SDA puts up posters that oppose PAP’s policies
A SDA poster, in red, seen beneath a PAP's candidate poster at Pasir Ris. Photo: Daryl Kang/TODAY
SINGAPORE — Among the election posters blanketing the island, the Singapore Democratic Alliance’s (SDA) posters have caught the eye. Instead of carrying candidates’ portraits, as is the norm, the SDA’s version has a plain background with short, snappy slogans attacking the policies of the ruling People’s Action Party.
One says “55, return CPF”, which is aimed at the payout eligibility age (previously known as the drawdown age) under the Central Provident Fund (CPF) system. Another says “Say no to 6.9”, in reference to the 6.9-million population size projection set out in a hotly debated White Paper in 2013.
When contacted yesterday (Sept 2), SDA chief media officer Harminder Pal Singh said the party went with these slogans because these are the “hottest” issues on the minds of voters.
“When we walk the ground every day, these are the two biggest (issues) everyone is talking about,” said Mr Singh, who is one of the SDA’s candidates in Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC). “So we don’t want to just talk about our people, we want to talk about what the ground needs in term of change.”
These issues are also among the seven issues its manifesto touches on. The party’s manifesto, which calls for a “Singapore for Singaporeans”, covers issues that include population, housing, healthcare, public transport, employment, education and the CPF scheme.
The SDA also has the traditional-looking posters, but there are QR codes beside each portrait to direct voters to each candidate’s account on social media site Facebook.
“People can read about the candidates. They can also read the SDA manifesto and the issues that the candidates are very passionate about,” said Mr Singh.
Although the posters were put up only on Tuesday, Mr Singh said he had started receiving Facebook messages from residents, asking where the party’s rallies would be held, for instance.
The SDA is putting up 2,500 posters around Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, where it is contesting again this election.
In 2011, it lost with 35.2 per cent of the votes.
