Over the last two weeks, the different political parties in Singapore have been pushing out their manifestos.
If you don’t know what a manifesto is, it’s essentially a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate.
In their manifestos, the parties outlined their political beliefs and proposed some key policies, and it’s clear to see that bread-and-butter issues like financial security, jobs and housing matters remain a centrepiece.
Here’s an overview of where the different political parties stand on these issues:
1. Cost of living
| People’s Action Party | – Households will receive more CDC vouchers, cash payouts, utilities rebates and other support to help with living expenses – For Singaporeans who require more support, social safety nets, e.g. ComCare and Silver Support, will be reinforced – Lower-income families will individually receive assistance through ComLink+ to help them build better lives – Adult disability services will be subsidised more generously |
| Workers’ Party | – Set up a permanent Parliamentary Committee on the Cost of Living to provide transparent oversight, track affected groups, and recommend long-term solutions for cost-of-living challenges – Oppose the GST increase to 9% and propose alternative revenue channels – Exempt more essential goods from GST – Set an official poverty line to identify and support those in need more accurately – Implement tiered pricing for electricity and water – Reacquire privately owned coffee shops, directly manage hawker centres, and ensure affordable rents for SMEs to keep food and business costs stable. – Maintain affordable public transport through a not-for-profit National Transport Corporation – Reform the COE system by redistributing vehicle quota supply and refining COE categories to make vehicle ownership more predictable and affordable |
| Progress Singapore Party | – Reduce GST back to 7% and exempt basic essentials from GST – More CDC vouchers for lower-income households – Provide government-funded food discounts for Pioneer Generation, Merdeka Generation and CHAS cardholders at all hawker centres – Provide additional financial support for full-time caregivers |
| National Solidarity Party | – Zero GST on essential items – Monitor and cap prices of essential goods and services in high-cost estates – Cost-of-living indexation to peg minimum wage and assistance schemes to the real-time cost of living – Expand distance-based fare discounts for seniors, students, and low-income riders, aiming for free transport for seniors, the physically challenged, and children up to 16 years old |
| Red Dot United | – Introduce an unconditional cash transfer as a financial safety net for all Singaporeans, starting with the most vulnerable and expanding towards universal coverage |
| People’s Alliance for Reform | – Implement price controls on necessities such as food, healthcare, and transportation – Increase financial support for low-income families, students, and the elderly |
| Singapore People’s Party | – Halt any further GST increases until the cumulative budget deficit exceeds 3% of government revenue for three consecutive years – Distribute government budget surpluses annually as CDC vouchers, with more aid for lower-income Singaporeans – Raise income tax on the top 2% of earners and reintroduce estate duty for ultra-high-net-worth individuals to fund equitable relief for those struggling with the cost of living – Provide higher transport subsidies for low-income families and Silver Support recipients |
| Singapore Democratic Party | -Reduce GST to 7% or even 5%, and remove GST for everyday essentials such as food and medicine – Expand unconditional cash assistance and provide S$500 per month to 80% of low-income elderly under an enhanced Silver Support Scheme |
| People’s Power Party | – Essential items and services such as fresh food, groceries, water supply, healthcare services and products should be exempted from GST |
| Independent (Darryl Lo) | – Oppose GST increase and call for public engagement before implementing such tax hikes |
2. Jobs & workforce
| People’s Action Party | – Provide more support for PMETs, and nurture more Singaporean corporate leaders – Enhance workfare for lower-wage workers and extend Progressive Wages to more sectors – Empower Singaporeans to reskill and upskill, and advance in their careers – Help Singaporeans who have lost their jobs to bounce back with the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme – Raise the re-employment age so that seniors who wish to continue working can do so – Co-fund wages to encourage employers to hire and retain seniors – Strengthen the post-18 transition from school to work and boost employment opportunities for persons with disabilities – Strengthen safeguards for fair employment through the Workplace Fairness Act |
| Workers’ Party | – Implement a statutory and universal National Minimum Wage of S$1,600 for full-time work and pro-rated for part-time, and require the National Wages Council to review wage adequacy regularly – Legislate mandatory retrenchment benefits for workers, starting with private sector firms with at least 25 employees – Establish a redundancy insurance scheme, funded by small employer and employee contributions, providing up to 40% of the median income for six months to retrenched workers who are actively seeking jobs – Require employment pass renewals in key industries to be tied to demonstrable skills transfer to Singaporeans, with public reporting of outcomes. – Lower the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy age to 35 and expand programme coverage for accessible, affordable retraining and upskilling – Abolish the statutory retirement age and allow older workers to continue employment as long as they are able and willing – Enact comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation – Legislate the Right to Request Flexible Work Arrangements, which will guarantee employees the right to formally request such arrangements |
| Progress Singapore Party | – Implement a Minimum Living Wage of S$2,250 per month – Strengthen the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) to give priority to local workers – Introduce Employment Pass (EP) quotas and a monthly S$1,200 levy per EP holder. – – Raise the EP qualifying salary to S$10,000 per month – Limit the concentration of any single foreign nationality in a company’s workforce – Mandate statutory retrenchment benefits that legally require companies to provide at least two weeks’ salary per year of service to retrenched employees with more than two years’ service – Exempt retrenched employees from non-compete restrictions after job loss – Reduce statutory working hours from 44 to 40 hours per week and introduce a “right to disconnect” policy – Increase the minimum paid annual leave to 14 days for all workers and raise the number of public holidays from 11 to 14 – Provide additional manpower quotas to employers who support parental leave and offer wage subsidies to promote job-sharing and flexible work options for caregivers |
| National Solidarity Party | – Implement a minimum living wage across all sectors – Peg minimum wage and assistance schemes to a real-time cost-of-living tracker – Legalise protection for gig workers, ensure fair retrenchment frameworks, and mandate living wages across key sectors – Provide retraining, wage bridging, and guaranteed placements for workers displaced from sunset industries – Establish localised job and enterprise hubs to decentralise economic growth and reduce commute and income inequality – Implement five days of paid caregiver support leave for working adults |
| Singapore Democratic Alliance | – Introduce a tiered levy on EP holders, with higher rates for entry-level or low-skilled roles, to incentivise firms to hire and nurture Singaporean talent – Increase NSF base allowance to S$1,600, matching the Local Qualifying Salary, and ease financial strain for families during NS |
| Red Dot United | -Implement hiring practices that prioritise Singaporean workers, ensuring citizens are given precedence in employment opportunities – Recognise and respond to the unprecedented oversupply of workers globally, which threatens job security and wage levels in Singapore |
| People’s Alliance for Reform | – Ensure that Singaporeans are given priority in job placements – Focus on developing industries that generate high-value jobs for locals – Encourage businesses to invest in local workforce development – Implement policies that prevent the displacement of local workers – Invest in training and upskilling to prepare Singaporeans for the future – Advocate for higher minimum wages to keep up with Singapore’s cost of living |
| Singapore People’s Party | – Expand and implement a living wage (eg. S$1,500 monthly) to ensure low-income workers and families can meet basic needs – Abolish the statutory retirement age of 63 and offer tax incentives for companies hiring seniors past their 70s who choose to keep working – Codify TAFEP guidelines into law, mandating fair hiring and retrenchment benefits – Offer tax breaks to businesses prioritising Singaporean PMETs and enforce higher local hiring quotas with a raised Local Qualifying Salary – Reassess the CECA agreement with India to address labour inflow concerns – Gradually reduce Special Pass and Employment Pass quotas and dependency ratios in sectors where jobs can be automated – Offer five days of unpaid mental health leave to support employees’ psychological well-being |
| Singapore United Party | – Encourage tertiary institutions to offer more placements for Singaporeans in polytechnics and universities to enhance prospects of securing good jobs and achieving better wages |
| Singapore Democratic Party | – Legislate a National Minimum Wage – Provide retrenchment insurance (paid out of CPF savings) for workers who are involuntarily unemployed – Implement a Singaporeans First Policy and Talent Track Scheme that requires rigorous verification of foreign professionals’ skills and credentials, and mandates that employers prove local unavailability before hiring foreigners |
| People’s Power Party | – Implement a “Singaporeans First” policy into labour law and employment practices; require HR departments of all medium and large companies to be run by Singaporeans – MNCs should create at least 60% of jobs for Singaporeans before enjoying tax breaks and incentives – Free Trade Agreements, namely the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), should be reviewed and amended so that Singaporeans can enjoy fair career opportunities and equal access to PMET jobs |
| Independent (Jeremy Tan) | – Implement a target of 4 million citizens and 1 million foreigners by 2040, and scrap the 6.9 million target. This represents a gradual 50% reduction of foreigners in Singapore – Introduce the Returnships matching program, which will help job seekers realign with new realities at the workplace – Enhance the EP COMPASS 1-to-1 waiver for firms with Singaporeans paid above S$100k – Introduce the Train-to-Replace Incentive Scheme to reward companies that train locals to replace foreign labour – Increase minimum annual leave to 14 days – Publish SkillsFuture benchmarks to measure its success – Lower the age of starting a company with a sponsor to 16 |
3. CPF
| People’s Action Party | – Review and enhance the CPF system – Increase senior worker CPF contribution rates |
| Workers’ Party | – Permanently delink the HDB loan rate from CPF OA rate – Review the CPF OA interest rate formula and set a new level – Introduce a special dividend from GIC investments for CPF members – Enable co-investing of CPF savings with GIC – Regularly review and refine CPF policies |
| Progress Singapore Party | – Set up the CPF Lifetime Retirement Investment Scheme |
| National Solidarity Party | – Reform CPF flexibility to introduce an opt-in retirement access plan, allowing seniors greater autonomy in drawing down CPF for essential needs – Review CPF payout structures to ensure adequacy for actual retirement needs, not just actuarial projections |
| Singapore People’s Party | – Allow CPF use for overseas education |
| Singapore United Party | – Empower Singaporeans to manage their personal wealth by uncaring individuals’ retirement sums |
| Singapore Democratic Party | – Abolish the CPF Minimum Sum Scheme |
| People’s Power Party | – Adjust CPF contributions to: employer 20%, employee 5% (from current 20%), increasing disposable income for mortgage payments – Invest CPF funds in sovereign wealth or accredited trust funds for higher returns, instead of low-yield government bonds |
| Independent (Jeremy Tan) | – Extra 0.5% interest for CPF SA amounts invested in locked Bitcoin ETF – Tax relief for CPF top-ups used for Bitcoin – All CPF OA and SA amounts invested into Bitcoin are guaranteed at the corresponding CPF floor rates – CPF OA funds are available for investing in Bitcoin after having S$10k, no limits to Bitcoin ETF |
4. Healthcare
| People’s Action Party | – Expand healthcare capacity: Add 13,600 beds, redevelop Alexandra Hospital, and open Eastern General Hospital by 2030 – Increase healthcare and nursing staff to support expanded capacity – Launch preventive healthcare initiatives, including Grow Well SG for children and adolescents, Healthier SG for adults, and Age Well SG for seniors – Empower Singaporeans to adopt healthier lifestyles through innovations such as the Queenstown Health District. – Boost mental health support by establishing the National Mental Health Office and expanding access to mental health services – Provide matching grants for voluntary top-ups to the CPF MediSave Account for seniors |
| Workers’ Party | – Allow seniors over 60 to use MediSave fully for all medical expenses at public clinics – Remove annual limits for chronic disease treatment costs – Expand affordable assisted living options for seniors not suited for nursing homes – Enhance support for persons with disabilities by offering special CHAS subsidies and additional MediSave top-ups for medical needs. – Ban insurance discrimination against people with disabilities or mental health conditions. – Create a National Cancer Care Appeals Board to review complex cancer cases and approve off-list subsidies or MediSave use based on clinical evidence – Revise the hospital subsidy criteria – Provide tiered payments and CPF contributions for family members providing long-term care |
| Progress Singapore Party | – The Government should pay the MediShield Life and CareShield Life premiums for all Singaporeans – Raise MediSave limits for mental health services, increase mental health professional staffing at public hospitals and reduce waiting times for appointments – Expand the use of MediSave – Increase withdrawal limits under the MediSave 500/700 scheme – Unify public and private drug procurement to reduce medication costs |
| National Solidarity Party | – Expand community clinics and cap GP visits at S$10 for citizens under the CareNear initiative – Create a unified, transparent national health account system and abolish redundancy across Medisave, MediShield, and Medifund – Establish mental health resilience hubs in every town to provide subsidised counselling, youth therapy, eldercare mental wellness, and integrate mental health education in schools and workplaces – Introduce income-proportional caps on out-of-pocket expenses across all public hospitals |
| Singapore Democratic Alliance | – Expand Medisave usage to more accredited healthcare institutions in ASEAN – Provide sustained monthly government grants and matching for family healthcare and caregiving costs |
| Red Dot United | – Prioritise universal healthcare coverage by making Medifund the primary safety net, with tiered support for the lowest 40% of income groups and access for all Singaporeans – Broaden coverage of MediShield Life to include more outpatient treatments, preventive screenings, chronic disease management, and mental health care – Redesign MediSave into a supplementary fund rather than the main source of healthcare financing – Ensure healthcare affordability by capping out-of-pocket costs and providing fairer subsidies, so no Singaporean delays or skips essential care due to cost – Reduce the financial burden on individuals, especially for specialist appointments and essential medications, to prevent Singaporeans from skipping necessary treatment – Shift from a savings-over-social-protection model to one that emphasises collective care and inclusivity |
| People’s Alliance for Reform | – Implement price controls on necessities such as food, healthcare, and transportation |
| Singapore People’s Party | – Provide subsidised tele-consultations for the elderly and low-income groups – Expand Medisave use and raise withdrawal limits to S$1,200 annually for preventive and mental health care – Subsidise ageing-in-place services and cap out-of-pocket eldercare costs through a universal scheme to reduce financial burden on families – Integrate mental health professionals into polyclinics and National Service institutions to improve access to mental health support – Ease mandatory treatment orders for offenders with mental disorders, focusing on rehabilitation rather than punishment |
| Singapore United Party | – Extend free medical care to seniors aged 67 and above – Introduce free medical care for children aged 14 and under |
| Singapore Democratic Party | – Implement a central healthcare fund managed by the government, supplemented by government-subsidised public insurance scheme to finance compulsory basic health, accident, and pregnancy (for women), with coverage for all Singaporeans and PR residing in Singapore for more than 6 months in a year – Fund primary care for chronic illnesses through risk pooling, so costs are shared by the community – Replace the current hospital cluster system with a single unified public healthcare sector to reduce waste and improve economies of scale – Fund hospice, end-of-life care, and home care for non-ambulant chronic patients costs from taxes and donations, rather than depending on charity – Increase use of community healthcare workers and nurse-run clinics at void decks to provide accessible care, especially for the elderly and home-bound |
| People’s Power Party | – Expand MediShield Life to all foreign labourers and expand its coverage without raising premiums for citizens, leveraging contributions from foreign labourers – Reduce deductibles for MediShield Life across the board to lower out-of-pocket costs for patients – Raise the withdrawal limits for MediSave accounts in line with rising healthcare costs – Increase the hospital bed-to-population ratio from 2.4 to the OECD average of 4.3 per 1,000 people – Remove GST from healthcare services and products, to make healthcare more affordable – Ensure that MediShield Life’s payout mechanism is fair and not overly conservative – Ensure no universal medical scheme or treatment is enforced without informed consent and open public debate |
| Independent (Jeremy Tan) | – Conduct a nationwide study on the effects of fluoride in our waters – Reduce the availability of products containing pthalates and microplastics.10 – Build more ActiveSG gyms and tender commercial leases for sports facilities within HDB carparks |
5. Housing
| People’s Action Party | – Construct over 50,000 new HDB flats over the next three years and increase Shorter Waiting Time flats – Explore more public housing options for higher-income couples and singles – Foster a stable and sustainable property market through decisive actions when needed – Plan for the rejuvenation of HDB towns, including through the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS). – Keep flats in choice locations within reach of more applicants through the HDB Classification Framework – Standard, Plus, and Prime BTO flats |
| Workers’ Party | – Set BTO prices for first-time buyers based on a house price-to-income ratio of about 3.0 after grants – Offer lower-priced 70-year lease BTO flats with an option to top up to 99 years later – Introduce a universal HDB Buy-Back Scheme and make the government the buyer of last resort for ageing HDB flats to stabilise values and address lease decay – Increase the stock and variety of public rental flats to suit different household needs – Enhance transparency in how land prices for BTO flats are determined – Allow single Singaporeans to apply for BTO flats from the age of 28 instead of 35 – Review the Ethnic Integration Policy and move towards a race-neutral housing system by phasing out block-level quotas while maintaining neighbourhood diversity |
| Progress Singapore Party | – Implement the Affordable Homes Scheme (AHS) and replace the current BTO system. Flats will be sold at a “user price” based on construction cost plus location premium, without upfront land cost – Defer land cost payment until the flat is sold on the resale market – Allow singles aged 28 and above to purchase 2- and 3-room BTO flats and permit singles to buy resale flats of any type in all estates – Construct more flats in anticipation of forecasted demand to reduce waiting times – Introduce the Millennial Apartments Scheme and provide affordable, high-quality rental apartments in the CBD and mature estates for young singles and couples on leases of two to five years – Continue to press the Government for details on the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme |
| National Solidarity Party | – Ensure citizens have access to their first home with lifetime affordability assurance by pegging BTO prices to construction cost plus land acquisition cost, not market valuation – Enforce resale price stabilisers to prevent BTO-to-private profit-flipping cycles and introduce a progressive property tax on multiple property holdings – Establish cooperatives to tackle ageing and single-person household isolation – Expand affordable rental flats for lower-middle-income citizens and young adults – Guarantee options for seniors in ageing flats through Lease Conversion or Extension Schemes without forced relocation – Demand full transparency in HDB land valuation mechanisms and audit pricing formulas – Shorten waiting time for new BTO flats to 2.5 years or less. |
| Singapore Democratic Alliance | – Substantially increase new HDB flat supply, build ahead of demand, offer bare-bones options to lower costs, and provide rental for excess units as temporary homes for singles/young couples – Peg new flat price increases to median wage growth (rather than to market rates) and offer extra subsidies for below-median-income buyers |
| Red Dot United | – Ensure every HDB estate is eligible for Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) so older flats retain value and are renewed instead of being left to decay – Manage HDB price growth at 3 to 5% annually through calibrated land valuation, housing supply adjustments, and market intervention to keep public housing affordable – Increase fit-for-purpose public rental flats, especially for the bottom 20% of income earners and young, single Singaporeans, and provide a structured pathway to homeownership through a rent-to-own model – Restrict new citizens and permanent residents from purchasing resale flats with less than 79 years of lease remaining, except those with at least 10 years of citizenship/PR or who have completed NS |
| People’s Alliance for Reform | – Develop new HDB flats to meet growing demand and provide better grants and financing options for first-time buyers – Prioritise eco-friendly housing projects and community spaces |
| Singapore People’s Party | – Allow singles to apply for BTO or resale HDB flats from the age of 30 – Apply the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) to all estates nearing lease expiry to preserve HDB asset value – Launch a five-year pilot to relax ethnic quotas in HDB estates, enabling minority flat owners to sell at fair market value – Provide additional housing grants for parents with a second child to help them upgrade to a larger HDB/BTO flat – Permit families with a third child to purchase private property without ABSD or upgrade HDB/BTO with a higher grant |
| Singapore United Party | – Propose a price ceiling on resale HDB flats instead of allowing the free flow of market forces to dictate the price – Support residents in upgrading or downgrading their HDB units to better suit changing lifestyles and family needs |
| Singapore Democratic Party | – Sell new HDB flats at prices based only on construction and administration costs, excluding land cost, with strict resale restrictions (sell back to HDB only) – Maintain a buffer stock of HDB flats to ensure minimal waiting times for buyers – Grant balloting priority to first-timer families with children or expectant couples for Balance Flats or new BTO flats in non-mature estates – Adapt and improve CPF Housing Grants for first-timer low-income households to help with 2-room and 3-room flat purchases – Allow single-parent families and low-income households to rent flats for two years at a time, without frequent reviews – Improve the Lease Buy-Back Scheme to better support needy senior citizens for a secure retirement |
| People’s Power Party | – Allow CPF funds to be used only for the purchase of a second property, preserving more CPF savings for retirement and increasing disposable income for first-home mortgage payments – Provide affordable 2.5-room HDB BTO flats for young couples under 30, sold at low prices without including land cost at market rate, to encourage early marriage and family formation – Construct HDB flats in advance to address supply lags and reduce waiting times under the current BTO system – Grant top priority to young couples (under 30) in the Sales of Balance Flats exercise, and further prioritise young couples below 30 and those who have served National Service in new flat selection exercises – Peg the affordability of new HDB flats to the median starting salaries of young graduates or flat applicants under 30, ensuring flats are within reach of young Singaporeans – Impose a 20% capital gains tax on foreign (including PR) property sellers, and levy ABSD and capital gains tax on Singaporeans from their third property purchase onward, to stabilise prices and reduce speculation |
| Independent (Darryl Lo) | – Allow singles to purchase public housing as early as 21 years old, instead of the current age limit of 35 and remove restrictions so that singles are not limited to only 2-room flats – 10% of new HDB flats in each release should be set aside specifically for singles, while the remaining 90% are for married couples – Implement regulations to prevent abuse of the singles housing policy for profit |
| Independent (Jeremy Tan) | – Remove all land costs from HDB pricing, and HDB will have the first right to purchase any flat listed for sale up to 90 days. – Cap the eligible purchase price of HDB BTOs to 4 times of annual income – Net 1.5M HDB flats by 2040, tear down flats that have reached 100 years – Set aside up to 10 to 15% of HDB for low-cost long-term rental – Implement MOP at 15 years with grants and MOP waiver for families with three or more children |
6. Parenthood & education
| People’s Action Party | – Parents will enjoy expanded Parental Leave, lower preschool fees, and enhanced support for large families – Children from disadvantaged backgrounds will receive higher childcare subsidies |
| Workers’ Party | – Extend KiFAS and childcare subsidies to all preschools located in HDB estates – Lower SPED school fees to match the S$13 monthly fee charged by mainstream schools – Extend tax benefits to more working mothers – Establish family care leave and extend childcare leave |
| Progress Singapore Party | – Support Parenthood by providing a S$3,000 cash gift to new mothers for postnatal confinement expenses – Allow maternity and child-bearing medical fees to be fully claimable from MediSave without limit – Boost government co-funding for assisted reproductive technologies |
| National Solidarity Party | – Zero GST on baby supplies – Expand financial aid and nutrition support at pre-school and primary levels, and provide financial support for enrichment programmes for children from lower-income families – Implement six months of shared parental leave, expanded baby bonus, and flexible work entitlements starting from the 1st child – Provide priority assistance to families with three children for education, medical, housing, and childcare arrangements – Fund industry-certified micro-credential programs and employer-sponsored apprenticeships for polytechnic and ITE students |
| Singapore Democratic Alliance | – Grant free local university education to NSFs who qualify and pursue higher education after their national service |
| People’s Alliance for Reform | – Implement price controls on necessities such as food, healthcare, and transportation |
| Singapore People’s Party | – Offer IVF subsidies for couples starting families – Permit the use of CPF funds for overseas tertiary education, with safeguards to ensure responsible use |
| Singapore United Party | – Make primary education free for all local children |
| Singapore Democratic Party | – Make maternal and paediatric healthcare largely free and funded by taxes – Provide interest-free student loans for all undergraduates, with loan repayment commencing when the graduate is employed rather than at graduation |
| People’s Power Party | – Offer comprehensive monthly allowances for families with children up to age 25 facing financial hardship, independent of other aid – Give families earning at or below the 70th percentile household income a monthly allowance of S$300 per child (adjusted for inflation) until the child completes secondary education – 80% subsidy for first-child prenatal, delivery, and three-year postnatal care (including for foreign spouses of citizens) and 90% subsidy for IVF for eligible couples under 40; remaining 10% payable by MediSave |
| Independent (Darryl Lo) | – Raise MOE’s Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) Eligibility to S$5,000 |
| Independent (Jeremy Tan) | – Each baby gets S$10,000 worth of Bitcoin in Baby Bitcoin Funds Account |
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Featured Image Credit: HR in Asia / The Sun Daily / The Online Citizen / Ministry of Communications and Information