WP MPs Kenneth Tiong, Jamus Lim fire back after ‘mischaracterisation’ of economic policy from ex-SMS Lee
"I was reminded of that same politics of false binaries reading the PAP's posts today on the WP's Motion, an Economy of the Future that Works for All. We advanced it in good faith, on a question th... This article ( WP MPs Kenneth Tiong, Jamus Lim fire back after ‘mischaracterisation’ of economic policy from ex-SMS Lee ) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News .
On Sunday, former Senior Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan criticized Workers’ Party MPs Kenneth Tiong and Jamus Lim in a social media post about their economic proposals. Lee’s post went viral and was shared by top government officials and pro-government accounts. Tiong and Lim quickly wrote rebuttals, countering Lee’s claims. Tiong denounced Lee’s "mischaracterisations" and emphasized the need for a politics focused on policy over point-scoring.
Lim expressed disappointment that the ruling party resorted to rhetoric instead of substance in a crucial economic debate. Lee claimed opposition MPs changed their stance after being "challenged," arguing that the WP's proposal essentially supports SMEs and MNCs. However, Tiong refuted this by explaining that the WP supports both MNCs and SMEs and plans to boost local enterprises with measures like automatic support for startups, larger R&D tax deductions, and apprenticeships similar to those in Germany.
Tiong pointed out that Lim had already stated during his speech that the WP does not oppose MNCs or foreign investment. Lim countered that Singapore's previous growth model, while successful, now faces challenges due to rising costs, low productivity growth, and squeezed workers and SMEs. He advocated for shifting the economic model toward SME or local-enterprise-led, productivity-driven growth, but emphasized that this does not mean abandoning MNCs or foreign capital.
Lim described this change as "creative destruction," a necessary step toward a more sustainable, people-centered economy.
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