SDP's Paul Tambyah holds 'Ask-Paul-Anything' event at Bukit Panjang, undecided on Holland-Bukit Timah contest

Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) chairman Paul Tambyah held an event titled “Ask Paul Anything” for Bukit Panjang residents on the evening of Apr. 8, 2025.

The party chairman, who will be contesting Bukit Panjang SMC in the upcoming general election, answered questions from residents on a variety of issues such as the high cost of living, job insecurity, and healthcare amongst others.

Cost of living

Tambyah acknowledged the financial anxieties of Singaporeans, especially young, first-time voters for whom he recognised cost of living is a top concern amongst global inflation and a raised Goods & Services Tax (GST).

He stated that reducing GST is something SDP “will definitely be trying to campaign for—to bring it back to 7 per cent and, ideally, for essential things there should be 0-rated GST.”

Tambyah asserted that major landlords should consider cutting rental rates at a time when the economy is facing "strong headwinds."

Housing

Tambyah also highlighted housing as a crucial issue for Singaporeans due to the high costs associated with both buying and renting Housing & Development Board (HDB) flats.

He raised concerns with HDB flats being used as an asset to generate income, stating that they “should be a place for us to live, not a place for you to speculate [and] make money.”

SDP aims to lower housing prices, especially for first time buyers such as young couples.

Tambyah said that the high costs associated with applying for a HDB flat is a primary reason for why “most [young people] are still staying with their parents.”

Tambyah added that “the time has come to start introducing a more rational way to look at public housing” which involves homeowners being able to sell their flats back to HDB “at a reasonable price”.

He foresees that it “will be painful at first” but does not expect “a big drop.”

US tariffs

A 22-year-old Bukit Panjang resident asked Tambyah if SDP has any plans to tackle the recent 10 per cent tariff imposed on Singapore by the U.S.

This tariff is part of President Donald Trump’s widespread imposition of tariffs which have roiled stock markets globally.

Tambyah mentioned that a plan is currently in the works.

He shared that part of the strategy involves boosting domestic consumption which “is still a low portion of [Singapore’s] GDP” and will “put more money in the pockets of Singaporeans.” Reducing GST is one of the measures by which they aim to achieve this.

Working in partnership with Asean neighbours to create “regional cooperation” is also part of SDP’s working plan.

Employment

Tambyah addressed concerns about job opportunities and job security, stating that employers “should hire locals first.”

With regard to the need for foreign talent, he said “very, very few jobs require the kind of talent that the Singapore [education] system doesn’t produce.”

Tambyah shared that SDP “want[s] to make sure that everyone is treated fairly," and mentioned that for working Singaporean men who have to serve reservist training, life can be “a little unfair” when their productivity is compared with “somebody who doesn’t have to do reservist.”

When addressing retrenchments, he mentioned that, in 2020, SDP proposed a retrenchment insurance exercise that will be paid out of one’s Central Provident Fund (CPF).

In addition, to create further job security for Singaporeans, Tambyah shared that SDP “[has] ideas about supporting local small businesses; giving them opportunities, grants, and incentives to actually hire local workers.”

He believes that “Singaporeans are very talented. It’s just a matter of being given the opportunities to do that.”

With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and concerns on its effects on employment, Tambyah said this is a “huge opportunity” in learning “how to go to the next level.”

Healthcare

Tambyah, a doctor and an infectious diseases specialist with more than 35 years of medical experience, confidently asserted that he will be a “voice for healthcare.”

“The first speech [that] I’m going to give in Parliament, I can promise you, is going to be about healthcare,” he said.

When asked about his vision for Singapore in 2030, he mentioned “[A Singapore where] you are not worried about getting sick because you know that even if you get sick, you have your friendly, neighbourhood GP who can see you for a reasonable price, help deal with your problem, and it’s all covered under a national health insurance programme.”

Tambyah is interested in the best interests of both patients as well as healthcare workers.

He addressed concerns on the brain drain of local nurses, saying that the solution to this issue “has got to be two-fold.”

“One: increasing the pay and improving the work[ing] conditions for nurses. And number two is empowering the nurses,” he said.

“In the vast majority of both public and private sector hospitals, nurses in Singapore do not have the same kind of empowerment that they could and that they should have.”

SDP’s possible return to Holland-Bukit Timah GRC

When asked about the possibility of SDP contesting Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, a constituency it has contested for in the previous three elections, Tambyah was unsure if they would return to run there.

“We are evaluating whether we have enough good candidates and whether we’ll be able to give the residents of Holland-Bukit Timah [GRC] a good choice, or whether we should yield to another party who may be more focused on that particular and region,” he said according to The Straits Times.

Top image by Swarnabho Sarkar/Mothership