Govt doing its best on cost of living; opposition tries to exploit issue: PM

The PAP Government is doing its best to shield citizens from the worst effects of global inflation, even as opposition parties in Singapore have tried to exploit cost-of-living concerns to turn sentiments against the ruling party, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

- Goh Yan Han

While he acknowledged Singaporeans' worries about the cost of living, he noted that it is not an issue unique to Singapore, as countries everywhere are facing similar pressures due to the recent spike in global inflation.

Though inflation in most places, including Singapore, has moderated in recent months, price levels remain higher than before, impacting people's sense of well-being, he said in his speech at the PAP's biennial party conference on Nov 24.

About 3,000 party cadres, activists and guests - including from the labour movement - were gathered at the Singapore Expo, where cadre members had voted in the morning for the party's next core group of leaders.

PM Wong, who is currently PAP's deputy secretary-general, noted how frustration with the rising cost of living overshadowed other matters and contributed to strong anti-incumbency feelings in countries that held elections in 2024. Every governing party in a developed country that held elections in 2024 lost vote share, and a number lost the mandate to govern altogether, he noted.