Pritam Singh v PM Lee Hsien Loong: Opposition ward residents are not 'free riders', says WP chief

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“I don't think the residents of Aljunied, Hougang for 30 years now, and even Sengkang, as a result of the last election, would appreciate being called free riders,” said the wpsg chief Singapore PMLee

SINGAPORE — Worker’s Party chief Pritam Singh took exception to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s description of opposition voters as “free riders”, as the Leader of the Opposition and the PM crossed swords in the new Parliament for the first time.

After his speech, Lee told the House, “So if you think that government is doing the wrong thing...by all means, vote the government out, put a new government in, change the government, change the policy. But if you say, vote against the government because somebody else will look after getting the PAP government, you just become a free rider.”

“And we've had growing pains, I'm not going to deny that. But if we were bungling things up, I wouldn't be here today. My team wouldn't be here today.” ‘I’m not desperate for power, Prime Minister’Alluding to the residents of Aljunied, Hougang and Sengkang - all wards held by the WP - Singh said, “The residents, the voters of these constituencies, put their faith in us. Because they know an opposition in Parliament is ultimately good for Singapore.”

He added, “Elections are not just about the town council, they're also about electing the government for the country. And that's necessary for people to bear firmly in mind.”

 

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