The Workers' Party (WP) and the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) responded to the policy moves announced in Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's first National Day Rally (NDR) speech, which was delivered on Aug. 18.

Both opposition parties welcomed the policy announcements but called for more reform in certain areas.

SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme

In a Facebook post responding to the NDR speech, the WP said they welcome the announcement of the new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme.

The scheme aims to help lower and middle-income workers who have lost their jobs by providing up to S$6,000 a month in temporary financial support over a maximum period of six months, subject to training and other conditions.

WP said it agreed with PM Wong that losing a job could "seriously destabilise workers and their families", adding:

"This is why we published a policy paper back in 2016 calling for the implementation of a Redundancy Insurance scheme. We reiterated this call in our 2020 General Election Manifesto and during the Budget 2023 debate in Parliament."

In contrast to what was shared at NDR, WP pointed out that its proposed scheme would be designed to be funded mainly by premiums paid by workers while they are employed rather than by taxpayers.

Besides the WP, the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) has also called for support for displaced workers, highlighting in February this year that retrenchments appeared to be on an increasing trend in 2024.

NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng also highlighted in a Facebook post after the NDR on Aug. 18 that NTUC had been advocating for this.

Meanwhile, Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Secretary-General Hazel Poa said her party welcomes PM Wong's announcement of benefits for the involuntarily unemployed, pointing out that she had spoken about temporary financial support for retrenched workers in her Budget speech.

Poa expressed that PSP is glad the government "is now ready to implement the scheme to aid the involuntarily unemployed".

"However, the PSP thinks that based on the current details available for the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme, more can be done for lower and middle income workers," she said.

Housing

The WP also commented on the announcement that, from mid-2025, singles would be included in schemes that prioritise those applying for Build-to-Order (BTO) flats near their families.

The party highlighted that in its 2020 Manifesto, it called for lowering the eligibility age for singles to apply for a BTO flat from 35 to 28, a call that was reiterated in Parliament as well. The WP said:

"We urge the government to make this deeper policy reform sooner, to more comprehensively allay concerns among singles regarding housing access."

The PSP expressed disappointment in the housing policies announced at NDR, commenting that "the government has failed to address the root problem of our public housing policies" and saying there was a need for a "fundamental rethink" in this area.

Poa wrote that increasing housing grants is "simply more of the same".

Poa said PSP urges the government to consider its proposed schemes, such as the Affordable Home Scheme and Millennial Apartments Schemes, as alternatives to "ensure that public housing remains accessible to Singaporeans without jeopardising their retirement."

These proposed schemes have been previously debated in parliament, with PSP's then-Secretary-General Leong Mun Wai citing them as part of the PSP's "alternative" budget last year.

The suggestions were then addressed by the government.

Shared parental leave

The WP also welcomed the increase in shared parental leave, noting that parents-to-be will welcome the 10 additional weeks of shared parental leave on top of their current maternal and paternal leave entitlements.

This would raise the total government-paid parental leave to 30 weeks by Apr. 1, 2026.

Poa said the PSP was also heartened by the announcement of the 10 additional weeks of shared parental leave, noting that PM Wong's announcement of 10 additional weeks of shared parental leave, which the government will pay for, is "a much-needed change to promote the sharing of parental duties."

"We are heartened that the new PM continues to place great emphasis on uplifting our nation's low Total Fertility Rate," she said.

However, Poa added that while the announcement is a welcome step, PSP believes that more still needs to be done to encourage couples to have children.

Higher Mother Tongue Languages

WP MP Jamus Lim said he was happy to hear the announcement on improving access to Higher Mother Tongue Language (HMTL) for students who may be strong in a specific language but not in other academic subjects.

However, Lim said the current approach to language learning in schools tends to stress academic achievement over functional literacy. He said:

"So while I certainly welcome the move, I think we can still refine how we deal with languages, and their emphasis, in overall student assessment."

Related story

Top photos via PSP/Facebook and WP/Facebook