SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) has responded to recent claims made by the Workers’ Party (WP) that 15 policies it had advocated for were later adopted "in some form" by the government.

In a post on Saturday (Apr 19) on the PAP’s blog, Petir, the ruling party said that many of these ideas were proposed earlier by its own Members of Parliament (MPs) and others.

“Unlike opposition parties elsewhere who habitually highlight government failures, the WP touts its alignment with PAP’s successes instead," the party said.

"They agree so much with the PAP, they claim our policies came from them. Imitation, as they say, is the sincerest form of flattery."

“NO MONOPOLY ON IDEAS” 

In its post, the PAP added that “no one has a monopoly on ideas”, and cited several examples where it said its MPs had raised similar ones years before the WP.

For instance, on parental leave, the PAP said its MPs began pushing for more flexible and generous parental leave as early as 2008 - 12 years before the WP included it in its 2020 manifesto.

On housing support, the PAP added that MP Carrie Tan proposed an interim rental subsidy in 2022 for families facing hardship, ahead of a similar proposal by WP’s Louis Chua in 2023. 

“When suggestions are raised, the government needs time to weigh the trade-offs. Careful consideration is necessary, including assessing the implementation details, before suggestions can be converted into policies and then put into action,” the party added.

Highlighting the WP’s proposed Redundancy Insurance scheme made in previous manifestos, the government realised WP’s scheme would impose additional costs on businesses and employees, the PAP said.

Instead, the government worked with the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) to roll out the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme.

This provides temporary help to unemployed workers without reducing their incentive to find meaningful work or burdening businesses and employees with extra costs, the party said.

Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng, in a separate Petir post on Saturday, added that the scheme offers government-funded support to those who become involuntarily unemployed. 

Dr Tan’s post was in response to the WP’s 2025 manifesto, where it proposed that employers and employees contribute to a pool that pays out benefits to workers if retrenchment happens. 

“WP’s scheme will require you and your employer to pay,” Dr Tan said. “This takes money out of your paycheque and imposes greater financial costs on businesses, which are pertinent concerns highlighted by our tripartite partners NTUC and SNEF.”

Dr Tan added that the PAP’s programme targets those most in need, with clear eligibility criteria and support beyond cash payouts, including career coaching and skills training.

When asked for his thoughts on the WP’s manifesto, which was launched on Thursday, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it was “interesting” that the opposition party had claimed the PAP government had adopted some of their policy ideas.

Mr Lee was speaking at a press conference earlier on Saturday, announcing the PAP’s slate in Ang Mo Kio GRC for the coming General Election.

“The government doesn't have a monopoly on good ideas, neither does the opposition,” said Mr Lee, noting that there are ideas out there that the opposition agrees or disagrees with.

“Some of them, after we have done it, they claim credit for. And to be fair to them, along the way, they have pushed for it. Sometimes we decide to do it, sometimes we have independently made up our minds earlier and implemented,” said Mr Lee.

Asked by CNA to respond to the PAP’s blog post, WP chief Pritam Singh said during a press conference unveiling new potential candidates for the election, that he had not seen the post.

“But indeed, I also recall them saying that good ideas can come from anywhere, and I would say good ideas have come from the Workers’ Party as well. I’ll leave it at that,” Mr Singh added.

INCONSISTENT TRACK RECORD

In its post, the PAP also highlighted inconsistencies in WP’s track record, particularly in housing policy.

In 2019, the WP had called to slow construction of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats due to a soft resale market, even suggesting a cap of 9,000 new flats annually. However, in 2023, the party urged the government to reduce waiting times for BTO flats.

“Had we accepted the WP’s suggestion, the shortfall during the COVID period, when construction came to a halt, would have been far worse and the waiting times for BTO flats would have got far longer,” the PAP said.

"In some cases, had the government heeded WP’s proposals, the consequences would have been severe,” it added.

SELECTIVE NARRATIVES?

The ruling party also said that the WP had claimed credit for policies that deviated from its initial suggestions.

It pointed out that in 2023, WP chair Sylvia Lim had urged the government to mandate banks to fully reimburse scam victims. Her proposal was rejected by Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan, who said that it would not be fair or desirable.

In 2024, the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre raised its adjudicating award limit to S$150,000.

“Bizarrely, the WP now claims Ms Lim’s proposal influenced the increase in the adjudicated award limit for financial disputes between consumers and financial institutions,” the PAP said on Saturday.

“Surely it knows mandating banks bear full responsibility is fundamentally different from having an impartial dispute resolution mechanism determining the quantum?”

The PAP said that it welcomes “all constructive ideas - including from the Opposition”, adding that it is "gratified" the WP thinks "so well of our accomplishments".