t was more like unabashedly paving the way for a later, more election-geared budget, despite what Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin said about how his long-term thinking government, in refraining from doling out goodies, was so different from others elsewhere with their short-sighted populist vote-getting policies.
I am puzzled by this, yes, we have to pay our debt to our older nation-building generations – Pioneer and then Merdeka – but, no, these are not handouts. Debts or handouts – they are substantial vote-winners. The $8 billion Pioneers programme announced before the last General Election in 2015 benefitted 400,000 Singaporeans and the $6.1 billion for the Merdeka group should make another 500,000 voters if not happier than at least less angry in the leadup to the forthcoming GE.
Singaporeans will also have to assess how the 4G leaders and their cohort perform. As it is, they do not know enough about their ability. They cannot just take PM Lee’s words that they are the best that the country has to offer.