PAP only party to have walked with S'pore through every crisis in last 60 years, says Tan See Leng

The PAP is the only party that has walked with Singapore through every single crisis in the last 60 years, and its promise to Singapore remains unchanged – to always serve the people with all its heart, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said on April 26.

- Deepanraj Ganesan and Shabana Begum

At a rally at Keat Hong Plaza, Dr Tan said the PAP government is always pre-emptively planning for the next crisis, but that opposition parties had accused it of overreacting in the case of US tariffs.

“They are beginning to acknowledge how uncertain things are turning out, but we have already established the Singapore Economic Resilience Task Force… to make sure that every Singaporean will not be compromised,” he said.

The PAP also showed its competence during the Covid-19 pandemic — when Singapore had the lowest fatality rate anywhere in the world — and its ability to make long-term plans and execute them, he said, citing the Marina Barrage, Gardens by the Bay and the future Long Island coastal protection plan, which will take decades to build.

The PAP government is also likely the only one in the world that looks at every stage of a Singaporean’s life cycle to maximise their potential and ensure long-term career health, he added.

This includes recommending subsidised courses to help a mid-career worker get a skills top-up and stay employable, job-seeker support to help someone who becomes involuntarily unemployed to bounce back better, and career conversion programmes so that a worker in his 50s can continue to be productive.

“Every single crisis for the last 60 years, we have walked through and we will continue to walk with you, every single one of you, every step of the way because we are all fellow Singaporeans,” he said. “Our promise to you remains unchanged.”

Led by Dr Tan, 60, the PAP team contesting Chua Chu Kang GRC consists of incumbent MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, 44, former senior civil servant Jeffrey Siow, 46, and neuroscientist Choo Pei Ling, 38.