GE2025 - Here are the key points from SDP's manifesto
The manifesto focuses on reducing economic inequality, enhancing social welfare, reforming education, and strengthening democratic governance.
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) released its manifesto for Singapore's 2025 General Election under the slogan “Thrive, Not Just Survive,” presenting a comprehensive set of policy proposals to address key national issues.
1. Cost of Living
The SDP highlights Singapore’s rising cost of living, driven by high housing prices, healthcare costs, and regressive taxation like the Goods and Services Tax (GST). The party critiques policies that burden the middle and lower classes while wealth concentrates among the elite.
- Tax Reforms:
- Abolish GST on essential items (e.g., food, medicine, school supplies) to reduce costs of necessities. No specific list of items or fiscal impact estimate is provided.
- Increase income tax on the top 1% of earners to fund social programs. No tax rate or revenue target is specified.
- Reinstate estate duty to address wealth inequality. No thresholds, rates, or expected revenue are detailed.
- Ministerial Salary Reduction:
- Cut ministerial salaries significantly, redirecting savings to aid lower-income households. No specific reduction amount or savings estimate is provided (current ministerial salaries: ~S$1.1M–S$3.2M annually, 2022 data).
- Minimum Wage:
- Introduce a minimum wage to ensure a living wage. No specific wage amount (e.g., S$2,000/month) or implementation timeline is stated.
- Economic Transparency:
- Enhance transparency in managing national reserves to ensure equitable use. No mechanisms (e.g., audits, parliamentary oversight) or reserve figures are specified.
| Policy Area | Key Proposal | Intended Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | Abolish GST on essentials, tax top 1%, reinstate estate duty | Reduce regressive tax burden, fund social programs |
| Salaries | Cut ministerial salaries | Redirect funds to aid the poor |
| Wages | Introduce minimum wage | Ensure dignified living standards |
| Reserves | Increase transparency | Promote equitable use of public funds |
2. Housing
The SDP criticizes the high cost of Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, driven by land costs and the 99-year lease decay issue. The party proposes restructuring the housing system to prioritize affordability and sustainability.
- Non-Open Market (NOM) Scheme:
- Cap HDB flat prices at S$270,000, excluding land costs, with flats sold back to HDB upon resale to maintain affordability. No details on flat types (e.g., 3-room, 4-room) or locations covered are provided (2024 BTO prices: ~S$300,000–S$600,000).
- Voluntary En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme (VERS):
- Introduce a sustainable VERS to address lease decay, enabling collective redevelopment. No specifics on funding, scale, or eligible estates are mentioned.
- Increase Housing Supply:
- Build more affordable flats to meet demand, reducing waiting times and prices. No specific figure for annual flat supply (e.g., 20,000 flats/year, as in 2024 HDB data) or demand metrics (e.g., marriage rates) is provided.
| Policy Area | Key Proposal | Intended Impact |
|---|---|---|
| NOM Scheme | Cap HDB flats at S$270,000, exclude land costs | Make housing affordable, curb speculation |
| VERS | Sustainable en-bloc redevelopment | Address lease decay, maintain affordability |
| Supply | Build more flats | Reduce waiting times, stabilize prices |
3. Jobs and Wages
The SDP aims to prioritize Singaporeans in employment, reduce reliance on foreign labor, and address wage stagnation, particularly for Professionals, Managers, Executives, and Technicians (PMETs), in a workforce where foreign workers comprise ~39% (2024 data).
- Minimum Wage:
- Implement a minimum wage to ensure a living wage. No specific amount or benchmark (e.g., S$2,000/month) is provided.
- Talent Track Scheme:
- Introduce a points-based system for foreign PMETs, prioritizing Singaporeans for hiring and retrenchment protection. No criteria (e.g., skills, experience) or quotas are specified.
- Foreign Labor Reduction:
- Gradually reduce reliance on foreign workers to create opportunities for Singaporeans. No target percentage (e.g., from 39% to 30%) or timeline is stated.
- CPF Minimum Sum Reform:
- Eliminate the CPF Minimum Sum Scheme (Full Retirement Sum: ~S$213,000, 2024) to provide retirement flexibility. No alternative savings mechanism is proposed.
| Policy Area | Key Proposal | Intended Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Wages | Minimum wage | Ensure fair compensation |
| Employment | Talent Track Scheme, prioritize Singaporeans | Protect local job opportunities |
| Foreign Labor | Reduce reliance | Increase jobs for Singaporeans |
| CPF | Scrap Minimum Sum Scheme | Enhance retirement flexibility |
4. Social Safety Net
The SDP seeks to strengthen social support, focusing on healthcare, marginalized communities, and gender equality, replacing complex schemes with accessible programs.
- National Health Investment Fund (NHIF):
- Replace the 3M system (Medisave, Medishield, Medifund) with NHIF, where citizens contribute a fixed monthly amount, and the government funds the rest via taxes. No contribution amount (e.g., S$50/month) or total cost estimate is provided.
- Make maternal and pediatric care mostly free. No scope (e.g., age limit for pediatric care) or budget is specified.
- Malay Community Upliftment:
- Implement a 10-point plan to address economic inequality, education access, and discrimination. No specific actions (e.g., scholarship funding, employment quotas) or metrics are detailed.
- Gender Equality:
- Promote women’s rights via the SDP Women’s Wing, focusing on healthcare, work-life balance, and anti-discrimination. No specific programs (e.g., subsidies, leave policies) or funding is outlined.
| Policy Area | Key Proposal | Intended Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | NHIF, free maternal/pediatric care | Reduce medical costs, support families |
| Malay Community | 10-point upliftment plan | Address inequality, promote inclusion |
| Gender Equality | Women’s Wing initiatives | Enhance women’s rights, work-life balance |
5. Education
The SDP critiques Singapore’s exam-driven education system for fostering stress and inequality, proposing reforms to prioritize holistic development.
- Abolish PSLE:
- Eliminate the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) to reduce student stress. No replacement assessment (e.g., portfolios) or transition plan is detailed.
- Smaller Class Sizes:
- Reduce class sizes to improve learning. No target size (e.g., from 33.6 to 25 for primary, 2023 data) or funding estimate is provided.
- Holistic Curriculum:
- Emphasize critical thinking, creativity, and socio-emotional skills. No specific curriculum changes or teacher training plans are outlined.
- Equal Opportunities:
- Address socio-economic disparities in education. No interventions (e.g., subsidies) or disparity metrics (e.g., low-income student percentage) are specified.
| Policy Area | Key Proposal | Intended Impact |
|---|---|---|
| PSLE | Abolish PSLE | Reduce exam stress, promote holistic growth |
| Class Sizes | Smaller classes | Enhance personalized learning |
| Curriculum | Focus on critical thinking, creativity | Prepare students for diverse futures |
| Equity | Address disparities | Ensure equal educational opportunities |
6. Governance
The SDP addresses concerns over the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) dominance and restrictions on freedom of expression, seeking to enhance transparency and civil liberties.
- Ministerial Salaries:
- Reduce ministerial salaries to align with public service ethos. No specific reduction amount is provided.
- Freedom of Speech:
- Reform laws like the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) to protect constitutional rights. No specific mechanisms (e.g., judicial oversight) are detailed.
- Constitutional Reforms:
- Strengthen civil liberties through constitutional amendments. No specific articles or amendments are specified.
- Government-Linked Companies (GLCs):
- Divest inefficient GLCs to foster competition. No list of targeted GLCs or economic impact estimates is provided.
- Regional Democratic Partnerships:
- Foster partnerships with democratic neighbors (e.g., Malaysia, Indonesia). No specific agreements or initiatives are outlined.
| Policy Area | Key Proposal | Intended Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries | Reduce ministerial salaries | Promote public service ethos |
| Free Speech | Reform POFMA, protect rights | Enhance democratic expression |
| Constitution | Strengthen civil liberties | Foster open society |
| GLCs | Divest inefficient GLCs | Promote market competition |
| Regional Ties | Democratic partnerships | Strengthen regional democratic values |
7. Environment
The SDP emphasizes environmental sustainability, addressing climate change and resource management in a densely populated nation.
- Climate Commitments:
- Strengthen adherence to the Paris Agreement through emissions targets and renewable energy. No specific targets (e.g., 50% emissions cut by 2030) are provided.
- Electric Vehicles (EVs):
- Provide incentives for EV adoption to reduce emissions. No details on subsidies (e.g., amount per vehicle) or infrastructure (e.g., charging stations) are included.
- Population Control:
- Oppose population growth to 10 million, rejecting long-term planning scenarios (e.g., 2013 White Paper). No alternative population cap (e.g., 6M) is proposed.
- Haze Pollution:
- Enforce the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act. No specific actions (e.g., fines, regional agreements) are detailed.
- Waste Reduction:
- Reduce single-use packaging. No targets (e.g., 50% reduction by 2030) or mechanisms (e.g., bans) are specified.
| Policy Area | Key Proposal | Intended Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Climate | Strengthen Paris Agreement commitments | Reduce carbon footprint |
| EVs | Incentivize EV adoption | Lower transportation emissions |
| Population | Oppose 10 million target | Ensure sustainable growth |
| Haze | Enforce Transboundary Haze Act | Address regional pollution |
| Waste | Reduce single-use packaging | Minimize environmental impact |
Conclusion
Launched ahead of the May 3, 2025, General Election, the SDP’s manifesto reflects its social liberal democratic vision, emphasizing affordability, equity, and sustainability.
Key proposals, such as the S$270,000 HDB price cap and opposition to a 10 million population, include specific figures, but most policies (e.g., building more flats, minimum wage, class size reductions) lack quantitative details, such as numerical targets or cost estimates.
Implementation challenges include fiscal costs (e.g., NHIF, GST exemptions), political resistance to bold reforms (e.g., PSLE abolition, GLC divestment), and the SDP’s limited electoral success (no seats since 1997).