leadership."

Taken from Page 17 of the PAP's manifesto titled "With you, for you, for Singapore". Click here to view.

"Increase workers’ incomes by increasing the cash payout portion of Workfare, instituting a national minimum wage and pegging it to the Average Household Expenditure on Basic Needs, and introducing an Employment Security Fund to provide for unemployment insurance."

"Invest in Singaporean workers to improve productivity and promote family-friendly work policies to encourage the elderly and women to work."

"Targeted Training and Job-Matching Schemes for Female Workers. The labour force participation rate is significantly lower for women than men from the 30-34 years old age bracket onwards. In order to encourage female workers, we propose targeted training and job-matching schemes be introduced for women 30 years of age and older. Additional cash grants and special employment credits should be offered to employers who employ or upgrade the skills of women in this bracket."

"Changing Government and Business Mindsets on Senior Workers. The government continues to see an ageing population as a disaster (for example, “silver tsunami”). We believe that an ageing society marks a triumph of development: our people are living longer, healthier lives. When looking at the declining age dependency ratio, we should also be mindful that many of our seniors would bring their invaluable skills and experience to bear on productivity and innovation. We need to change mindsets on our mature and experienced citizens, starting with the government, before educating businesses to do the same."

"Accelerated Workplace and Job Redesign for a Senior Workforce. If we double our efforts to redesign jobs and work processes, we will be able to retain more senior. Under the WorkPro programme, the Age Management Grant has seen a far greater uptake by companies than the Job Redesign Grant. We need to accelerate job redesign. We propose it be made mandatory for large companies to implement workplace and job redesign for senior workers. We also propose targeted measures and incentives for SMEs."

"Tracking Employment Participation of Senior Workers. We propose that annual surveys be conducted to track the employment of senior workers in various industries. This will enable us to know which sectors have an under-employment of senior workers, and facilitate the implementation of targeted measures to fill those gaps while developing Old Age Technologies in those industries. This will also allow the government to identify sectors and companies practising age discrimination against older workers."

"Support Singaporean SMEs to develop an innovative and entrepreneurial economy with capital-intensive enterprises."

"Set Up National Agencies to Groom SMEs. Our government agencies should be empowered to develop, coordinate and assist SMEs toward global competitiveness. A full range of assistance should be provided to the spectrum of local businesses from micro-businesses to medium enterprises."

"Support a Conducive SME Business Environment. We should ensure an effective capital funding system to cater to the capital needs of local businesses. We should help to keep business costs, especially rents, down and seek to distribute key resources such as technology and talent to local businesses."

"Benchmark Productivity Performance. We should adopt a systematic productivity benchmarking system to inform and incentivise productivity raising practices. We need to unlock productivity gains and foster innovative capabilities that are deeply rooted in the local economy."

"Moratorium on GST Increase. We propose a moratorium on increasing the GST from 7%. All other options for enhancing progressive taxation should be explored and an increase in GST should be used as a measure of last resort to maintain fiscal balance. A commission of economists should be formed to study and advise on any proposed increase and the report tabled in Parliament for debate."

"Progressive Top-bracket Income Tax. We propose personal income tax be made more progressive, as our effective top tax personal income rates are significantly lower than almost all locations with which Singapore competes for offshore banking and similar economic activities. We propose further tiering above $320,000 (currently at flat rate of22%). This cut-off has not been adjusted for more than a decade even though incomes at the higher end have soared."

Taken from Page 4, Page 6, Page 10 and Page 15 of the WP's manifesto titled "Empower your future". Click here to view in full.

"Redefine economic progress: We propose an alternative indicator of economic progress. The PAP relies on GDP growth as a measure of society’s wellness. The problem is that GDP is a misleading indicator that does not take into account the cost (social, environmental and financial) of production. With an alternative index, such as the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), that comprehensively measures the cost and benefit of economic growth, we can better gauge the efficacy of our policies. Under our programme, the quality of life and overall happiness of our citizens will be the guiding factor for economic growth."

"Reduce income inequality: As Singapore’s GDP growth rate rises, so has income inequality and poverty in the country. To ensure that workers are not exploited, we propose the legislation of a national minimum wage. Retrenchment insurance will also be introduced to provide retrenched workers with support while they look for re-employment."

"Encourage entrepreneurship: Our workers’ productivity has been falling to dismal levels. To address this problem, we will work to ensure that our society is free and open so that innovation can thrive. Workers must be intrinsically motivated; only this will ensure that they excel in whatever they do and add value to the goods and services they produce. We also aim to cut down on importing cheap foreign labour and ensure that employers employ Singaporeans first. Only when local talent cannot be found should foreigners be employed."

"Eliminate GLCs, increase SMEs: We aim to encourage enterprise by divesting inefficient government-linked companies (GLCs), which are competing with and slowing down the growth of our small and medium enterprises (SMEs), of their untouchable status. One effective way to help local SMEs grow is to reduce land costs and rentals. We will also work towards weaning our economy off its addiction to multinational corporations (MNCs)."

"Remake the GIC/Temasek model: Singapore’s reserves are, effectively, kept with the government through two conglomerates: the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) and Temasek Holdings (TH). These entities are currently being run in a less than transparent manner. The SDP believes that our country’s reserves should work for the people, not the other way around. TH should be eliminated and the GIC’s operations must be made transparent and its accounts made public. The GIC must be restructured to function independently of the ruling party – no member of parliament or their relatives should hold governing positions in the company."

"Increase social spending: We recommend allocating more resources to help the most vulnerable segments of our society. We believe that social welfare assistance for the poorest of our poor must increase in order to reduce poverty. The SDP does not advocate deficit spending on a continual basis, but we are convinced that the national budget for social programmes and health care must be increased in order to support the needy and elderly."

"Increase the wages: Wages of workers must be increased through schemes like Minimum Wage. This will put more money into the pockets of Singaporeans. Higher incomes means greater spending power for Singaporeans. This will benefit businesses and help the economy to become stronger."

Taken from SDP’s manifesto and proposals published on their website. Click here to view in full.

"The SDA supports the legislation of a Minimum Wage Law. This is to help the citizens in coping with the country’s high costs of living, which are constantly on the rise. By supporting the minimum wage law, citizens are assured of receiving income that are on-par with the current minimum real living wage. A minimum wage scheme will also boost the economy as well as eliminate the risk of discrimination of different job roles."

"By imposing a Minimum Wage scheme, citizens are free to pursue their passion as careers. This would ease the pressure of societal stereotyping of the white-collar employees being more superior to the blue-collar workers, and erase the thought that working with brains is more important than working with one’s hands. People can take pride in their work then, whether they choose to become a technician, cook or retailer, and find greater satisfaction in their jobs. This would in turn boost productivity and the economy gradually, and at the same time offer more choices for Singaporeans instead of being dependent on foreigners to take on job roles in certain industries."

"The income gap in Singapore would also be reduced significantly, keeping at bay the risk of middle-income earners suffering from the brunt of the high costs of living."

Taken from the SDA's 2015 General Election manifesto titled "Singapore for Singaporeans" published on their website. Click here to view.

“It is not fair for Singaporeans to be discarded by their employers in favour of cheaper foreign labour. There must be quotas imposed on Foreign PMETs seeking employment in Singapore.”

Taken from Page 6 of the NSP's 2015 General Election manifesto. Click here to view the NSP's full manifesto titled "Singaporeans deserve better!".

"We will transform the economy to make better use of our limited resources of land and people. After 50 years of high dependence on multinational corporations and foreign labour, it is time that we “grow our own timber” by developing our own talent pool of local entrepreneurs, managers, professionals, engineers, technical specialists and skilled workers."

"We will place high priority on developing our local enterprises, for example, the small and medium enterprises into major regional or global firms. We will aim to provide grants for development capital to these enterprises to help them strike out into new areas especially in the high tech industry. Creative industries will appeal to our young and budding entrepreneurs. Two sectors that are sustainable over the long term are education and healthcare. Our SMEs can develop their expertise in these areas. We should be aggressive in helping them overcome the problem of high business costs by reviewing the sale and rental policy of industrial factories and space. Have our planning and land allocation policies favoured the landlords and building owners such that our rental costs continue to rise unchecked? Has the policy of encouraging ownership of industrial property resulted in high rental?"

"Local enterprises must be encouraged to give priority to the employment of Singaporeans across all sectors but particularly at PMET and senior management levels. Foreigners should only be hired where specialist skills are missing in Singaporeans. Government-linked companies should start the trend by enrolling more Singaporeans in the executive and management positions."

"A strong safety net will prevent Singaporeans from falling into insecurity, despair and indignity. This safety net must have three basic elements namely; affordable universal and comprehensive healthcare insurance; unemployment insurance; an old age pension provided by the state outside of the inadequate CPF."

Taken from Singaporeans First 2015 General Election manifesto in English published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Introduce minimum wage with exemptions for older workers and lower minimum for younger workers."

"Reorientate economy away from excessive saving and towards consumption and domestic investment. Reduction in foreign investment by SWFs where investments can either be expropriated or lost due to market or fraud."

"Maintain corporate and personal tax regime that favours investment or economic growth while cutting regressive taxes and charges on the poorest sections of the population."

"Restrict investments by Town Councils to prevent them speculating with residents’ monies."

"Maintain infrastructure spending so as to ensure that Singapore maintains its attractiveness as a destination for foreign investment."

"Examine competition policy with a view to strengthening it and making it more pro-consumer if necessary."

"Increase investment in green and energy-saving technologies beyond current plans to target gap between venture capital stage and commercial production."

"Enact discrimination laws to prevent discrimination in employment on grounds of race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. Companies will have to show why particular language skills are a necessary part of the job rather than using this as a means to discriminate."

"Introduce ‘stepped’ minimum wage - exempt older workers and lower minimum for younger workers."

"Continue investments in worker retraining and skills upgrading but careful examination of existing schemes to see that these are not merely a cheap rebranding exercise or to make up for deficiencies in educational system, e.g. poor literacy performance."

"Mothers back-to-work specific training scheme for women away from the work place in excess of two years. Free or means- tested after-school care in after school and homework clubs to help working mothers in recognition of the decline of the extended family network."

The RP manifesto details more economic policies on Page 3 and jobs policies on Page 6.

Taken from the RP manifesto published on their website titled “Vote for a brighter future tomorrow, today”. Click here to download the manifesto in full.

"We believe people want equal opportunities, fair employment, sustainable jobs, living wages, reduced cost-of-living, affordable healthcare, reliable public transport, assistance in business, control over their CPF monies, and a worry-free retirement."

"We believe people want an economy with affordable costs, built on strong, healthy, growing local businesses, owned and run by Singaporeans, and not be squeezed out of the market by GLCs and MNCs."

Taken from the joint SPP-DPP team’s manifesto for Bishan-Toa Payoh available for viewing here.

"Since Year 2000, the PAP government has embarked on the strategy of using huge imports of foreign labour to increase population growth and enhance GDP growth. Although this strategy might have brought about good economic growth for Singapore in the last decade, such explosive population growth has created instability to all aspects of the nation."

Taken from the PPP’s manifesto titled "Securing our future" published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"We will transform the city. It will stand out as a jewel among global cities, yet have a heart and pulse purely our own. Our city will be: vibrant and liveable with excellent physical environment, infrastructure and connectivity, green and sustainable; an endearing home for all Singaporeans with; more housing choices and supporting amenities; pedestrian and cyclist-friendly precincts; abundant greenery and common spaces."

Taken from Page 21 of the PAP's manifesto titled "With you, for you, for Singapore". Click here to view.

"Make public housing more affordable and accessible to lower and middle income Singaporeans by pegging HDB BTO flat prices to median monthly household income of applicants, enabling them to pay off their mortgage within 20 years, and by facilitating the elderly who wish to sublet their flats to increase their retirement income."

"20-25 BTO Pricing. We propose HDB flat ownership should be delinked from land costs by adjusting the debt service ratio formula for calculating BTO selling price to 25% of median monthly household income of applicants servicing a 20-year mortgage after the 10% down payment. There should be a discount for lower income applicants of 2- room and 3-room flats to achieve debt service ratios of 10% and 20% respectively (see table). Since the 20-25 formula takes care of affordability in a systematic way, the Additional and Special CPF Housing Grants can be removed to make for a simpler and more effective housing policy. To help the public understand the pricing, we propose that HDB give each buyer the breakdown of land sale costs, developmental costs and subsidies."

"1.5 First-Timer Application Rate. We propose HDB should maintain a buffer supply of new flats to meet unanticipated rises in demand and reduce the average number of times applicants have to apply before they are successful in booking a new flat. HDB should aim to keep the current first-timer application rate at 1.5 to minimise the cost to couples trying to start a family and to prevent the building up of pent-up demand."

"Removing the Ethnic Quota. As our society has now attained a level of multi-racial integration, we propose the ethnic quotas governing citizens’ home ownership of HDB flats should be removed to allow all Singaporeans freedom of choice of home locations, regardless of race."

"Elderly Subletting Facilitation. We propose an Elderly Subletting Facilitation (ESF)scheme, where HDB connects elderly flat owners who would like to sublet rooms with potential tenants. This could encourage up to two-fifths of elderly flat owners to sublet their flats to support their retirement. Furthermore, the ESF could be combined synergistically with the Public Rental Scheme, so that there is no need to turn away over 10,000 applicants to the Public Rental Scheme yearly."

Taken from Page 5, Page 29 and Page 30 of the WP's manifesto titled "Empower your future". Click here to view in full.

"The SDP proposes a new Non-Open Market (NOM) scheme to help reduce the prices of HDB flats. Under this scheme a segment of new HDB flats will be priced at cost (including labour, material and administrative costs) minus the land “cost” that is currently factored into HDB prices. Flat prices will hence be substantially lower, ranging from $70,000 for 2-room flats to $240,000 for 5-room flats. As the name implies, however, flats bought under the NOM scheme cannot be re-sold in the open market. Owners wishing to dispose of their NOM flats will have to sell them back to the HDB."

"Singaporeans who purchase NOM flats will take an estimated 9 to 15 years to pay off their housing loans compared to about 30 years under the present PAP system. This drop in housing expenditure will free up capital for homeowners to invest or save for retirement."

"Current owners of HDB flats can continue selling their flats in the open market (OM). Policies regulating OM flats will remain relatively unchanged."

"Current flat owners can also choose to convert their OM flats into NOM flats. The Government will return them the difference between the original price of their flats (as purchased from the HDB) and the price of an equivalent NOM flat, subject to a cap."

"This money will be credited back to the owner’s CPF account or used to pay any outstanding housing loan taken. The converted flat will then be subjected to the rules governing NOM flats. First-time HDB buyers can choose to buy an OM or NOM flat."

"The rationale behind this scheme is that the Government should not profit from Singaporeans when it comes to public housing. Public housing is a social good and should be used to meet the housing needs of the population instead of being a vehicle for profit – whether the Government’s or citizens’."

Taken from SDP’s manifesto and proposals published on their website. Click here to view in full.

"SDA will fight for more affordable public housing, heavily subsidised by the government. More rental units should be made available, without those rigid application guidelines, so that young couples can have a temporary abode while waiting for their own houses to be ready."

"Besides building new rental flats, SDA also proposes a public housing scheme to provide public flats that are sold 10% above the raw price to Singaporeans who are not able to afford to buy from the open market or the current HDB BTO flats. This type of flat units can only be sold back to HDB and not in the open market, so that price may be contained."

Taken from the SDA's 2015 General Election manifesto titled "Singapore for Singaporeans" published on their website. Click here to view.

"There is an urgent need to narrow the widening inequality gap and the National Solidarity Party proposes that one significant means which would narrow this gap is to allow Singaporeans living in non-private property to be able to buy an HDB apartment at cost plus and also be entitled to buy another HDB apartment in the resale market."

Taken from Page 6 of the NSP's 2015 General Election manifesto. Click here to view the NSP's full manifesto titled "Singaporeans deserve better!".

"We will provide the substantial funds needed to redevelop existing housing estates and transform them into vibrant self-contained communities where families live, work and play with jobs, services and entertainment provided near their homes."

Taken from Singaporeans First 2015 General Election manifesto in English published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Public Housing- remove restrictions on minority groups to buy and sell HDB flats which is tantamount to feudalism and hinders the development of a genuine Singapore identity."

"Increase transparency of HDB accounts and examination of conflict of interest in and anti-competitive nature of Government’s position as major landowner through its powers of acquisition and its position as a property developer through the HDB."

"Allowing Singapore citizens to own the freehold of their HDB so they can benefit from rise in land values and take responsibility for managing their own estates."

Taken from the RP manifesto published on their website titled “Vote for a brighter future tomorrow, today”. Click here to download the manifesto in full.

"Preserving our heritage: If elected, I will work with architects, residents, heritage groups and local business operators to construct a plan to present to URA to conserve at least three blocks of the iconic Dakota Crescent residences (out of 17) and the Dakota Dove Playground with a long term view to re-purposing the blocks into a design, creative and heritage space that houses a Mountbatten community museum; A hybrid development plan could be explored, allowing the developer the freedom to commercialise a portion of the area, while binding the developer to ensure that a portion of the area be allocated for community use. This will achieve a balance between commercial goals and community interests; If the estate is to be redeveloped, it should be done in a way that honours Dakota Crescent’s historical role in serving the community."

Taken from Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss’ manifesto for Mountbatten SMC available for download here.

"We are solving current transport issues and will make our land transport system one of the most modern, efficient and green systems in the world. We will: make it easier to get from home to work and around Singapore; build more MRT lines and double the rail network; expand Changi Airport and PSA port; make Singapore the connecting point for international travel."

Taken from Page 19 of the PAP's manifesto titled "With you, for you, for Singapore". Click here to view.

"Improve public transport quality and affordability by having a government-owned National Transport Corporation own and manage rail and bus assets, audit public transport operators’ performance standards, and set fares in consultation with stakeholders, with fares linked to operators’ performance, service quality and reliability."

"Government Contracting Model. The government has been moving away from the profit-based privatisation model of running public transport towards the WP’s National Transport Corporation (NTC) proposal to run public bus and MRT operations on a not- for-profit basis of maintenance and cost recovery. The “Government Contracting” model, where the government owns the assets but contracts out service delivery to public transport operators (PTOs), has been implemented in the past few years. We should monitor the implementation of this model for 10 years to assess whether it drives greater cost efficiency and service quality for commuters. If there are still problems after 10 years, then we propose the NTC takes over the running of public transport services."

"National Transport Corporation. The NTC should hold a key place in the Government Contracting model. Ownership and management of rail and bus assets is a dedicated and specialised operational function that should be separated from the planning, development and regulation body (Land Transport Authority, LTA) and tasked to a statutory board. NTC would be tasked to minimise costs and achieve efficiency in the management of the assets. To avoid conflicts of interest and improve transparency, the NTC should operate specialised audit systems to make sure the PTOs meet performance and service delivery standards, while LTA sets regulatory standards and collects the fines for service disruptions."

"Dissolving the Public Transport Council. We reiterate our call for the Public Transport Council to be dissolved and all its functions transferred to the NTC. The NTC will closely monitor rail and bus operations to ensure affordability, reliability, efficiency and service standards. The NTC will seek to set fares fairly in consultation with all stakeholders and the public, maintaining affordability while linking fares to performance and service quality and reliability."

"Promoting a Competitive PTO Sector. The Government should promote competition beyond the two existing PTO Sector. The Government should promote competition beyond the two existing PTOs to reduce the risk of entrenchment of an uncompetitive duopoly. We propose the LTA actively solicit at least two other PTOs to join in the next competitive tender to run an MRT line, which could be a new line or one of the existing lines. We also propose the licence period for operating the MRT lines be reduced from the current 15 years to 10 years to promote competition for licences. The licence charges should cater for higher maintenance expenditures in order to provide for greater service reliability."

"Acquisition of Operational Assets of Current PTOs. The NTC should acquire the operational assets of the current PTOs, but at fair cost to the public purse. Public transport assets currently under the care of PTOs should be turned over to the NTC in good condition. We propose the price to be paid by taxpayers for the acquisition should be suggested by a panel of independent third parties with expertise and experience in public transport economics. All proceedings should be made public."

Taken from Page 5 and Page 30 of the WP's manifesto titled "Empower your future". Click here to view in full.

"In our visits to residents in the various constituencies, one issue that keeps cropping up is the high cost of living in Singapore and how people are finding it difficult to make ends meet. To overcome this problem and help Singaporeans meet daily expenses and lead a better life, we must push for the following SDP's alternative proposals: bringing down bus and MRT fares by at least 20%."

Taken from SDP’s manifesto and proposals published on their website. Click here to view in full.

"SDA proposes that the public transport system be returned to the care of the State, who shall maintain the system to ensure that it is functional, as its core responsibility."

"Alternatively, the transportation sector in Singapore shall be liberalised so as to encourage more companies to compete for tenders."

"SDA also advocates full-day concession for the elderly citizens."

Taken from the SDA's 2015 General Election manifesto titled "Singapore for Singaporeans" published on their website. Click here to view.

"Examine rationale for mixed private-public ownership when taxpayer is paying most of the costs of the infrastructure."

"Lower fares for special groups such as disabled, senior citizens and children paid for by slightly higher fares for tourists and non-citizens."

"Introduce competition as much as possible with a view to lowering cost and improving service quality."

"Re-examine current basis of COE system and ERP to see whether it is efficiently reducing congestion. Accelerate introduction of new technologies such as driverless cars and electric vehicles with a view to moving away from car ownership and treating cars."

"Introduce competition as much as possible with a view to lowering cost and improving service quality. Re-examine current basis of COE system and ERP to see whether it is efficiently reducing congestion. Accelerate introduction of new technologies such as driverless cars and electric vehicles with a view to moving away from car ownership and treating cars."

Taken from the RP manifesto published on their website titled “Vote for a brighter future tomorrow, today”. Click here to download the manifesto in full.

"I will query the annual Public Transport Council (“PTC”) report to ensure that public transport fares are not increased without increased service reliability. Oversight also includes raising probing questions in Parliament over how public bodies spend public monies. I will keep reminding the Government of its duty to ensure the public that taxpayer’s money is being responsibly and wisely spent."

"Enhancing feeder bus services: Bus connectivity between certain areas of Mountbatten and key recreational centres within and bordering the constituency can be improved. I will work with residents to identify routes where connectivity can be improved and will work with both public and private transport operators to explore the financial feasibility of increasing access between the Mountbatten and main recreational centres and amenities."

Taken from Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss’ manifesto for Mountbatten SMC available for download here.

"We believe people want equal opportunities, fair employment, sustainable jobs, living wages, reduced cost-of-living, affordable healthcare, reliable public transport, assistance in business, control over their CPF monies, and a worry-free retirement."

Taken from the joint SPP-DPP team’s manifesto for Bishan-Toa Payoh available for viewing here.

"The aggressive population growth without corresponding development in our infrastructure has not only affected our public transport system, but also resulted in a serious shortage of our hospital beds which can be a matter of life and death to us."

Taken from the PPP’s manifesto titled "Securing our future" published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Enhance retirement adequacy by allowing CPF members to start receiving monthly CPF payouts earlier, linking CPF LIFE and Silver Support payouts to inflation, and paying special dividends to CPF members in years of good return on investment of CPF monies."

"Lower CPF Payout Eligibility Age. We propose lowering the CPF Payout Eligibility Age to 60. This will give CPF members the option to start receiving CPF monthly payouts earlier if they need to, instead of having to wait until age 65. The Payout Eligibility Age should be de-linked from the Retirement Age and the Re-employment Age. This will provide members with more assurance of when they are eligible to start drawing from their CPF, regardless of their employment status. CPF should allow members to choose not to start the withdrawal at age 60, so that they can continue to earn interest on their savings and have a higher monthly payout at a later withdrawal date."

"Transparency in CPF Monies Investment Returns. CPF monies are currently used by GIC for investment, while the government guarantees returns back to the CPF. We propose CPF members be given full transparency on the nature and performance of their CPF monies that have been so invested. We further propose that the difference between the investment returns of GIC and the net interest payable on CPF member balances, on a 10-year moving average basis, be reported to CPF members. The government could return one third of this difference to CPF members’ Special Accounts as special dividends to enhance retirement adequacy when the difference crosses a predetermined threshold in years of high return."

"Inflation-linked Silver Support Scheme. We propose Silver Support payouts be adjusted for inflation at the start of every term of government. Those receiving Silver Support should not automatically be barred from other forms of assistance like Public Assistance, as some may have exceptional needs. Silver Support payouts should be done on a monthly rather than on quarterly basis."

"CPF Life Inflation Protection. We propose there be inflation protection using a Senior Citizen Consumer Price Index for CPF Life payouts. This should be financed from the issuance of inflation-indexed Government bonds to CPF. To aid this, the Monetary Authority of Singapore should be tasked with keeping senior citizen inflation manageable through inflation targeting."

"Enhanced Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS). We call for increased publicity for the SRS to middle and higher-income Singaporeans, so that the SRS can be an effective retirement adequacy tool for the middle-to-higher income Singaporeans. Those earning a monthly income of over $5,000 should be formally asked if they wish to join the SRS in government communication that involves their employer. The SRS contribution cap for Singaporeans should also be raised to be the same as that for foreigners so that Singaporeans will get the same tax benefits."

"Corporate Retirement Plans. We call for reform of Section 5 of the Income tax Act to encourage firms to offer corporate retirement plans as an incentive when hiring and retaining employees."

Taken from Page 13 of the WP's manifesto titled "Empower your future". Click here to view in full.

"Abolish the CPF Minimum Sum Scheme. Retirees depend on their CPF savings to meet living expenses. Withholding their savings through the Minimum Sum Scheme is not only impractical but also immoral. The scheme must be abolished and the money returned to members when they turn 55 as originally promised."

Taken from SDP’s manifesto and proposals published on their website. Click here to view in full.

"Singaporeans work hard and save hard, pumping 20% of their hard-earned salaries into their CPF accounts so that they can retire at age 55 and pursue a more leisurely life thereafter. However, with the constantly minimum sum required, and the automatic transfer of funds from Ordinary Account into Retirement Account, how can one retire these days?"

"No wonder the retirement age in Singapore keeps going up as well – leaving the elderly citizens sandwiched between the worst dilemma – because of their age, their actions and response time is slower, and some companies are trying to get rid of them and replace with younger employees, some companies practise bias in the employment of this group."

"Therefore the principal sum of monies in our CPF account, that we contribute monthly, should not be used for other purposes such as education and property purchase. This is to ensure that our people are well-taken care of and able to self-sustain when they are retired. To pay for education, housing & medical needs we should be instead using the profits generated by the government when they invest our CPF funds. Currently we are paid a small interest of only 2.5% and the larger profits are not shared with us."

"SDA strongly proposes that better returns from the investments be channeled back to us, so that we can use this profit generated money to pay for healthcare, education & housing; without touching our principal sum in the CPF."

Taken from the SDA's 2015 General Election manifesto titled "Singapore for Singaporeans" published on their website. Click here to view.

"The Government has already broken its promise to Singaporeans to return their CPF Personal Life Savings at age 55. The reason given for withholding the return is that some squander their CPF Savings on an inappropriate lifestyle . This reason does not justify the withholding of Singaporeans’ life savings as the numbers who squander away their life savings are small and certainly less than 5 % of all account holders. For these people , the National Solidarity Party proposes that their family members be entitled to put up the case that the person’s CPF Life Savings should be withheld in light of his problematic spending tendency. This is similar to the steps that family members can take if they are aware that the person could be a problematic gambler. As for the other CPF account holders, their life savings must be returned to them as originally promised."

Taken from Page 5 of the NSP's 2015 General Election manifesto. Click here to view the NSP's full manifesto titled "Singaporeans deserve better!".

"A strong safety net will prevent Singaporeans from falling into insecurity, despair and indignity. This safety net must have three basic elements namely; affordable universal and comprehensive healthcare insurance; unemployment insurance; an old age pension provided by the state outside of the inadequate CPF."

Taken from Singaporeans First 2015 General Election manifesto in English published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Partial privatization of CPF with individuals given much more freedom over how much to save and where they invest it with private pension providers competing directly with CPF. CPF also free to seek out best returns by investing its money with other private AAA and AA rated investments. Option for everyone of receiving back all their CPF at 55."

"Old age pension of $500 per month paid to all seniors over the age of 65."

Taken from the RP manifesto published on their website titled “Vote for a brighter future tomorrow, today”. Click here to download the manifesto in full.

"We believe people want equal opportunities, fair employment, sustainable jobs, living wages, reduced cost-of-living, affordable healthcare, reliable public transport, assistance in business, control over their CPF monies, and a worry-free retirement."

Taken from the joint SPP-DPP team’s manifesto for Bishan-Toa Payoh available for viewing here.

"The constant shifting of the CPF goal posts has enraged a lot of Singaporeans. These are our fellow Singaporeans’ hard-earned money and we should be allowed to decide how we want our retirement funds to be managed."

Taken from the PPP’s manifesto titled "Securing our future" published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Together with educators, parents, students, we will: give every child a strong start in pre-school and expand childcare support and places; ensure good schools with an open, holistic education system that encourages social mobility; level up weaker students and support those with special needs; strengthen career guidance, skills acquisition and lifelong learning; strengthen polytechnic and ITE education through applied learning and internships; provide more publicly funded university places through SIT and UniSim and offer new applied degree pathways; create multiple options for upward progression; strengthen the professional development of our educators."

Taken from Page 17 of the PAP's manifesto titled "With you, for you, for Singapore". Click here to view.

"Implement a more holistic and equitable education system by reducing class sizes, moving away from high-stakes examinations, offering a 10-Year Through Train School Programme from Primary 1 to Secondary 4, and introducing a Career and Life Skills Programme to raise awareness of less mainstream professions where students can realise their potential."

"Long-term Innovation Performance. We propose more emphasis be placed on designing a well-paced curriculum that facilitates critical thinking, and stimulates innovation and deeper exploration of humanities subjects, so as to achieve sustained excellence in the long term. This new curriculum should be accompanied by adjustments in pedagogy. The Ministry of Education (MOE) should also monitor and track students to find out if they demonstrate similar levels of achievement when they progress to higher education or move into the workforce. The goal is for students to maximise individual potential during and after formal education, where tracking the progress of students informs changes to curriculum and pedagogy."

"Career and Life Skills Programme (CLS). We propose a CLS programme in secondary schools to raise awareness of less mainstream professions where students can realise their potential. CLS will have dedicated staff in each school advising students on career opportunities, providing assistance in applying for polytechnics, arts institutions or vocational schools, and putting students in touch with practitioners and industry experts. We propose for CLS staff to liaise with higher learning institutes to create holiday programmes for secondary school students to benefit from hands-on experiences in different professions."

"Learning-Based Primary School Leaving Examination. We propose a “criterion- referenced” grading system for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), with only letter grades refined to objectively reflect the band of scores for each subject awarded. This will better reflect how well students have learned the material, and reduce the emphasis on the PSLE as a high-stakes examination that is used as a sorting mechanism to measure performance relative to the cohort."

"10-Year Through-train School Programme (10 YTS). To offer more diversity in the education system, we propose a 10-Year Through-train School programme from Primary 1 to Secondary 4 as an option for parents who wish for their child to bypass the PSLE. The 10 YTS programme gives students 10 years to prepare for their first major examination at Secondary 4, and will allow students to learn at a suitable pace while developing other areas of interests. The 10 YTS will pair up existing primary and secondary schools and therefore complement, not replace, these primary and secondary schools."

"Smaller Class Sizes. While the hiring of quality teachers should continue, class sizes should be reduced to not more than 30 students per class in primary and secondary schools, with the eventual goal of reducing class sizes to 20 students, which will be in line with the OECD average. This is so that quality teachers can give more attention to each student, especially weaker students, and can more effectively cultivate critical and creative thinking, as well as communication skills."

"Equitable funding for schools. There is a gap in disposable funds between elite schools and neighbourhood schools. This is because elite schools usually charge higher fees, enjoy greater economies of scale and have wealthy alumni. As a result, these schools offer more varied sports and enrichment programmes, thus producing more well- rounded students. We propose neighbourhood schools receive additional government funds in order to ensure that all schools are adequately funded to become good schools."

"Teach for Singapore Scheme (TFS). We propose the Teach for Singapore (TFS) scheme to place dedicated teachers in underperforming schools. The scheme will look for individuals from the cohort of trainee and practicing teachers with strong leadership and motivation to help the underprivileged. Successful applicants will undergo an additional year of training that includes elements of social work and counselling, and will have to pledge to work for 5 years in underperforming schools. This scheme will allow motivated teachers to make a difference to underprivileged students and narrow the school quality gap. Studies of similar schemes in other countries have shown success in improving standards of underperforming schools."

"Student Care Support. We propose that Student Care Centres are set up in every primary school, to provide students who require after-school care service with a convenient, structured, familiar and supportive environment. School-based Student Care Centres also allow for better supervision of students and reduce absenteeism."

"Multicultural and Equality Pedagogy Training. We propose all teachers should receive special training in multicultural and equality pedagogy so that they may learn how to better engage students from different backgrounds."

"Comprehensive Study on Teachers. We call for an independent comprehensive study to be conducted with teachers from all levels of the curriculum on their actual working hours, work-life balance, psychological well-being, and recommendations for narrowing the school quality gap. This study will seek to understand why teachers leave the education service, why and how they are overworked, and how to retain existing teachers. Such a study will form the basis and framework for better equitable delegation of work among teachers, better understanding of their psychological needs, and the creation of a better and supportive work environment."

Taken from Page 4, Page 23 and Page 24 of the WP's manifesto titled "Empower your future". Click here to view in full.

"Remove PSLE and delay streaming: The stress of exams inflicts psychological trauma on children. It is not an intelligent approach to assess the abilities of primary-school students on a single examination."

"Cultivate creative minds: Build confidence in children by helping them develop independent thinking, willingness to make mistakes, and perseverance in the face of failed attempts."

"Broaden curricula, reduce syllabi: Subjects such as music appreciation, speech and drama, literature, etc. as well as periods for students to collaborate and interact to develop their creativity will be introduced to al schools."

"Introduce dedicated-teacher system: One teacher will be assigned to each class from Primary 1 and follow them through Primary 3; another will take them through from Primary 4 to 6. This will allow students to bond with their teachers and give parents and teachers time to develop trust and cooperation."

"Scrap school and class rankings: Comparing examination results and ranking students and classes detracts from the real purpose of education, which is self-improvement and self-actualisation."

"Encourage reading: Reducing the current syllabus will free up students and allow them time to read for pleasure. A love of reading encourages life-long learning and cultivates a creative mind."

"Convert all schools to single-session ones: School hours will be from 8 am to 4 pm during which time will be put aside for students to complete their assignments. This will allow teachers to help students with their work thereby ruling out the need for private tuition."

Taken from SDP’s manifesto and proposals published on their website. Click here to view in full.

"Academic education still holds a lot of weight in today’s education system here, where grades and performance in examinations are main determinants of a child’s capability. Other aspects such as soft skills, sports and arts are being neglected instead of given the chance to blossom."

"To help cope with the rising costs of living and encourage childbirth, SDA proposes that there be heavy subsidy or complete waiver of school fees for pre-schoolers and primary schools. To ease the stress of competition, SDA also proposes that we do away with the streaming system where students are being classified into the “better streams” or “worse streams” because of their academic performance."

"With too much focus on academic performance, we are neglecting the nurture of other aspects of talents that a child may possess. SDA will advocate an education system whereby equal emphasis is being placed on different subjects, such as arts, music and sports etc, so that the students may discover their core gifts, and be developed and groomed in that area."

"Unbiased history lessons should also be introduced into the syllabus, reflecting the shaping of our history including the tide of political events."

Taken from the SDA's 2015 manifesto titled "Singapore for Singaporeans" published on their website. Click here to view.

"Education to be given a higher priority in order to reduce dependence on imported skills and to compete with Asian and other competitor nations."

"Universal free and compulsory education to secondary level."

"Invest more in education particularly at the pre-school and primary level."

"Universal free pre-school education without parents having to rely on religious or political affiliated kindergartens as at present."

"Reduction in class sizes and increase in hours at school daily."

"Improve teacher training."

"Reduction of labelling and streaming too early in children’s school careers with more emphasis on raising standards generally rather than catering to an elite who may already enjoy significant advantages in wealth or resources."

"Admission to so-called elite schools to be open to wider population and more meritocratic."

"All tutors and classes external to schools to be licensed and graded."

"Early education to focus on creating culture of creative and independent thought. Study skills and learner independence to be taught from an early age. Encouragement of ideas and vision as opposed to rote learning and memorisation of facts in the early years. ‘Play ‘to be seen as a valuable learning and socialisation tool rather than wasted time."

"Expansion of tertiary education in line with rest of OECD."

"Revamping of scholarship system so that funds are directed to deserving students from lower income families rather than the way in which it is now given to the children of the elite to create a permanent aristocracy."

Taken from the RP manifesto published on their website titled “Vote for a brighter future tomorrow, today”. Click here to download the manifesto in full.

"To establish the Mountbatten Social Mobility Bursary; The Mountbatten Social Mobility Bursary will aim to help the children of the economically disadvantaged in the constituency. The Bursary will be specially targeted towards students between the ages of 15 – 21 who aim to make the transition between ITE to polytechnic, or from polytechnic to University; I aim to fundraise S$100,000 from the constituency to finance the Mountbatten Social Mobility Bursary for 100 young Singaporeans in the constituency over the first two years, and scale up the amount should the Mountbatten Social Mobility Bursary prove successful."

Taken from Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss’ manifesto for Mountbatten SMC available for download here.

"We will work with the healthcare industry and stakeholders to: make healthcare more affordable; provide universal coverage through MediShield Life; develop regional health centres; boost primary care; increase hospital beds and intermediate and long term care facilities; provide more support for caregivers; transform geriatric care."

Taken from Page 19 of the PAP's manifesto titled "With you, for you, for Singapore". Click here to view.

"Enhanced Primary Care Subsidies. We propose the monthly household income cap to qualify for subsidies for primary care at general practitioner (GP) clinics under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) be raised to the median monthly household income per member. The annual and per-visit caps on the use of Medisave or CHAS subsidies under the Chronic Disease Management Programme (CDMP) should be reviewed so that patients do not disrupt the continuity of care due to high out-of- pocket expenses. Health screening under the Integrated Screening Programme and the associated doctor’s consultation fees should be provided free to all CHAS cardholders every three years from age 40, to promote health literacy and improve preventive health outcomes."

"Family Doctor Pairing Scheme. Pairing families with GPs encourages patients to remain with one family doctor, who would be more familiar with their background and medical history. This facilitates earlier detection of illnesses, provides more accurate diagnoses, reduces duplication of treatment, and improves coordination with other care providers. We propose all resident families be paired with a GP near their home. Individuals can be given the option to change their assigned GP. To encourage uptake of the Scheme, patients who visit their assigned GP should be entitled to enhanced CHAS outpatient subsidies."

"Making subsidised primary care more accessible. To make subsidised primary care more accessible, a greater uptake of CHAS should be encouraged. The administrative work necessary for registering for and filing CHAS claims should be reduced. GPs who sign up should be offered incentives, including subsidised access to the revamped facilities of the Community Health Centres."

"Health Literacy as a public health goal. Greater health literacy will equip and empower Singaporeans to make the necessary lifestyle changes to prevent illnesses and take greater ownership of their health. We propose that the government, schools, employers and GPs undertake coordinated efforts to improve health literacy by not just improving information dissemination, but also employing more participatory approaches to help citizens to develop the skills, knowledge and the efficacy to act on that knowledge in order to maintain and restore good health."

"Smart-Health Programme. Adoption of telehealth combined with nurse, pharmacist and allied health professional visits will help address the manpower crunch of care providers and reduce the waiting time and cost of care for patients and caregivers. We propose patients will have to register with the care provider(s) to facilitate billing and claims. The government should take the lead in promoting telehealth by allowing for telehealth claims under MediShield Life, Medisave and CHAS. Adoption of telehealth initiatives by private providers such as GPs and VWOs should be encouraged through partial subsidies to alleviate the cost of training, adoption, and implementation."

"Performance Targets for Care Systems. We propose setting up clear performance targets for health and social care providers with clear parameters that need to be met. These targets must be regularly monitored and the results must be published publicly. Waiting times for key services such as hospital admissions and the utilisation rates of formal care services should be monitored. Once the Family Doctor Pairing Scheme is rolled out, the government should offer incentives to GPs who meet certain health targets for the families assigned to them."

Taken from Page 5 and Page 25 of the WP's manifesto titled "Empower your future". Click here to view in full.

"We will do away with the “3M” system (Medisave, Medifund and Medishield) and pay for all health-care expenses through a single pool of funds to which the Government contributes 84 percent."

"If a Singaporean is hospitalised, he pays only 10% of his total hospital bill, capped at $2,000 per year. So if one’s hospital bill is $5,000, one need only pay $500. If the bill is $30,000, the patient pays a maximum of $2,000."

"Singaporeans who do not contribute to the NHIF (low-income, unemployed or welfare recipients) will not have to make payment."

"All public hospitals will run only one class of 2-bed wards instead of the present 4-class system (A, B1, B2 and C). This ensures that those who need urgent treatment get it first, regardless of ability to pay."

Taken from SDP’s manifesto and proposals published on their website. Click here to view in full.

"The SDA proposes that Medisave be fully liberalised to cover the medical expenses. The Medisave account can be used – without caps – for paying of all hospitalisation and outpatient charges, and for paying comprehensive medical coverage offered by private insurers."

"The SDA strongly encourages CPF members to take up comprehensive private medical insurance policies, which would pay for their hospitalisation and outpatient bills from the first dollar onwards."

"That this might lead to overcharging by hospitals and other healthcare providers would not be an issue, as insurance companies will collectively pressurise healthcare providers to lower medical costs as far as possible, to prevent a rise in claimable amounts, and thus a rise in premiums."

"Cases of overcharging will be handled by the Singapore Medical Council as per current practice."

Taken from the SDA's 2015 General Election manifesto titled "Singapore for Singaporeans" published on their website. Click here to view.

"A strong safety net will prevent Singaporeans from falling into insecurity, despair and indignity. This safety net must have three basic elements namely; affordable universal and comprehensive healthcare insurance; unemployment insurance; an old age pension provided by the state outside of the inadequate CPF."

Taken from Singaporeans First 2015 General Election manifesto in English published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Extend the current Medishield Life scheme to offer more generous coverage, particularly in GP and polyclinic visits. Cover those with chronic conditions completely."

"Abolish Medishield Life premiums for over 65s."

"Integrate Medishield Life, Medisave and Medifund to create a comprehensive national health insurance coverage in which no one is left uncovereed for serious or chronic conditions."

Taken from the RP manifesto published on their website titled “Vote for a brighter future tomorrow, today”. Click here to download the manifesto in full.

"We believe people want equal opportunities, fair employment, sustainable jobs, living wages, reduced cost-of-living, affordable healthcare, reliable public transport, assistance in business, control over their CPF monies, and a worry-free retirement."

Taken from the joint SPP-DPP team’s manifesto for Bishan-Toa Payoh available for viewing here.

"The aggressive population growth without corresponding development in our infrastructure has… resulted in a serious shortage of our hospital beds which can be a matter of life and death to us."

"The planned Medishield Life will be insufficient to cope with the forever increase in medical costs. We insist that it is the primary duty of the government to take care of the people’s medical needs and it will have to channel more funds to healthcare management."

Taken from the PPP’s manifesto titled "Securing our future" published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.

"Single Constituency Members of Parliament. We propose Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) be abolished, as they dilute the individual voter’s voice. Instead, the elections should be run on single seats, with individual MPs fully accountable to constituents. The Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) scheme would then be unnecessary. The Nominated MP scheme should be abolished."

"Fixed-Term Parliaments. We propose the term for Parliament between elections be fixed. The Prime Minister should not have the unfettered discretion to dissolve Parliament and call for elections before the end of the fixed term. Early dissolution of Parliament should be allowed under special circumstances such as a vote of no confidence or with the assent of a two-thirds majority in Parliament."

"Strengthening the Franchise. We propose lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. This will encourage young people to have an early interest in political governance. It will bring Singapore in line with many countries in the world which have voting ages below 21, and be consistent with other local laws which set 18 as the benchmark age, for example, to be conscripted to defend Singapore in military service. We further propose that all registered electors overseas should be entitled to vote and should have their vote facilitated by Singapore Overseas Missions and postal voting."

"Independent Election Commission. To ensure political neutrality, parliamentary elections should not be organised by the Prime Minister’s Office. Instead, we propose an independent Election Commission appointed by the Chief Justice and reporting directly to him be in charge of organising parliamentary elections. Commission members must not belong to any political party."

"Independent Electoral Boundary Review Committee. To ensure political neutrality, the delineation of electoral boundaries should not be done under the Prime Minister’s Office. We propose an independent committee appointed by the President and reporting directly to him be in charge of delineating parliamentary electoral boundaries in a non-partisan manner, open to public scrutiny. Committee members must not belong to any political party. Electoral boundary changes should take into account existing and historical township identities. The committee should strive to have constituency electorate sizes that are as equivalent as possible. Electoral registers should be revised annually and the electoral boundaries updated every 5 years independent of elections."

"Ceremonial President. We propose the Office of Elected President be abolished and the Presidency reverted to its former ceremonial position. The power of Parliament as the people’s representatives should be unfettered."

"Standing Select Committees. We propose Standing Select Committees be set up for each government ministry to examine each ministry’s spending, policies and administration. These Select Committees should be empowered to call for hearings, expert opinions and reporting by senior officials. They should each consist of MPs from all parties represented in Parliament, and be supported by a full-time secretariat. Only Standing Select Committees should have privileged access to ministry briefings and hearings. Important bills should be sent to the relevant Standing Select Committees for review."

"Enhanced Gateway Process. We propose the current threshold of $500 million threshold of the Gateway Process to monitor capital expenditure for public infrastructure projects be reduced to $100 million. The results of these approvals should be made public, as should regular reports and updates after approvals. Non-infrastructure projects with budgets of more than $100 million, such as the Youth Olympic Games and the SEA games, should also go through the Gateway Process."

"Office of Ombudsman. We propose the independent Office of Parliamentary Ombudsman be established. Any citizen aggrieved by the action of any public servant may, instead of commencing an expensive lawsuit, lodge a complaint with this office. The Ombudsman will be empowered to investigate with full cooperation of the civil service, at nominal cost to the citizen, with powers to advise on corrective actions and recommend prosecutions. This process will enhance government accountability and give more options for citizen redress."

"Public Consultation Select Committee. We propose Parliament establish its own cross- partisan Public Consultation Select Committee (PCSC) supported by a Secretariat. Public consultations on prospective legislation should be transferred from REACH to the PCSC. After the conclusion of the public consultation, the PCSC should table a report in Parliament for the Cabinet to respond to. We also propose the PCSC be given the power to decide whether a bill should be sent to a Select Committee for scrutiny."

"Live Parliamentary Broadcasts. We propose the live broadcast of parliamentary sittings and selected public hearings of parliamentary committees with live translation into English. The government should establish an independent non-profit organisation funded by cable television companies to run dedicated television and internet channels for parliamentary live broadcast and broadcast of other public affairs events such as the National Day Rally and public consultation forums."

"Strengthening Judicial Review. While discretion must be given to civil servants to make decisions, such discretion should not be absolute and should be subject to either judicial review for rationality (not on merits) or review by the independent Office of Ombudsman. There should not be laws that make the decisions of the Executive unreviewable. We propose any such existing laws should be reviewed."

"Appointment of Judges. We propose the Constitution be amended to extend the retirement age of Supreme Court judges from 65 to 70 years with no prospect for further extension. The present provisions for the appointment of fixed-term Judicial Commissioners and short-term Senior Judges should be removed. Extensions and short- term appointments weaken the protective wall that upholds judicial independence."

"Judicial Discretion for Capital Cases. We propose trials for capital cases should be conducted by a tribunal of two judges whose decision to impose the death sentence must be unanimous. On appeal, the death sentence should be upheld only if all three judges in the Court of Appeal confirm it unanimously. For capital offences, discretion should be given to judges to decide whether the death penalty or a lesser penalty is justified for each case. Parliament can set limits on the degree of discretion, depending on the offence."

"Review of the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act. We propose the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act allowing detention of suspected criminals without trial be re- examined, and its necessity and use closely scrutinised, with the goal of abolishing its use in favour of having the usual trial process."

"Dedicated Anti-Terrorism Law. We propose the Internal Security Act, which provides for detention without trial in cases of alleged subversion, be abolished. Singapore shall be brought in line with international practices to try such cases, including espionage, with modified procedures to protect official secrets if necessary. In cases of alleged terrorism, the government should be enabled by a dedicated anti-terrorism law to make swift arrests and detain suspects without trial. However, these suspects must be afforded real avenues to challenge the legality of their arrests through the courts and an advisory board. These bodies should be empowered to order the person’s release if not satisfied as to the legality of the detention."

"Due Process Criminal Procedures. We propose arrested persons should be told their legal rights upon arrest, especially the constitutional right to counsel under Article 9 and the right against self incrimination. An arrested person’s Constitutional right to consult legal counsel should be protected by allowing early access. All interviews and the taking of statements should be videotaped to ensure that statements have not been extracted by way of inducement, threat or promise. Persons in custody for investigations by law enforcement agencies should only be detained beyond 48 hours by order of a court made in the presence of the suspect."

"Independent Police Conduct Review Commission. We propose the setting up of an independent Commission to oversee complaints about the police. A higher degree of oversight can help prevent the overstepping of authority and the excessive use of force. Over time, this will encourage greater adherence to due process and enhance public trust in our Police Force. The Commission should have the authority to call for disciplinary proceedings or bring legal proceedings against any member of the Police Force."

"Increasing and Retaining Manpower. Due process policing requires greater manpower and better training. We propose police manpower not be outsourced as far as possible. Our focus should be on allocating more resources and support for recruitment and retention to the Police Force. Rules and the mode of conduct of police investigations, arrests or interrogations should be published for public information and education, while police officers should receive intensive training in following and taking pride in due process rules."

"Free and Competitive Local Newspaper and Broadcasting Companies. We propose the Newspapers and Printing Presses Act be amended to abolish clauses giving the government powers to approve the holders of management shares and to control the shareholdings and voting power of newspaper companies. Similarly, the Broadcasting Act should be amended to do the same for broadcast companies. We propose the development of a free and competitive mass media sector by opening up the licensing regime to allow private and commercial media, especially for television and newspaper, with majority local ownership to operate in Singapore."

"Internet Regulation. We propose the repeal of the Broadcasting (Class License) Notification – which requires websites that report regularly on Singapore to register and post a bond of $50,000 subjecting them to government regulation of content – that was gazetted in 2013 without public consultation. The amendments create an environment of uncertainty, dampen the development of local content, and ignore the fact that existing legislation such as sedition laws, defamation laws and the maintenance of religious harmony law already provide safeguards against harmful speech."

"Review of Public Order Act. We call for the repeal of the sections of the Public Order Act (POA) that govern the right to public assembly, issuance of move-on orders, and restrictions on filming of law enforcement operations, to remove obstacles to the promotion of an active citizenry. We propose peaceful demonstrations be allowed subject to prior notification to the police to ensure minimum disruption to traffic and public convenience. There should be no extended occupation of public space or intentional harassment of passers-by and commuters. Laws against preaching hate and intolerance should still apply to guard against the spreading of such messages. Peaceful demonstrations are important and natural outlets for ordinary citizens to express their views."

"Independent Body for Arts Licensing. We propose an independent body with representation from the arts community should be set up to oversee arts licensing. We should create a vibrant infrastructure under which proper support and a more conducive environment be provided for the arts to flourish with minimal state interference and direction."

"Declassification of Archives. We propose a structured de-classification system for archived material where material in the National Archives will be automatically declassified after 25 years of the date of record. In the interest of national security, material marked “Secret” will still be subject to requests and approval. All cabinet papers should be automatically released after 40 years. A panel of experts should be set up to consider requests for early declassification."

"Hate Speech Act. We propose the enactment of a Hate Speech Act to replace the Sedition Act. The Act should regulate all forms of public expression that incite, espouse, or promote physical violence toward or harassment of individuals or groups of people. Individuals that engage in hate speech would be liable for criminal prosecution under the act. Organisations, including the government, should not be protected under the Hate Speech Act."

"Bolstering the ASEAN Secretariat. We support efforts to work with our neighbours to bolster the coordination, research, outreach, administrative, and support functions of the ASEAN Secretariat as well as its ability to support the work of the ASEAN chair and assist with ASEAN events. A united and well-coordinated ASEAN can provide assistance to its members in enhancing regional stability."

"South China Sea Code of Conduct. We support the establishment of effective mechanisms through ASEAN to manage regional disputes and prevent the escalation of tensions. Singapore should work through ASEAN to develop a South China Sea Code of Conduct and propose arrangements to improve communication, manage differences, avoid accidents, and prevent escalation among stakeholders."

"ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). We propose to seek deeper and more multifaceted relations with our neighbours, as outlined in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint. They include facilitating cultural exchanges, interaction among non-governmental organisations and civic groups, educational interactions, people-to-people contact, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), and development assistance. Such contact improves mutual understanding, moderates social tensions, and fosters cooperation."

"Technical Cooperation to Enhance Institutions and Infrastructure. We propose a more coordinated effort to partner with neighbouring governments to actively identify areas for targeted international development. The government could act as a facilitator for investments and collaboration between Singaporean firms and other partners to provide capacity-building services and start-up grants to assist with these projects in partner countries or in Singapore. Efforts in this direction help stabilise our neighbourhood and demonstrate that Singapore is a regional good citizen and reliable partner. These initiatives in technical cooperation would also open up opportunities for Singaporean businesses."

"Good Global Citizenship. We support strengthening efforts to support and participate in initiatives by the UN and other major international organisations that are consistent with our national interests and within our means. Singapore can contribute by supporting projects such as public health initiatives by the World Health Organisation, UNESCO educational and cultural programmes, World Bank development programmes, and International Labour Organization programmes on worker protections, anti- discrimination, and work safety. This would help Singapore build international support for our foreign policy goals."

"Assisting Singaporeans Abroad. The growing number of Singaporeans living, working, studying, and travelling overseas means a greater need for representation abroad. We propose the Ministry of Foreign Affairs further expand its diplomatic and consular representation overseas accordingly. MFA can accredit more honorary consuls- general in addition to enhancing diplomatic and consular presence in areas where there are larger overseas Singaporean populations. Singapore should work out reciprocal arrangements with our ASEAN partners to allow Singaporeans to seek consular assistance with other ASEAN embassies and consulates in areas where Singapore has no permanent official presence."

"Foreign Policy Public Education and Transparency. We propose the Ministry of Foreign Affairs publish annual reports and quadrennial policy reviews that chart out the general direction of our foreign policy. The quadrennial review should include assessments on challenges, priorities and goals, and recommendations. Annual reports can detail the extent to which objectives set in the policy reviews are being met, areas that require further improvement, and proposals to address any shortcomings."

"Participation in Internationally-Sanctioned Overseas Operations. We support greater participation in internationally sanctioned overseas missions, especially under United Nations (UN) auspices. Since these missions involve national assets such as the SAF, SPF, and SCDF, they must be clearly consistent with our national interests and within our means to execute. Participation in anti-piracy operations can safeguard Singapore’s maritime trade and contribute to the global commons. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and UN Peacekeeping Operations can bolster stability and build goodwill for Singapore. Such action puts Singapore in a stronger position to mobilise international support, while giving our forces valuable operational experience."

"Controlling Weapons Proliferation. We propose Singapore should take further steps to address weapons proliferation that build on our participation in arrangements like the Container Security Initiative and Proliferation Security Initiative. Doing so would signal that Singapore is aware of its responsibilities as a major international shipping and logistics hub. MINDEF, MFA and the Customs should further coordinate to oversee Singapore’s arms export and counter-proliferation policies. Singapore should also accede to the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel mines in this light, since we already officially support international efforts to resolve humanitarian concerns relating to such weapons."

"Managing Cyber-Security Vulnerabilities. We propose the Cyber-Security Agency (CSA) under the PMO take the lead in coordinating with and supporting other agencies and businesses to constantly identify and repair vulnerabilities in our communications infrastructure in order to guard against the risks and costs of disruptions to government services and business. The CSA should publish regular advisories on cyber-security for businesses and government, and annual public reports to highlight key cyber-security risks, steps taken to address them, as well as efforts to protect personal privacy."

"Freedom of Communication, Navigation and Overflight. Singapore is a trading nation. Keeping communication links safe and open is key to our survival. We call for the SAF to continue developing the capability, training, equipment, and logistics support to guarantee the freedom of communication, navigation, and overflight both on our own as well as in coordination with regional and international partners."

"Interoperability. Given today's complex and fluid environment, the SAF needs to not only be able to operate as integrated force, it needs to have the capability to work effectively with other Singapore government agencies as well as the armed forces and agencies of our partners. We call for the SAF to develop greater interoperability through joint exercises and development of shared technical, planning and operational frameworks with domestic and international partners."

"Affordability and Parliamentary Oversight. We call for MINDEF and MHA to provide the Parliamentary Standing Select Committees for Defence and Home Affairs with a confidential and more detailed annual report on spending on defence and security that includes some classified information, with a declassified version available to the public. This is to ensure that investments in defence and security do not become overly burdensome on the public purse and are made accountable to the public."

"Broadening National Education. We propose National Education familiarise citizens with our Constitution and political system in addition to providing information about potential threats and risks. Emotional and psychological defence comes with an understanding of the shared ideals of democracy, justice, equality, peace, and progress that undergird our society."

"Responsive Management of NS Personnel. We call for the streamlining of the call-ups and unit placement processes for operationally ready National Servicemen (NSmen) to ensure that citizens are treated even-handedly and do not face long lag times before their deployments and call-ups. NSmen should be deployed to a unit and start their first year of operationally ready national service stint within two years of leaving full time national service. In this way, Singaporeans will start and complete their national service obligations as promptly as possible and not be subject to inconsistent administrative discretion."

"National Service for First Generation Citizens. We propose first generation male citizens between 21 and 40 years of age who have not served full time national service should be required to serve up to 40 days a year over 10 years in the SAF, SPF, SCDF, public hospitals or the social services. Including first generation male citizens can buttress the personnel shortage facing our uniformed and social services. The longer requirement improves the quality of training received by the servicemen. Such experiences also help integrate first generation citizens."

"Meaningful Recognition of National Service. Singaporeans who have fulfilled their full- time national service or volunteer service should receive meaningful recognition of their efforts and sacrifices. NSmen who actively served in the previous year should be eligible for an additional, non-expiring SkillsFuture credit of $1000, which they can apply to their own participation in courses with accredited institutions of higher learning or vocational training."

Taken from Page 36 of the WP's manifesto titled "Empower your future". Click here to view in full.

"Establish an independent salary commission to determine ministerial remuneration for each financial year."

"Do away with variable bonuses such as the GDP Bonus and the Performance Bonus which together can make up to as much as 22 months of the ministers' basic salary. Instead, the pay should comprise of the fixed salary components."

"Peg ministerial pay to the bottom 20 percent of Singaporean wage earners."

"Provide ministers with allowances for expenses incurred while performing their official duties. The claims should be published to ensure transparency and accountability."

"Move the Corrupt Practices Investigation Board (CPIB) out of the Prime Minister's Office and empower it to investigate all ministers without needing the approval of the President of Singapore."

Taken from SDP’s manifesto and proposals published on their website. Click here to view in full.

"Establish what Singapore’s total assets and liabilities are including physical assets and holdings of land. The present Statement of Assets and Liabilities is so vague as to be meaningless. We suspect there to be substantial hidden assets that are not included which would be a Constitutional breach."

"Increase disclosure of the accounts of GIC and Temasek. Committee to examine possible privatisation of GIC and Temasek with distribution of shares to Singapore citizens. This can be coupled with the retention of a “golden share” in government hands."

"Sell off or distribution of shares to Singaporeans of GLCs where state ownership is incompatible with our goal of encouraging entrepreneurship and preventing unfair competition."

"Increase greater scrutiny of Government funds where we suspect billions of dollars have been squandered or worse without proper accountability. These include the National Productitivty Fund and the National Research Fund which both come under the Prime Minister."

"Set up an independent commission to appoint key office holders involved in checks and balances such as the Director of CPIB, the Auditor General and the Accountant General."

"Maintain strong national defence through continued investments in new weapons systems and technologies."

"Develop and purchase advanced combat systems involving use of robots as much as possible to reduce if not wholly eliminate the need for combat troops on the ground, e.g. success of US Predator drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan."

"Reduction of national service to one year with aim of moving entirely to professional army. Absurd that PAP says Singapore needs a total force including NS men and reserves of several hundred thousand men when US maintains global supremacy with an army of around 400,000 personnel."

"Look at including women to do some form of national service to reduce the economic burden on men and to end unfair discrimination."

"Raise NS pay to market levels at least minimum wage."

"Stop using NS men to provide cheap labour for police and security duties unless they are properly remunerated."

"Improve efficiency and reduce duplication and waste in defence spending."

"Abolition of ISA (leftover from colonial rule) to be replaced with new powers focusing on Singapore specific current and projected future terrorist threats. ISD to be renamed and focused on countering external security threats and terrorism."

"Independent commission to appoint judiciary and decide on promotions.

"Judges not to be removed or demoted on executive prerogative."

"Reform outmoded libel laws to prevent them being used to silence political dissent through caps on damages awarded."

"Moratorium on death penalty not just for drug trafficking with view to eventual abolition and replacement by whole life imprisonment."

"Abolish corporal punishment which is unworthy of a civilised society."

"Reinstate trial by jury for serious criminal offences."

"Provide state-funded legal aid for criminal cases if defendants are unable to afford a lawyer."

"Introduce safeguards such as requirement to video interviews or arrests and provide immediate access to a lawyer."

"Strengthen the penalties for sexual offences including the introduction of a sex offenders register to protect juveniles and the vulnerable."

"Extend the protections of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to all those under 18 from 16 currently."

"Continue liberal foreign trade and investment regime."

"Establish partnerships with strategic neighbours rather than rivalry."

"Work towards regional economic integration while retaining control over immigration and entry of cheap labour from neighbouring countries to compete with Singaporeans."

"New properly Independent commission to examine Ministerial salaries and ensure that in future pay is much more performance-oriented; that excessive reward are not given for easily achievable targets. At present, part of ministerial pay is related purely to economic growth which may explain why Singapore has had several years of high economic growth coupled with declining productivity. In future may allow public a referendum on ministerial pay increases. It is absurd that the PM and Ministers are being paid four or five times salaries of other world leaders when the job is essentially one of city mayor."

"Remove oppressive restrictions on political parties."

"Reduce election deposits to $1000 to encourage greater political participation and a competition of ideas."

"Extend election campaigning period to three weeks."

"Remove the Elections Department from the Prime Minister’s Office and entrench its status as an independent commission."

"Remove grassroots organisations from the government’s control."

"Introduce a new layer of local government in the form of directly elected Town Councils so as to stop the proper function of an MP from being diverted from acting as a check on the Government to being merely an estate manager."

"Reduce number of redundant ministerial appointments."

"Abolish the requirement for Presidential candidates to be vetted by a special Parliamentary committee."

"Abolish GRCs and return to single wards."

"Abolish NMP system whose aim is to confuse the electorate and seemingly undercut the need for a democratically elected opposition."

"Reform the Civil Service to decouple it from the Government and ruling party."

"Restore power to Parliament in matters such as spending of reserves and away from unelected or indirectly elected officials such as the president."

"Changes to the constitution to be put to a referendum."

"Introduce legislation to require parties to field more female candidates with target of at least 40% female representation at all levels."

"Restore rights of freedom of expression, assembly and association."

"Reform of defamation laws to make it clear that Government departments cannot sue private individuals for defamation."

"Ministers who wish to undertake private actions for defamation must step down from office or wait until they leave office."

"Government not allowed to use Protection from Harassment laws to try and muzzle criticism."

"Freedom of Information Act with National Security safeguards."

"Break-up SPH monopoly and liberalise media licensing to ensure right to freedom of expression and freedom to information."

"Liberalise laws under Films Act."

"Liberalise censorship laws with regard to political expression."

Taken from the RP manifesto published on their website titled “Vote for a brighter future tomorrow, today”. Click here to download the manifesto in full.

"Run the town council professionally: I want to close the gap between people’s perceptions of the opposition and what we’re actually capable of by the competent management of the Mountbatten Town Council; I pledge to work with Mr Lim Biow Chuan to ensure an orderly handover of all Town Council affairs within the first 30 days of taking office; Within 60 days, I will set up a procurement committee with at least one chartered public accountant to have oversight of all procurement related matters; I will use my legal training and the institutional experience of the SPP to ensure that the Town Council is well managed. The SPP has 23 years of experience managing Potong Pasir Town Council without incident, and when Mr Chiam See Tong handed over the Town Council to the PAP, his books were in order and accounts were in surplus."

"Champion accountability and transparency in Parliament: I want to close the gap between what the Government promises and what it delivers by holding it accountable and keeping it transparent; I will raise residents’ concerns and to ask the right questions in Parliament. I pledge to ensure that our leaders make laws and policy decisions that are right for our nation and in the best interests of our citizens. I will put residents before Party affiliation and self; In Parliament, I will use my legal training to champion accountability and transparency in Parliament to hold public bodies accountable to taxpayers for all monies spent; I will push the Government to consider releasing more non-classified government information into the public domain, with an eventual view to legislating a Freedom of Information Act; A Freedom of Information Act is the first step to obtaining the necessary information with which we can debate and construct alternative policies in an informed manner."

Taken from Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss’ manifesto for Mountbatten SMC available for download here.

"We believe in a collaborative, collective government that brings talent from different political parties into Parliament in constructive cooperation for the good of Singapore."

"We believe in elected MPs who listen to their people, and bring their concerns and voices into Parliament, to be heard by government."

"We believe people want local representatives in their NCs, RCs and CCCs, to be apolitical, bottom-up, selfless, concerned for the community, and provide real feedback to the Town Councils and Government."

"We believe people want a de-politicised Town Council, with equal access to Government grants and support, equal priority for infrastructural upgrading, and no political bias."

"We believe people want to be respected, heard, listened to, and represented, by humble, down-to-earth, emphatic, sincere and real MPs, who are committed to be true representatives of the people in Parliament."

Taken from the joint SPP-DPP team’s manifesto for Bishan-Toa Payoh available for viewing here.

"We believe that after the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the current system of concentration of powers in the hands of a few ruling elites must changed in order to ensure long-term political stability for Singapore. This current system of authoritarianism can only be functional under iron-fist rule. However, with the demise of such an autocratic leader, there is no guarantee that the future ruling party will not abuse power and turn corrupt."

"Thus, we advocate a total revamp of this political structure. We need to institutionalise the separation of the Five powers – Legislative, Executive, Judiciary, Selection and Impeachment. Our current Elected Presidency could take charge of the Powers of Selection and Impeachment by having the Elections Department, Public Service Commission, Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau and the Attorney-General’s Office placed under the Presidential Office. This is the only way for us to guarantee political stability and sustainability, as well as proper governance."

"This General Election will be a watershed election to determine the direction of Singaporeans’ future in the post-LKY era. In order to allow voters to make the right choice when they go to the polls, we have requested Minister Gan Kim Yong and his team to have a robust policy debate with us. We hope that Minister Gan could agree to this challenge of debate, which would pave the way for a new era for all Singaporeans."

Taken from the PPP’s manifesto titled "Securing our future" published on their website. Click here to view the manifesto in full.