Chee Hong Tat is already so high on something it’s lucky Singapore bans drugs.
In an article in the PAP’s political newsletter, Petir, the Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport said that raising GST reflects the “moral and social responsibility” of the PAP.
“For the PAP, a vote for the GST increase is to accept our moral and social responsibility of caring for our ageing population today, without taking away resources from or borrowing against future generations,
He also mocked the Workers’ Party, implicitly mentioning that the party doesn’t have clear plans for Singapore over the longer term, and that the party’s proposals will put a strain on the national reserves.
Perhaps Chee was too high on ambition and too focused on polishing apples that he forgot the words of a wise Mathematician:
“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.”
That was said by PM Lee Hsien Loong in Sept 2015, to whack the WP.
This has left very few not scratching their heads as to how the PAP can do a u-turn like this, as and when it pleases.
And, whether raising GST is responsible, or irresponsible.
An Overseas Merit Scholar, Chee was notably the Principal Private Secretary to the late Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew from 2008 to 2011.
