Tirai-Tirai Kehidupan

Angela Faye Oon, one of the new candidates from the Workers’ Party who will be contesting in the upcoming General Election, says that there is a growing ‘underclass’ in Singapore, and that this group of people are as good as ‘invisible’ because they are often ignored in policy-making.

She believes that they remain outside the public eye because they are not vocal, and are not adequately represented.

Ms Oon says she meets many such people on her walkabouts – individuals who are struggling to make ends meet, but who are unable to receive public assistance because they fall just outside the eligibility criteria.

Singapore has one of the least generous public assistance programmes in the world. The ruling People’s Action Party strongly opposes welfarism, with cabinet minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan famously chiding backbencher Dr Lily Neo for asking for an increase in public assistance.

At that debate, the Minister for Communities, Youth and Sports asked if Singaporeans “wanted three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant”.

Ms Oon, on the other hand, believes that the widening income gap could “erode social stability in the long term”, stating that the WP believes in a “needs-based social safety net”.

The 32-year-old researcher is one of many young candidates to have stepped forward to join the opposition ahead of the coming election. Born in Kelantan, Malaysia, Ms Oon has lived in Singapore since she was two months old. She became a Permanent Resident at the age of five, and obtained citizenship in 2010.

“I’ve gone through all the joys and trials and experiences of growing up as a Singaporean,” she said.

“I have chosen to make Singapore my home, to sink and swim with its fortunes, and to continue building a life here with my loved ones. That’s why I’m stepping forward to do my part to strengthen Singapore’s parliamentary system.”

She, however, admitted that her decision to join an opposition party was not an easy one, given that she was previously working at a government statutory board. “I was hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst,” she said. “(My family) were slightly apprehensive at first, but now they are wholeheartedly behind me.”

“It was when I saw how much they (WP members) happily sacrificed to be part of a larger cause that my admiration for them blossomed. I decided to stand next to them, to be part of this like-minded team of people working toward the goal of making sure Singapore has a First World parliament as befits its First World status.”

Although many Singaporeans feel indifferent about politics, Ms Oon feels that political awareness is extremely important to the welfare of the individual.

“Politics is intensely personal”, she stressed. “Public policies impact almost every aspect of our daily lives”. Read More