Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong held a Fullerton lunchtime rally at noon on Monday afternoon (July 6).

Every election, a rally is traditionally held at the square near the Fullerton Hotel. This year, the rally was held virtually.

During the rally, Lee spoke about what the government has done during the Covid-19 pandemic, his own political journey, as well as his views on the opposition.

In his speech, PM Lee called for all Singaporeans to help and support him, as he "cannot do it alone".

He also made a personal pitch to Singaporeans that he needed to find "the strongest team we can find, to work with me, and with you"

Criticising the opposition

PM Lee started his speech by talking about the impact of Covid-19 on Singapore, and said that for this election, the PAP is seeking a strong mandate to lead Singapore through the crisis.

Lee then went on to say that the opposition, meanwhile, are talking as if the "crisis did not exist".

"The Opposition parties are talking as if we can just keep to our old ways, and the crisis did not exist... They have been completely silent on how to tackle Covid-19 – both during the last six months, and in this election campaign."

Given the economic impact that Covid-19 has on Singapore, PM Lee criticised opposition parties for having nothing to say about getting Singapore out of a economic downturn or job creation.

"(The Opposition) prattle on about a minimum wage, or a universal basic income. These are fashionable peacetime slogans, not serious wartime plans.

How will a minimum wage help somebody who is unemployed? It will just add to employers' costs, and pressure employers to drop even more workers. How will we pay for a universal basic income? All the GST increases in the world will not be enough."

He also described their party manifestos as "old" and "recycled".

Other PAP candidates have also previously criticised the manifestos of opposition parties.

Minister Chan Chun Sing, for instance, has criticised PSP and WP's manifestos, saying that the latter did not explain how they intended to "foot the bill", Today reported.

Minister S Iswaran has also poked holes in the manifesto put forward by PSP, saying that it lacked detail.

Referring to other countries that change governments frequently, PM Lee said that Singaporeans should not be "taken in by those who say that it is important just to have more choices".

He also added that Singaporeans should not "buy insurance from someone on a promise".

"The Opposition says they are offering Singaporeans insurance, just in case you need it. But don’t buy insurance from someone on a promise, especially when you have reason to suspect this company cannot pay out on the insurance, and their cheques will bounce."

Top photo via Mothership, PAP, PSP/FB