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01/06/2018

GST hike: Damned if they do

And Damned if they don’t

The government thought it was being clever in announcing the impending GST hike early. The calculus: by giving Singaporeans at least three years’ heads-up, they would have time to bite the bullet and brace themselves for a GST increase to 9%.

But all of a sudden, Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional lost power after 61 years and the new coalition government has already swiftly kept its promise to abolish the mightily unpopular 6% GST. And let’s throw into the mix the promise by the Workers’ Party to make the GST hike a hot topic for the next general elections.

So what does the government do? If they press on and declare that the GST hike must go ahead as planned, it could spell a bit of trouble for them at the polls because Singaporeans by and large remain unconvinced of the necessity for the GST hike.

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Tale of 2 Finance Ministers: One abolishes GST while the other increases

Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who became the 7th PM of Malaysia on Thurs (10 May) announced yesterday (12 May) that Lim Guan Eng, also the deputy president of Pakatan, would be the new Finance Minister of Malaysia. The Star reported that Lim's appointment as Finance Minister has been lauded by businessmen and observers.

The new Pakatan government is expected to abolish the highly unpopular GST imposed by the previous Najib's government. This was promised by Pakatan during the election campaign. In Feb this year, just three months before the Malaysia GE14, Lim warned that with GST, it would run the ever increasing risk of GST hike every time the government needs money ('Guan Eng: S’pore GST hike shows PH right to promise abolition').

Meanwhile in Feb this year, Police scholar and Singapore's Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced a GST hike from the current 7 to 9 per cent, which is slated to be implemented after 2020. Speaking at a forum organized by Mediacorp, Heng said Singaporeans need to understand that the GST hike is necessary and being done for a “very important purpose” - to finance Singapore’s "growing expenditure needs". When asked how he would alleviate the worries expressed by the ordinary Singaporeans about the GST hike, he said, "I appreciate their concerns but it is important to understand why we need to do this."

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M’sia to scrap GST from 1 Jun and curtail expenditure while S’pore to up GST and borrow for mega projects

Malaysia’s new government announced yesterday (16 May) that it would abolish the Goods & Service Tax from 1 June next month. The move is likely to spur consumer spending but may put pressure on its fiscal position. However, Zeti Akhthar Aziz, a senior adviser to the Malaysian government, earlier had said that Malaysia would be able to reduce the fiscal deficit by controlling expenditure in the absence of GST. Disgruntled Malaysians have been blaming the GST for their rising living costs, since it was imposed in 2015 by the Najib's government.

Meanwhile, at the second session of the 13th Parliament also yesterday, Singapore's Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said that new funding ideas for mega infrastructure projects are on the cards, "particularly through borrowing arrangements" by statutory boards and government-owned companies. "We will leverage the strength of our financial position to optimise our borrowing, and invest sustainably in longer-term infrastructure that will position Singapore well for the future,” he said. One of the mega projects to be financed through borrowings is the upcoming T5 Airport Terminal. It constitutes part of the mega Changi East project.

GST to increase from 7 to 9% - Already, the Singapore government has signaled that it will increase the GST from the current 7 to 9% after 2020, about 2 years' time, so as to help increase the government's revenue. But it appears that it will not be enough to meet Singapore's " growing expenditure needs".

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Questions Raised about Singapore’s GST Hike as Malaysia Slashes GST to Zero Percent

Malaysia has slashed Goods and Service tax from 6 percent to zero percent. The change will be implemented from 1 June this year. The move comes as questions are raised about Singapore’s impending GST hike by 2 percentage points.

Across the Causeway, the removal of GST was down to a promise by newly-elected prime minister Mahathir Mohamad that he would remove the consumption tax to address rising cost of living. Zeti Akhthar Aziz, the former central bank governor and presently a senior adviser to the Malaysian government, said that Malaysia would be able to reduce its fiscal deficit by controlling expenditure in the absence of GST. Ms Zeti said that the government will re-prioritise projects, increase efficiency and reduce wastage in the public sector.

In Singapore, the GST hike here to 9 percent is set to take place sometime between 2021 to 2025. This was announced by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in this year’s Budget (Feb 19). He said that said the GST increase is “necessary because even after exploring various options to manage our future expenditures through prudent spending, saving and borrowing for infrastructure, there is still a gap”. The exact timing will depend on three factors: the state of Singapore’s economy, how much the country’s expenditures grow, and how buoyant Singapore’s existing taxes are. Mr Heng said he expects that the Government will need to raise GST earlier rather than later.

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Malaysia plans to scrap GST from June 1 in the hope of promoting spending

Malaysia’s new government on Wednesday said it would reduce a goods and services tax to zero from June 1, effectively abolishing it, a move that is likely to spur spending in the Southeast Asian nation but put pressure on its fiscal position.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who won last week’s general election, had vowed during the campaign to get rid of the 6 per cent GST to address the rising cost of living. Ousted leader Najib Razak had introduced the tax in 2015 amid lower oil prices.

GST would be zero-rated from June 1, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement on Wednesday. Mahathir had also promised to reintroduce fuel subsidies, which along with the GST removal, could widen Malaysia’s fiscal deficit.

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Dr M: SST back by Sept 1

The Sales and Services Tax (SST) will resume on September 1. — Picture by Choo Choy May

The Sales and Services Tax (SST) will resume on September 1, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The tax regime is meant to replace the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that will be zero-rated across the board on June 1. The prime minister told a press conference following the weekly Cabinet meeting today that his administration was now focusing on the country’s finances with an eye on delivering Pakatan Harapan’s 100-day pledges.

“Zero rate GST will start on June 1, and will be abolished and replaced with SST on September 1, 2018,” he said. When asked what the SST rate imposed will be, Dr Mahathir said, “We will study it the rate before was 10 per cent. “We will find out the implication of levying it at 10 per cent,” he said. On May 16, the Finance Ministry announced that the GST will be set at zero per cent beginning June 1.

This decision does not include goods and services listed in the Goods and Services Tax (Exempt Supply) Order 2014, which remain exempted from GST. Dr Mahathir said the price of goods is expected to drop due to the zero-rated GST. “I expect traders, especially retailers, to sell things at a much lower price certainly, 6 per cent less,” he said.

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Guan Eng: S’pore GST hike shows PH right to promise abolition

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng says the Singaporean government’s decision to hike up its goods and services tax (GST) bears out Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) stated intention to eradicate the tax in Malaysia if it takes over Putrajaya.

The Penang chief minister said the island republic’s move confirms the worldwide trend for the tax’s rate to increase once it had been imposed.

He said the only solution to prevent the rate from going up was to terminate the tax.

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Replacing GST with SST will ‘return RM17bil to Malaysians’ says Guan Eng

Replacing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) with the Sales and Services Tax (SST) will return RM17bil to Malaysians, says the Finance Minister, even as he announced a slew of cost of living measures.

At a press conference Thursday, Lim Guan Eng (pic) confirmed that the GST would be zero-rated beginning June 1.

“The SST will be tabled in Parliament and is slated to start on Sept 1, 2018. “All this is expected to return RM17bil to ordinary Malaysians for the rest of the year,” he said.

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3 Common Misconceptions About GST & SST, And Why They're Wrong

After announcing the reduction of GST from 6% to zero beginning June 1, the government then announced the reintroduction of SST at date to be announced.

Predictably, confusion among the Malaysian public regarding the upcoming changes caused a number of inaccurate statements to appear. We address 3 major misconceptions and attempt to set things straight:

The GST goes away on June 1, and the SST will also return on June 1
“SST will mean lower product prices” vs “SST will mean higher product prices”
“But the government will have a shortage of income to pay off our national debt.”

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SST vs GST – What are the Differences

Malaysia will remove the GST from June 1 and reintroduce the SST.

What is SST and how does it differ from GST?

SST stands for Sales and Services Tax while GST is the abbreviation for Goods and Services Tax. As their names suggest, both are consumption taxes.

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The differences between GST and SST

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PM Lee said PAP mad to raise GST in GE2015 but now says they’re giving notice for raising GST

On Sat (19 May), PM Lee rushed to KL and managed to talk to the new Malaysian PM Mahathir for half an hour. PM Lee went to KL to personally congratulate Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamad for his coalition's historic win at the recent Malaysian GE14.

After the meeting, PM Lee was interviewed by reporters. When asked if Malaysia's move to abolish the GST would make it harder for Singapore government to sell its GST hike to Singaporeans, PM Lee said that the circumstances are different.

PM Lee stressed that his Government is taking the planned GST hike “very seriously”. "We’ve given a lot of notice. I think there's time to explain and there's time to work out how exactly we will make sure that Singaporeans are given the right support in order to be able to live with the new tax,” he said.

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Companies in the dark about adjusting prices during GST hike

After a long period of time, Singapore will raise its Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate by 2 ppt from 7% to 9%, but it didn’t give a specific date. The government only said that it will raise the tax between 2021 and 2025, leaving businesses and consumers asking when should they expect the prices of goods to climb up.

Jochen Krauss, managing partner at global pricing consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners, told Singapore Business Review that there's high uncertainty about what the magnitude and timing of the tax hike. “That's what we know, and that's the uncertainty that businesses now have to think about. How do I approach this? Do I just stay firm and wait for more things to come?” he added.

Before Budget 2018, a hike in the GST rate was a hot topic as analysts have previously forecasted that the government will introduce the rate hike staggeredly in order to soften the blow to companies. Despite that, a lot of businesses are still in the dark on how to react to the tax hike.

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Heng Swee Keat’s tax plan contradicts PM Lee’s views on GST hike during GE2015

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will increase by 2 per cent, as he delivered Budget 2018 yesterday. This tax hike will raise the GST from 7 per cent to 9 per cent and will be implemented sometime between 2021 and 2025, most likely after the next General Election.

The tax hike comes as no surprise to many – several political observers predicted the move in the run-up to Budget 2018 and the GST increase was expected to be one of the biggest announcements during the budget speech yesterday.

However, the sharp contrast between Heng Swee Keat’s tax plan as unveiled yesterday and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s views on a possible GST hike during the 2015 General Election is notable. On 5 Sept 2015, just a few days before Singaporeans went to the polls, PM Lee said at the PAP Headquarters: “What will make you need to raise GST? Profligate spending and irresponsible, unsustainable plans. That is what will hurt and require you to raise taxes and GST.”

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GST hike is done for 'important purpose', says Heng Swee Keat at post-Budget forum

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat acknowledges the concerns surrounding the rise in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), but hopes that Singaporeans can see the bigger picture

While he recognises the concerns surrounding the planned increase in the Goods & Services Tax (GST), Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said that Singaporeans need to understand that the tax hike is necessary and being done for a “very important purpose” - to finance the country’s growing expenditure needs.

He was speaking to reporters on Wednesday (Feb 21) after a post-Budget forum held at Mediacorp.

Mr Heng on Monday delivered the Budget for 2018, which he described as a “strategic & integrated financial plan to position Singapore for the future”. With a focus on longer-term challenges, the all-encompassing Budget included measures targeted at the economy, society, environment & maintaining the country’s fiscal sustainability.

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High living cost, job security a worry for Singaporeans: Reach

Singaporeans are concerned about the high cost of living here & worry that it may deter young people from starting families or having big families.

Job security is also on their minds amid a slower economy.

These are the findings of an annual survey by government feedback unit Reach, conducted ahead of this year's Budget announcement.

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GST hike is done for 'important purpose', says Heng Swee Keat

The GST hike from 7 to 9%, slated to take hold sometime from 2021 to 2025, was the hot topic among Singaporeans who got a chance to ask the finance minister questions about the Budget on Wednesday.

Most raised concerns about the potential rise in living costs, such as in the area of childcare, and whether there will be adequate wage growth to help Singaporeans cope with that.

When asked how he would alleviate these worries felt by the man on the street, Mr Heng said: “I appreciate their concerns but it is important to understand why we need to do this.”

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Govt to look at ‘most optimal way’ to fund mega projects: Indranee

The Government has to look for the “most optimal way” to finance new mega projects & would not rule out “different ways” of securing the funding, Senior Minister of State for Law & Finance Indranee Rajah told Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 6).

Her comments came as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the airline industry’s most prominent trade body, publicly objected to suggestions in media reports that Singapore could charge travellers and airlines new or higher fees to help fund the construction of the new Changi Airport Terminal 5 (T5).

“We shouldn’t pay first without having the infrastructure ready to be operated & used by airlines and by the users,” Mr Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s chief executive, told reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing Singapore Airshow on Monday (Feb 5).

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GST set to rise to 9% as S'pore plans for future spending needs

A hike in the goods & services tax (GST), the first move to do so in 10 years, was confirmed yesterday in a Budget that laid the ground for challenges ahead, even as a surplus of $9.6 billion was declared that made a "hongbao" cash payout possible.

GST will rise from 7% to 9%, but it will take effect only some time from 2021 to 2025, depending "on the state of the economy, how much our expenditures grow and how buoyant our existing taxes are", Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.

To cushion the impact on the elderly & those with lower incomes, the permanent GST Voucher scheme will get a $2 billion boost this year. There will also be an offset package to help people adjust to the increase.

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SINGAPORE TO RAISE GST FOR FIRST TIME IN DECADE DESPITE SURPLUS – BUT TAXPAYERS WON’T FEEL PAIN FOR AT LEAST THREE YEARS

Singapore will hike its goods and services tax by two percentage points, the finance minister said on Monday, the first such move in a decade as the cash-rich government cited the need to pre-emptively increase revenue amid surging health care, security and infrastructure spending.

The decision to raise the GST to 9 per cent was widely expected, but the curveball announcement that the change would be stayed until “sometime” between 2021 and 2025 drew praise from observers for being politically astute. The window falls beyond the current government’s term, which ends in January 2021.

“The exact timing will depend on the state of the economy, how much our expenditures grow, and how buoyant our existing taxes are,” Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat told parliament as he announced the 2018 budget.

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How much additional revenue can S'pore get from raising GST and other taxes?

In the lead-up to Budget 2018, much public discussion has centred on the prospect of higher taxes — so much so that Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Monday (Jan 22) that the Budget is not about taxes or handing out “goodies”.

Nevertheless, with social & healthcare spending expected to continue rising as the Singapore population ages, the Government has to find new sources of revenue to fund ever-growing investments including in public infrastructure.

The Government’s expenditure has more than doubled from S$33 billion in the 2007 financial year to S$71 billion in FY2016. Several national leaders have said it was a matter of time before taxes have to be raised.

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The Impact of Potential Goods and Services Tax (GST) Hike on Businesses in Singapore

Singapore’s taxation policy is anchored on the philosophy that the operational costs of running the government are borne by its citizens, who, in turn, shall reap the benefits derived from governmental services.

In line with this, Singapore strives to pursue a comprehensive policy on taxation as it levies taxes on as many individual taxpayers as possible. Recently, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking at the People’s Action Party Convention, hinted at a potential tax hike, signifying the need to raise taxes in view of the country’s growing expenditures and government’s key investments on infrastructure, healthcare, public transport network and social services for economic growth.

GST Hike in Singapore: An Inevitable Occurrence - Following this speech by the Prime Minister, tax experts theorised potential changes to Singapore’s current tax regime, which likely features a raise in the goods and services tax (GST) from 7% to 9% in the 2018 Budget. Mr. Francis Tan, a UOB economist, stated that since Singapore’s GST rate has remained at 7% for the last ten years since 2007, an eventual increase may be underway. GST is being targeted as a significant source of revenue, as last year’s GST collection remained the second highest contributor to governmental revenues in the fiscal year of 2016. Further, estimated GST collections for the fiscal year of 2017 amount to $11.25 billion, which is almost 16% of the overall estimated operating revenues of the government.

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MPs worry about impact of GST hike

The goods & services tax (GST) hike is to take place between 2021 & 2025, but several MPs are already asking the Government if more could be done to ease the burden on the more vulnerable groups.

Some asked if the hike could be postponed, should the economy do better than expected. The groups that concern them most are the low-income, retirees & small businesses.

Among the 28 MPs who spoke at yesterday's sitting, at least 10 touched on GST-related issues.

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Policies, politics and paranoia: Singapore Democratic Party chairman Paul Tambyah goes On the Record

He is referring to WP chairman Sylvia Lim being asked to apologise to the House earlier this year for alleging that the Government had floated “test balloons” before announcing an impending Goods & Services Tax hike. I put it to him that most ruling parties would consider it a natural instinct to defend their policies & make a point of it if they feel the other parties are trying to cast aspersions on their intentions.

“But still, there has to be some degree of balance because otherwise it’s going to backfire. The whole Sylvia Lim example, I think it won Sylvia a lot of sympathy points - the fact that people are trying to make her apologise for asking an honest question. You can say that the question is a stupid question, you can try to criticise her for that, but trying to make her apologise for asking a question seems to be a little bit like shooting yourself in the foot because it makes you come across like a bully.

“In a parliamentary democracy, if somebody asks you a question, you can make them look small or really silly, but to treat every question as an attack on your own personal integrity, to me, that's bordering a little bit on paranoia.”

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The 'GST Float Balloon' Saga

12/03/2018

The 'GST Float Balloon' Saga

Update 15 Jul 2018: Policies, politics and paranoia: Singapore Democratic Party chairman Paul Tambyah goes On the Record

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Labour movement confirms it conducted poll last year to gather feedback on Budget issues, including taxes

The labour movement has confirmed that it conducted a poll towards the end of last year to gather feedback from union leaders on issues such as training & taxes, ahead of the annual Budget.

Along with input gathered through focus group discussions & dialogue sessions, the feedback was used to inform the National Trades Union Congress workplan for this year & its labour MPs' positions. But the results of the poll were not presented to the Government.

The NTUC's Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute said this on Wednesday (March 14) in response to queries from The Straits Times, after a selection of tax-related questions from the poll were posted on sociopolitical website The Online Citizen on Sunday (March 11).

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Legal avenue against Sylvia Lim

Tale of 2 Finance Ministers: One abolishes GST while the other increases

The Straits Times (ST) today reported that the Leader of the House, Grace Fu, had sought the Attorney-General Chambers’ (AGC) advice before asking Sylvia Lim to retract her statement and apologise last Tuesday.

A certain news site has however interpreted ST’s report to suggest that the “PAP government (is seeking) legal avenue against Sylvia Lim after (she failed) to apologise in ‘Test Balloons’ saga.”

Lim had said earlier that the Government had floated “trial balloons” on a possible tax hike but possibly backed down after the public noted Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s comments in 2015 that the Government has enough revenue for the next decade.

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PAP government seeks legal avenue against Sylvia Lim after failing to apologise in ‘Test Balloons’ saga???

The Straits Times (ST) reported today (11 Mar) that the government had proceeded to seek legal advice from the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) to see if Workers' Party Sylvia Lim did breach parliamentary privilege in the recent "test balloons" debates in Parliament???

Last updated on March 12th, 2018 at 05:10 pm
Correction: It was earlier written that "PAP government is making a new move by consulting with AGC to see if there is a legal case against Ms Lim." We have revised the sentence to PAP government made an earlier move by consulting with AGC to see if there is a legal case against Ms Lim as we have been notified that the government had consulted AGC before Ms Grace Fu made an official demand to Ms Lim at Parliament.

Today, ST reported that the PAP government is making a new move by consulting with AGC to see if there is a legal case against Ms Lim, as she did not succumb to PAP's pressure to withdraw her statements and to apologise in Parliament??? Grace Fu told ST, "Ms Lim was in breach (of parliamentary privilege) because she should have known that her allegations were untrue, and because of her refusal to withdraw the allegations even after the facts were clarified."

However, Singapore Management University Law Prof and former Nominated Member of Parliament Eugene Tan commented that although "having the AGC's advice gives the Government a stronger footing in the matter", it is ultimately something for Parliament to decide as parliamentary debates also involve a political dimension and breach of parliamentary privilege may not be purely a legal question. Grace Fu had said in Parliament that it was an abuse of privilege for MPs to knowingly maintain allegations that have been shown to have no factual basis.

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MCI refutes TOC: Govt already sought AGC before Grace Fu asked Sylvia Lim to apologise

In response to an article published by TOC yesterday ('PAP government seeks legal avenue against Sylvia Lim after failing to apologise in "Test Balloons" saga', 11 Mar), the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) has written an email to TOC saying that the report is incorrect.

MCI said that the claim with regard to the "Government was now seeking AGC’s advice on Ms Lim’s actions because she did not apologise" is incorrect.

MCI, quoting Straits Times, said that the Government had already sought advice from AGC on the matter before House Leader Grace Fu officially asked Ms Lim to withdraw her statement and apologise last Tuesday (6 Mar).

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Govt sought Attorney-General’s Chambers advice about Sylvia Lim’s Parliament statements

According to The Straits Times on Sunday, March 11, the Singapore government had sought legal advice from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).

The issue was on whether Workers’ Party chairman (MP) Sylvia Lim’s statements in Parliament during the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike debate had been in breach of parliamentary privilege.

However, it was reported the advice had been sought prior to Leader of the House Grace Fu’s request on March 5 for Lim to apologise and retract what she had said.

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NTUC Members polled: Majority against GST hike

According to the poll, 73.8% said ‘No’, when asked if GST should be raised, another 16.3% said ‘Maybe’ and 9.9% said ‘Yes’

Earlier this week, results of a poll conducted within the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) was anonymously revealed through WhatsApp.

According to the source, there were more than 300 leaders of NTUC who took part, with about 440 responses received.

The results were not entirely favourable towards the proposed increased in the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

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NTUC confirms that survey on taxes was conducted prior to Budget 2018

Singapore's labour union, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has confirmed with local newspaper, Straits Times that it had conducted a poll with its union leaders on issues such as training and taxes, ahead of the annual Budget.

According to ST, Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute has expressed that the feedback gathered from the poll along with other inputs gathered through focus group discussions and dialogue sessions, was used to inform NTUC workplan for the year and positions for the labour Members of Parliament.

The institute was responding to queries filed by ST on the poll that was reported by The Online Citizen on Sunday.

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NTUC Confirms that Feedback on GST Hike was Gathered from Union Leaders before Budget 2018

The National Trades Union Congress has confirmed that it conducted a poll between November and December last year to gather feedback from union leaders ahead of Budget 2018, which included questions on their attitudes towards a GST hike.

This comes after the survey and its results were leaked to online news agency The Online Citizen, leading to allegations that the government had indeed floated “test balloons” before deciding to raise GST only after 2020.

According to state media agency The Straits Times, NTUC said that the survey feedback was used to “inform the National Trades Union Congress workplan for this year and its labour MPs’ positions” and that the result of the survey “was not presented to the government.”

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NTUC confessed “test balloon” survey for GST increase

In yet another damning evidence proving the Ministers wrongly accused Sylvia Lim for lying, government statutory board NTUC today (Mar 15) confessed that they conducted “test balloon” survey for GST increase in Nov 2017.

The survey questioned 440 respondents if GST should be increased and when should it be done. The majority 38% chose “Between 2021 to 2025”, which coincides with the actual announcement 3 months later on Budget 2018. NTUC said that the feedback was not released to the public and only presented to the government.

A director of NTUC, Steve Tan, admitted he conducted the survey on GST increase on behalf of the government:

“NTUC have been conducting an average of 10 feedback exercises each year since I started heading it in 2015. As the voice for working people, the labour movement needs to be on top of their concerns. As such, we regularly gather feedback, both formally and informally… Naturally, this would include the national Budget.”

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“Leaked” NTUC Survey Suggest GST “Test Balloons” were Launched

A survey alleged given to staff from the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) suggest that “test balloons” were launched before the announcement of the GST hike in Budget 2018.

Local news agency The Online Citizen reported that a NTUC whistleblower had leaked a “short survey on tax matter with more than 300 of its union leaders” in Nov 2017, which included questions on the GST hike.

NTUC allegedly collected close to 440 responses from the survey, and survey results were released in the first week of Dec last year.

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Sylvia Lim will not apologise to House over GST hike comments

As an Opposition MP, it is my duty to watch every move and signal from the government, for the future of Singapore and welfare of Singaporeans. Hence, I admit that I did suspect the Government intended to raise GST. However, the Government contributed to this suspicion by its non-denial of reports and economists’ predictions of an immediate GST rise. Based on the sequence of events, I believed the Government could have intended to raise the GST rate at this Budget.

Thus, during the heat of the exchanges at the Budget Round-up, I articulated my suspicion. In doing so, I believe I was doing my duty as an MP to convey ground concerns, reactions and confusion. I did not accuse the Government of being untruthful as alleged, and neither had I intended to accuse the Government of dishonesty. I do not accept the over-characterisation the PAP Ministers have put on my words and intentions, based on their own interpretation borne out of over-active imagination and over-sensitivity.

Since the Government has now strongly refuted that it had any intention to raise GST immediately, I can accept that my suspicion then may not have been correct.

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Sylvia Lim Refuses to Apologise, Questions if Parliament Practises Double Standards

“I will not apologise to this House because I believe I was doing my duty as an MP in the constitutional role…”

Workers’ Party MP Sylvia Lim refused to apologise and retract her statement in relation to allegations that the government had floated “test balloons” on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike in a heated exchange in parliament today with Leader of the House Grace Fu and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat. Lim has maintained that the government has been vague about when it would be raising GST, and that she was voicing the concerns of her constituents. “If MPs believe that something is wrong, it’s MPs job to pursue the facts, and make these allegations in their own name, decide whether something seems to be wrong… then come to this House confront the government, ask for explanations and answers.”

However, PAP MPs Fu, Heng, Indranee Rajah and K Shanmugam set upon her over the past week, accusing her of being dishonest, to casting aspersions on the character of the government. To this, Lim questioned today whether the government has double standards when it comes to clarifying allegations. Quoting Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Lee’s comments during the parliamentary debate in July last year. Then, PM Lee rebutted allegations levelled by his younger siblings, Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling, over their Oxley Road family home. He had at the time that if MPs believe that something is wrong, it was their job to pursue the facts and make allegations in their own name and ask for answers.

Asked Lim in parliament today: “I’d like the Leader to clarify, is there a difference in standard here? One standard when the PM’s name needs to be cleared and another standard when we are talking about raising taxes on the people?” Lim did not receive a direct answer to that question.

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CAN WE ALL JUST GIVE SYLVIA A BREAK?

Don’t beat a man (or woman) when she’s down. And down, is clearly what she is now

Sylvia had earlier in Parliament, accused the PAP of “testing the waters” before embarking on a GST review. Today, under the pressure of peer scrutiny the Worker’s Party chairwoman acknowledged that her suspicions “may have been wrong”.

An opposition does have a need to float voices that are disagreeable in Parliament, because otherwise…what else would they be opposing?

The intentions of their speeches so far, had been good. They spoke what the uninformed wants the government to hear. This is the field of rhetoric, where passion takes the stage and logic is stripped of its defences. It is dramatic, but it is an important view no less.

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Tan Cheng Bock: PAP ministers brow-beating Sylvia Lim for apology

Former Member of Parliament and candidate in Presidential Election 2011, Dr Tan Cheng Bock has voiced out against the antics of the ministers from his former party, commenting that the ministers had been brow-beating Workers' Party Chairman and MP for Aljunied GRC, Sylvia Lim by demanding an apology from her for comments made on the GST hike.

In a Facebook post entitled "BE GRACIOUS IN PARLIAMENT" that was published on Saturday, Dr Tan wrote that he felt that the ministers from People's Action Party, especially Minister of Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam were brow-beating Ms Lim by demanding an apology for asking whether the government postponed the GST hike because of negative public feedback.

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Dr Tan Cheng Bock 5 hrs

BE GRACIOUS IN PARLIAMENT

Having watched the video on the GST debate, I felt the PAP ministers especially Shanmugam were brow beating MP Sylvia Lim by demanding an apology for asking whether the government postponed the GST hike because of negative public feedback. Many people perceive this brow beating as arrogance. I remember our former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew once told all PAP MPs in 1988 “Any show of arrogance or indifference by any MP or Minister will erode confidence in him and, later, in the government.”

Instead of getting upset, the Ministers should be thankful Sylvia Lim gave them an opportunity to explain. If the government’s position is ‘no’ then just say no and let’s just stop at that. No need to get defensive. As PM Lee Hsien Loong rightly said at the close of the Oxley Road debate: “If MPs believe that something is wrong, it’s an MP’s job to pursue the facts and make these allegations in their own name, decide whether something seems to be wrong, and if you think something is wrong, even if you’re not fully sure, then come to this House, confront the Government, ask for explanations and answers.” I enclose a video clip of Sylvia Lim quoting PM Lee.

PM Lee was echoing the view of our former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew who said “All MPs new and old, should speak out. You have to speak up and bring out the grapevine criticism in the coffee shops and hawker centres. It is damaging for the government not to openly refute it with facts and argument. By bringing up apparently embarrassing issues, you help the government openly state the facts and explain the reasons for our policies and so continue to hold the ground.”

So be gracious, no need to over-react or ask for any apology for bringing out “grapevine criticism” or “apparently embarrassing issues” in Parliament.

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WP MP Sylvia Lim won't apologise in Parliament regarding GST hike comments

Workers’ Party chairman and Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim. Screenshot from gov.sg YouTube channel

Member of Parliament (MP) and Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim refused to apologise and retract her statement in relation to allegations that the government had floated “test balloons” on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike in a heated exchange with Leader of the House Grace Fu and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat on Thursday (9 March) in Parliament.

“I do not see any reason for me to retract the statements which I made during the exchanges with the minster…I will not apologise to this House because I believe I was doing my duty as an MP in the constitutional role.”

Speaking in Parliament ahead of the resumption of the Committee of Supply debate for the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Lim set out the sequence of events that led to her suspicions of the possibility of an imminent GST hike, adding that her suspicions may have been incorrect.

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WP chairman Sylvia Lim refuses to apologise over GST 'test balloons' claims

Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament Sylvia Lim (left), in response to Leader of the House Grace Fu, says she did not accuse the Government of being untruthful. Foto: Screencap from Parliament

Workers’ Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim has refused to apologise over her claim that the Government had floated "test balloons" over the impending goods & services tax (GST) hike, prompting Leader of the House Grace Fu to express her disappointment at the “low standards” set by Ms Lim & the opposition party.

Issuing her statement on the matter in Parliament on Thursday (March 8), Ms Lim, who is an Aljunied Group Representation Constituency Member of Parliament (MP), also declined to withdraw her comments made in the House last Thursday. Instead, she clarified what led her to make the claims.

At the conclusion of the Budget debate last Thursday, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat demanded that the Opposition MP withdraw her allegation that the Government had postponed the hike for the GST because of a public backlash — after having had an opportunity to check the facts.

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Sylvia Lim does not apologise in Parliament, Grace Fu ‘disappointed’

In return, Fu remarked that she was “disappointed” that Lim has failed to say sorry for her “false allegations”.

Fu said: “I would like to remind members of the house, that they may not abuse this privilege to misrepresent facts or mislead parliament, they are not entitled to make unsubstantiated allegations without taking steps to check the facts or knowingly maintain the allegations that have been shown to have no factual basis.”

She added that Lim’s behaviour is indicative of the low standards of “the member and her party”. “By so refusing, her conduct falls short of the standard of integrity and honor expected of all members. I must therefore put the honorable member on notice, and the rest of the House too, that if she repeats such dishonorable conduct and abuse parliamentary privilege, I will refer the matter to the Committee of Privileges,” Fu said.

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Mothership.sg 3 Mar 11:00 am

Sylvia Lim & K Shanmugam teach us new things while fighting.

While Sylvia Lim and Minister K Shanmugam fight over when to talk about the GST hike, we get to learn new things.

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Sylvia Lim Refuses To Apologise In Parliament, Despite Pressure From 4 Ministers

Workers’ Party Chairman Sylvia Lim Stands Her Ground In Parliament And Refuses To Apologise

Ever had that one TV show that you binged in under a day, and will now have to suffer withdrawal symptoms for months until the next season releases? Well, this is the opposite of that.

As you may – or may not, but that’s highly unlikely – have heard, the current sensation gripping the Parliament involves Law Minister K Shanmugam, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, Leader of the House Grace Fu and Workers’ Party Chairman Sylvia Lim.

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Guess What? Everyone Squabbling In Parliament Now Is An Aries

Sylvia Lim should apologise. To Singaporeans for failing to create a first-world parliament.
Right now, it looks more like a neighbourhood playground than the legislative body of a developed nation. Following Sylvia Lim’s “test balloon” statement on the GST hike, Minister Heng Swee Keat, Minister Shanmugam, and House leader Grace Fu have all lined up to demand an apology from Ms Lim for making “baseless suggestions”.

Sylvia Lim refused on the grounds that her statement was made in “honest belief”.

So instead of moving on, we now have not one, but three fully-paid Ministers demanding an apology from Ms Lim because her honest belief was not honest enough.

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Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat Demands Sylvia Lim Withdraw Her Allegations About The GST Hike

In Parliament, Ms Lim said that the Government had floated what she called “test balloons” about the need to raise revenue:

“We do note that in the run-up to the Budget discussion there were some test balloons being floated out about the fact that the Government needs to raise revenue. And immediately the public seized on the fact that DPM Tharman and perhaps other leaders had earlier said that the Government has enough money for the decade. So the public pointed out that ‘hey, you know, is this a contradiction?’

“And I rather suspect myself that the Government is stuck with that announcement, otherwise, you know, if their announcement had not been made, perhaps we would be debating a GST hike today.”

According to her, his was done over the months leading up to the Budget announcement on 19 Feb. The resulting public reaction was negative, with some pointing out the contradictions in that notion. After all, DPM Tharman and several PAP leaders had previously gone on record as saying that “the Government has enough money for the decade”. Ms Lim said that she “rather suspect[ed]” that there was no alternative, and the “Government is stuck with that announcement”. Had they not, she said, the merits of a GST hike perhaps would still be discussed today.

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Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat seeks retraction of statement from Sylvia Lim on GST increase

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat has just issued a statement on Friday evening to ask Member of Parliament of Aljunied GRC, Ms Slyvia Lim to retract her statement in Parliament made on Thursday.

Ms Lim questioned the decision of the Government to raise the Goods & Service Tax in her speech and noted that there had been "some test balloons" floated that the Government needed to raise tax. She then commented that she suspect that if not for the response from the public about the potential increase of GST, the government might have raised the GST in this budget announcement.

Mr Heng had also asked Ms Lim to retract her statement on Thursday itself, following the comments by Minister of Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam stating that Ms Lim's statement is "hypocritical and dishonest" before asking her to retract the comments.

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Law Minister K Shanmugam Verbally Spars With WP’s Sylvia Lim In Parliament Over Budget 2018

Ms Sylvia Lim made it known that the Budget would have been passed completely unopposed if not for the inclusion of the GST hike.

She commented that the Government had run what she called “trial balloons” about the need to increase the country’s revenue during the weeks prior to the budget announcement.

From the negative public reaction that resulted, she indicated that the establishment “backed down” but was ultimately “stuck” with it.

Had the GST hike not been announced, Ms Lim said they could have been debating a GST hike that day in Parliament.

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Shanmugam calls Sylvia Lim dishonest, Lim says she is entitled to make GST trial balloon comment

Law & Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam (left) and Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim crossed swords in Parliament on March 1, 2018. FOTO: YOUTUBE SCREENGRABS

In a testy exchange, Law & Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam & Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim crossed swords in Parliament on Thursday (March 1).

Mr Shanmugam accused Ms Lim of dishonesty in "implying" that the Government's announcement of the impending goods and services tax (GST) hike was "dishonest".

"Can I invite her to agree that that's a thoroughly hypocritical & dishonest statement & typical of the statements she makes in this House?" Mr Shanmugam said, calling on her to withdraw the statement.

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K Shanmugam and Sylvia Lim clash in Parliament over planned GST hike

‘Suppreesio veri, suggestio falsi’

In response to Heng’s speech on Thursday, Lim said, “We do note that in the run up to the Budget discussion, there were some test balloons being floated out about the fact that the government needs to raise revenue, and immediately the public seized on the fact that DPM Tharman (Shanmugaratnam) and perhaps other leaders had earlier said that the government has enough money for the decade.

“And I rather suspect myself that the government is stuck with that announcement. Otherwise, if that announcement had not been made, perhaps we would be debating a GST hike today.”

Shanmugam retorted, “Can I invite her (Lim) to agree that that’s a thoroughly hypocritical and dishonest statement and typical of the statements she makes in this House?”

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K Shanmugam, Sylvia Lim cross swords in Parliament over GST hike timing

Mr Shanmugam took issue with Ms Lim's comments that the Government had floated a "trial balloon" about the need to raise revenue in the run-up to the Budget, then possibly "backed down" due to the negative public reaction.

"I rather suspect myself that the government is stuck with that announcement. Otherwise, if that announcement had not been made, perhaps we would be debating a GST hike today," Ms Lim had said.

Calling her statement "hypocritical & dishonest", Mr Shanmugan asked Ms Lim to retract it. "Can I invite her to agree that this is a thoroughly hypocritical and dishonest statement & typical of the statements she makes in this House?" he said.

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Channel NewsAsia March 1 at 9:18pm

WATCH: Minister K Shanmugam Sc and The Workers' Party MP Sylvia Lim spar in Parliament over the timing of the announcement of the GST hike. #SGBudget2018

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Sylvia Lim’s GST “Test Balloon” Comment Has Now Drawn The Ire Of 2 More Ministers

Ministers Request For An Apology As Evidence Stacks Against Ms Lim’s Accusations

During a recent Parliamentary session, Workers’ Party’s Chairman Sylvia Lim said some not-so-nice things about the Government and the oh-so controversial GST hike. Not only did this invoke the wrath of Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, her statements got Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat pretty upset as well.

Unfortunately, it seems like her comments had offended more than just the pair.

Because just a few days later, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah and Leader of the House Grace Fu entered the fray as well.

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WP’s Sylvia Lim’s conduct falls short of the standard of integrity and honour expected: Grace Fu

Leader of the House Ms Grace Fu has expressed disappointment that the Workers’ Party Sylvia Lim despite admitting that her 'test balloons' allegation 'may not have been correct,' adamantly refused to apologise in Parliament for making false allegations against the Government over the timing of the GST increase.

Ms Fu had issued a statement on 6 March 2018 calling on Ms Lim to apologise and withdraw her allegation that the Government had “floated test balloons” on the timing of the GST increase.

Responding in Parliament yesterday, Ms Lim said: "Since the Government has now refuted that it had any intention to raise GST immediately, I can accept that my suspicion then may not have been correct."

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“Disappointed” Grace Fu says Sylvia Lim’s refusal to apologise is indicative of the low standards of Lim and WP

Sylvia Lim, chairman of the Workers’ Party, stopped short of apologising for an alleged false allegation, in Parliament today

The Aljunied GRC MP had said earlier that the Government had floated “trial balloons” on a possible tax hike but possibly backed down after the public noted Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s comments in 2015 that the Government has enough revenue for the next decade.

While Lim defended her statement as “honest suspicion,” her remarks drew intense flak from Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam who refuted the allegation and asserted that her statement was both “dishonest” and “hypocritical”.

Shanmugam and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat pressed Lim to withdraw her statement. Heng later wrote a letter and pressured Lim to behave as “an honourable MP should” and retract her statement.

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This Grace Fu Marks International Women’s Day with Parliament Catfight and Personal Insults

If you can’t beat them, then throw a tantrum and piss them off?

That seems to be what happened in parliament today during the catfight between Leader of the House, this Grace Fu from the PAP, and the WP’s Sylvia Lim.

When questioned by Lim as to whether there were double standards in parliament – one for the Prime Minister and one for clarifications on GST – all Grace Fu could muster was a weak attack on the WP and Lim.

“I would like to say that her conduct falls well short of the standards of integrity and honorable conduct we expect of all members. Regrettably to say that it reflects the low standards which the Member and her party have set for themselves with regard to commitment to truthful and honest debate in parliament.”

Sounds like that moment when you don’t have a good come back line and resort to name-calling?

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Grace Fu demands apology from WP's Sylvia Lim for GST ‘test balloons’ allegation

Leader of the House Grace Fu on Tuesday (March 6) called on Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Sylvia Lim to apologise to the House before Thursday, & withdraw her allegation that the Government had floated “test balloons” on the need to raise revenues within this term & had intended to raise the goods and services tax (GST) immediately.

Speaking in Parliament before the start of the day’s Committee of Supply (COS) debate, Ms Fu, who is also the Minister for Culture, Community & Youth, read out a statement which set out the facts and reiterated that Ms Lim’s allegation was without basis.

Her statement came 4 days after Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat had asked last Friday if she was ready to withdraw her allegation — which was made in Parliament the previous day — after having had an opportunity to check the facts.

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Grace Fu issues 2nd ‘Apology Notice’ to Workers’ Party parliamentarian in as many months

Leader of the House, Grace Fu, has issued an ‘apology notice’ to another Workers’ Party member of parliament, Sylvia Lim. Ms Fu’s notice is the second one of a similar kind issued to opposition parliamentarians in as many months. In January 2018, Ms Fu asked non-constituency MP Leon Perera to apologise for misrepresenting the facts and misleading Parliament at a sitting of the House in November 2017.

This time, Ms Fu (who is also the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth) asked Ms Lim to withdraw her “allegations” that the government had “floated test balloons” about the Good and Services Tax (GST) hike coming between 2021 and 2025.

Lim had said earlier that the Government had floated “trial balloons” on a possible tax hike but possibly backed down after the public noted Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s comments in 2015 that the Government has enough revenue for the next decade.

related: In typical fashion, Law Minister always accuses me

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Indranee Rajah Faces Backlash for Renewed Attack on Sylvia Lim over GST Hike “Test Balloons” Suspicion

If you thought yesterday’s long-drawn and heated exchange in parliament over MP and Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim’s GST hike “test balloons” suspicion was the end of the whole saga, well, someone else had other ideas in mind. That someone being PAP MP and Senior Minister of State for Law Indranee Rajah.

In a Facebook post earlier today titled “GST Hike: An Honourable Course of Conduct or not?”, she continued to question why Lim had not apologised for raising her suspicion in parliament, and said “that is why the Leader of the House said this was not the honourable conduct expected of MPs”.

However, Ms Indranee apparently wasn’t counting on the backlash she would receive. Many took to her Facebook page to criticise her.

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Indranee Rajah 17 hrs

GST Hike: An Honourable Course of Conduct or not?

On Monday I had posted on Ms Sylvia Lim’s allegation that the government floated a “test balloon” about raising GST immediately, but backtracked due to the public reaction.

In Parliament yesterday Ms Sylvia Lim made a statement on this issue. There followed a long exchange involving the Leader of the House Grace Fu, Ms Lim, Minister Heng Swee Keat and Mr Low Thia Kiang.

When the dust settled, the bottom line was this: Ms Lim admitted that her suspicion may not have been correct.

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Netizens criticise Indranee for “unnecessary” comment

Netizens, however, criticised Indranee for her “unnecessary” comments on the matter. Challenging why Indranee did not contribute her views in Parliament itself, several netizens asked her to just move on:

In the very 1st Place why MUST Ms Sylvia apologies for the question on GST Increase!! She or even the Opposition does NOT have to apologise to such people like Grace FU in the very 1st place….Look they as Opposition have the Right to question the Government and that does NOT make Grace Fu the Government but rather as one of its MPs or Minister and without the GRC Group Grace Fu too would not have got her seat in Parliament. We the Citizen and Tax payer RESERVE our right to even QUESTION you “Grace Fu” & Government WHY the INCREASE for. You (Government) owe us an explanation and just because we the Ordinary Citizen are NOT able to come into Parliaments to SPEAK Up nor are we able to Voice our Unhappiness even in Speaker Corner WHAT utter Nonsense you (Government) Talking about….Do NOT say our “Income Tax & Property Tax” is a small amount that we have NO right over YOU and don’t Threat your Civil Servant that their “Pay Check/Salary come from the PAP/Government” as you forgot the SHIT that the ERP & GST are Money from us Singaporean and ME too….So Madam Grace Fu learnt some Manner before you really get a Face to Face with Me if I ever join the Opposition.

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Facebook post of Indranee Rajah flooded with comments asking her to move on

Yesterday (9 Mar), Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah made a renewed attack on her Facebook page against Ms Sylvia Lim with a post titled, 'GST Hike: An Honourable Course of Conduct or not?'.

"Ms Lim admitted that her suspicion may not have been correct," Indranee wrote. "Yet Ms Lim refused to withdraw her allegation or to apologise."

She then went on to piece together the events after Ms Lim spoke last week, for readers to see.

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Indranee Rajah sides with Grace Fu; explains why Sylvia Lim’s conduct is dishonourable

Yet another PAP parliamentarian has cast aspersions against Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim’s conduct after she refused to apologise for her remarks on the timing of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) increase announcement.

The Aljunied GRC MP had said earlier that the Government had floated “trial balloons” on a possible tax hike but possibly backed down after the public noted Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s comments in 2015 that the Government has enough revenue for the next decade.

While Lim defended her statement as “honest suspicion,” her remarks drew intense flak from Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam who refuted the allegation and asserted that her statement was both “dishonest” and “hypocritical”.

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Record shows 'there were never any plans' by Govt for immediate GST hike: Indranee Rajah

It is a matter of record that "there were never any plans" by the Government to immediately raise the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Senior Minister of State for Finance & Law Indranee Rajah said on Monday (Mar 5).

In a Facebook note titled GST Hike: A Matter of Record so that people know what this is about, Ms Indranee highlighted Workers' Party Member of Parliament Sylvia Lim's suggestion that the Government had floated "test balloons" about raising the GST.

Saying that Ms Lim was "in effect accusing the Government of being untruthful", Ms Indranee said the Government makes it a "point of principle" to be upfront & open with Singaporeans.

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'Test balloons' allegation, if not refuted, could have led to 'political attacks': Chee Hong Tat

The Workers' Party could have used its "test balloons" allegation on the timing of the Goods-&-Services Tax (GST) "to great effect for political attacks", if the Government had not challenged it in Parliament, Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat has said.

"Had the Government not pursued the matter in Parliament, most people would have overlooked Ms Lim’s 'test balloon' comment. However, the WP could later use it to great effect for political attacks, including during the next general election," he wrote in a letter addressed to all Singaporeans published on the People's Action Party (PAP) website on Sat (Mar 10).

Mr Chee signed the letter as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC. This comes after Senior Minister of State for Finance & Law Indranee Rajah on Friday issued clarifications on the exchange in Parliament on Thu (Mar 8) in which WP chairman Sylvia Lim refused to apologise for making comments about the upcoming GST hike.

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WP could have used GST allegation ‘to great effect for political attacks’ had Govt not challenged it: Chee Hong Tat

Had the Government not rebutted Workers' Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim's "test balloons" allegation over the impending Goods & Services Tax (GST) hike, the opposition party could have used the matter "to great effect for political attacks, including during the next General Election", Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat said on Sat (March 10).

In a letter posted on the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) website, Mr Chee wrote that the Government had to respond because "the underlying sting of that allegation was that the Government was being dishonest with the people".

"This is both false and vicious, & goes to the heart of Government's integrity," he added in the latest exchange between the WP and several PAP leaders, including Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, Law & Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, Leader of the House Grace Fu and Senior Minister of State for Finance & Law Indranee Rajah.

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Protecting the Government’s integrity and keeping our debates honest

Dear Singaporeans, The recent discussion on Parliamentary Privilege and Workers’ Party MP, Ms Sylvia Lim’s comments has generated some questions. My colleague Ms Indranee Rajah had touched on some of these in her recent post. I will address the question why Government decided to take up the matter during the Budget Debate.

To recap, it started with Ms Lim’s allegation that the Government had floated a “test balloon” about raising GST immediately at this year’s Budget, but later backtracked and delayed the implementation due to public reaction. After the Government clarified the facts, Ms Lim admitted that her earlier suspicion “may have been wrong”. WP’s Mr Low Thia Khiang acknowledged in Parliament that “Ms Lim’s suspicion wasn’t really correct at that point in time”, i.e. Ms Lim’s suspicion was wrong, right from the start.

Why was it important for the Government to pursue the matter? Because it needed to remove any doubt that the Government had intended to raise GST immediately, but then backtracked when it was called out that this would contradict previous Government statements. The underlying sting of that allegation was that the Government was being dishonest with the people. This is both false and vicious, and goes to the heart of Government’s integrity.

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“In typical fashion, Law Minister always accuses me of dishonesty”: Sylvia Lim hits back at Shanmugam

Netizens responding to Lim and Shanmugam’s exchange online expressed their support for the opposition leader

Lim had said earlier that the Government had floated “trial balloons” on a possible tax hike but possibly backed down after the public noted Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s comments in 2015 that the Government has enough revenue for the next decade.

She added: “So the public pointed out that: Hey, you know, is this a contradiction? And I rather suspect myself that the Government is stuck with that announcement otherwise… perhaps we would be debating a GST hike today.”

Taking the opposition party chief to task, the Minister asked Lim to retract her statement: “Can I invite her to agree that this is a thoroughly hypocritical and dishonest statement and typical of the statements she makes in this House?”

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The Workers' Party March 1 at 10:46pm

In response to Shanmugam's assertions in Parliament, Sylvia Lim says that, "In typical fashion he always accuses me of dishonesty when, as far as I'm concerned, I acted honestly."

She says, "This is what we as MPs have to do, to get better clarity on matters of public interest. Of course, the Government can rebut our speeches robustly - that's fine. But I don't think I'm disentitled to come to Parliament to advance honestly held beliefs or suspicions."

Vid credit: Gov.sg

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A lot of people need to say sorry

So there’s another apology in the offing in Parliament, making it the second time the Workers Party will be ticked off for remarks made in the House this year. In January, Mr Leon Perera ate humble pie when he had to concede that his remarks about MediaCorp’s editing of parliamentary speeches were misleading. Now it is the party chairman’s turn to face the PAP chorus of condemnation.

It’s getting a little over the top.

So the G is unhappy that Ms Sylvia Lim voiced her suspicion that the Government had intended to introduce a GST hike immediately, but that it backed down after test balloons it floated got a negative response. She said that people noted that leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, had said the Government had enough money till the end of the decade.

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Netizens thank Sylvia Lim for standing up against “intimidation tactics” in Parliament

Several netizens have expressed their support for Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim after she faced intense debate in Parliament last week

Lim faced off with Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam over the timing of the GST hike announcement. Lim had said earlier that the Government had floated “trial balloons” on a possible tax hike but possibly backed down after the public noted Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s comments in 2015 that the Government has enough revenue for the next decade.

Taking the opposition party chief to task, the Minister asked Lim to retract her statement: “Can I invite her to agree that this is a thoroughly hypocritical and dishonest statement and typical of the statements she makes in this House?” Lim responded: “I can understand why he wants to accuse me of various things because he probably was not happy about past debates where I had disagreed with some of his legislative changes and in typical fashion, he always accuses me of dishonesty when as far as I am concerned I’ve acted honestly.”

When pressed to withdraw her statement, Lim jumped up and asserted: “I clearly said that it was my suspicion…it’s my honest suspicion, am I not entitled to have a view?” She added: “This is what we as MPs have to do, to get better clarity on matters of public interest. Of course, the Government can rebut our speeches robustly – that’s fine. But I don’t think I’m disentitled to come to Parliament to advance honestly held beliefs or suspicions.”

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Distasteful clash over what should have been a sensible debate on GST hike

This impudence, intolerance, bullying, belittling etc towards Opposition MPs must stop!

(In regards to the exchange between Minister of Law and Home Affairs, K Shanmugam and MP for Aljunied GRC, Sylvia Lim on 1 March) – My take as a Concerned Senior Citizen who has eaten more salt than any of the Members of Parliament.

t reinforces an already ugly perception of elitism, arrogance and rudeness that has been the hallmark of Senior Ministers, in particular K Shanmugam, Chan Chun Sing, Khaw Boon Wan, Dr Balakrishnan, who behave as if they are disciplinary school masters waving a cane, pointing fingers and picking on students they dislike (for little or no reason) in a publicly televised “classroom”.

They forget that people like Sylvia Lim are Elected Representatives of their constituency and act as the voice of the voters they represent. Is it so difficult to behave and act in a gracious, considerate and gentlemanly manner?

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Debate in Parliament - exposing the dishonesty

Full Coverage:
Sylvia Lim won't apologise in Parliament regarding GST hike comments
WP's Sylvia refuses to apologise to House, but admits 'test balloons' allegation
Leader of House asks Sylvia Lim to apologise by tomorrow
Grace Fu asks Sylvia Lim to apologise, withdraw comment on GST hike
Deadline to Sylvia Lim to withdraw allegations of “test balloons” on GST hike
Grace Fu asks Sylvia Lim to apologise, withdraw 'test balloons' allegation
Ms Grace Fu, please be objective and use some common sense
Heng: Will Sylvia Lim withdraw remarks?
K Shanmugam, Sylvia Lim cross swords in Parliament over GST hike timing
Inequality a threat to Singapore's solidarity; needs to be looked into: Sylvia Lim
I asked to speak on day 2 of debate: Sylvia Lim
Heng Swee Keat presses WP's Sylvia Lim to withdraw GST-hike allegation
A lot of people need to say sorry
Record shows 'there were never any plans' by Govt for immediate GST hike
Using Grace's arguments, MP Charles Chong should also apologise to WP
Distasteful clash over what should have been a sensible debate on GST hike
No contradiction in Govt's decision to raise GST in future: Indranee
GST hike responsible way to fund spending needs: Heng
Sparks fly, as PAP Cabinet ministers and WP MPs spar over GST hike
In typical fashion, Law Minister always accuses me
Will Sylvia Lim act “as an honourable MP should”? Heng Swee Kiat
Heng: Will Sylvia Lim withdraw remarks?
K Shanmugam: Dishonesty or honest suspicion?
Ms Grace Fu, please be objective and use some common sens
Shanmugam calls Sylvia dishonest, Lim says she's entitled to GST trial balloon
Parliament: Shanmugam calls Sylvia Lim dishonest, Lim says she is
House leader Grace Fu asks Sylvia Lim to apologise, withdraw 'test balloons'
Leader of the House Grace calls on Sylvia to apologise and withdraw comment
Grace gives 3-day deadline to Sylvia to withdraw allegations of “test balloons”
More for sylvia lim gst float balloon
Leader of the House Grace Fu calls on WP's Sylvia Lim to apologise
Leader of House asks Sylvia Lim to apologise by tomorrow, Politics
House leader Grace Fu asks Sylvia Lim to apologise, withdraw 'test
K Shanmugam, Sylvia Lim cross swords in Parliament over GST hike
Discussions over Grace Fu's demand for Sylvia's apology on her GST
Grace Fu gives 3-day deadline to Sylvia Lim to withdraw allegations of
GST: Have a True Picture, not just Big Picture, debate | The Independent
K Shanmugam and Sylvia Lim clash in Parliament over planned GST

Shanmugam and Sylvia: the Clash of the Nemesis

Not since the days when Lee Kuan Yew and J. B. Jeyaretnam had frequent fiery clashes have we had two Parliamentarians so intent on having a go at each other

Sylvia Lim has the knack of getting under the skin of K Shanmugam who does not mince his words and gives no quarter. The Workers’ Party MP and Law and Home Affairs Minister have crossed swords numerous times, the latest being the testy exchange over the impending GST hike timing.

Both are lawyers, both do not suffer fools gladly. Sylvia has the tendency to wade into Shanmugam’s “territory” and he being ever protective and combative, is always up for a battle. The result: they have become each other’s quintessential nemesis or adversary.

Shanmugam is the one with a no holds barred approach, accusing Sylvia of being “hypocritical” and “dishonest” about her questioning of the GST hike timing. Sylvia, typical of such exchanges, stood her ground, but did not resort to name calling: “I can understand why he wants to accuse me of various things because he probably was not happy about past debates, where I had disagreed with some of his legislative changes and in typical fashion he always accuses me of dishonesty, when as far as I’m concerned I acted honestly.”

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WP's arguments "pure theatrics with no substance, calculated to mislead"

Home Affairs & Law Minister K Shanmugam (File foto: TODAY)

Certain statements made by The Workers’ Party's (WP) Members of Parliament during a parliamentary debate on amendments to the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (CLTPA) on Tuesday (Feb 6) were "pure theatrics" meant to mislead Singaporeans, said Minister for Home Affairs & Law K Shanmugam on Wednesday.

"My conclusion, listening to some parts of the debate: Pure theatrics with no substance, calculated to mislead," Mr Shanmugam said in a Facebook post.

WP had spoken out against changes to the legislation, which allows for detention without trial, with chairman Sylvia Lim calling the move to define the scope of criminal activities an “attempt to make the Minister (for Home Affairs) all-powerful”.

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Sonny Liew added a new photo 5 March at 22:46

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