GE2025: RDU calls for ‘measurable’ KPIs for government agencies, questions ministerial salaries at rally (2025)

SINGAPORE: Red Dot United (RDU) on Wednesday (Apr 30) took aim at government ministries and statutory boards at the party's third rally for the General Election, calling for “clear, measurable and transparent” KPIs for these agencies and hitting out at ministerial salaries.

Governance in Singapore has lost “that sense of responsibility”, said RDU’s candidate for Nee Soon GRC Pang Heng Chuan, addressing supporters at the field at Boon Lay Way, located in Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

In the private sector, individuals are held accountable for results, said Mr Pang, a 56-year-old company director.

“If you overspend, you answer for it. If your team fails, you step up, not just hide behind junior staff. And that’s what’s missing in our political leadership, the willingness to say, ‘I was responsible, I will make it right,’” he added.

“Ministers want million-dollar salaries, justified as competitive pay, fine. But if they want CEO pay, they must accept CEO accountability.”

Besides Jurong-East Bukit Batok GRC, RDU is also fielding candidates in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Nee Soon GRC and Jurong Central SMC. A total of 13 candidates spoke at the rally on Wednesday.

The party is calling for public key performance indicators (KPIs) – every ministry and statutory board should be made to report on their targets annually in a "clear, measurable and transparent" way, said Mr Pang, adding that there would be real consequences for failure.

“If major lapses occur, we expect resignations, not just a press release.”

Parliament must not be a rubber stamp, he said, adding that it must scrutinise, challenge and correct policies.

Large-scale projects must also undergo independent risk evaluation before they are approved, said Mr Pang.

“We must cut the fat. No more bloated ministries. No more mayors and parliamentary secretaries collecting salaries with no clear portfolios. Trim the waste at the top and use it to strengthen the backbone of this nation – housing, healthcare, eldercare, job support.”

The same standards of accountability must apply to everyone, especially to leaders, stressed Holland-Bukit Timah GRC candidate Sharad Kumar.

"This is not just about one mistake. This is about a troubling pattern," he added, noting Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's hot mic incident, and his and Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam's renting of the colonial bungalows along Ridout Road.

"If ministers can live like aristocrats while young families struggle for basic housing, something has gone terribly wrong. This isn't about envy. This is about survival, about trust," said Mr Kumar.

FIRST-CLASS CITIZENS

At the rally, RDU candidates also spoke about providing greater job security with a “citizens-first” hiring policy and building a financial safety net for all Singaporeans.

RDU's team lead for Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, Mr Marcus Neo, recounted his experience working with a foreign HR manager, which ended with him taking the case to court.

While meritocracy and hard work are values ingrained in Singaporeans growing up in the 1990s and 2000s, foreign talent from diverse cultures have taken roles in the local workforce - including professionals, managers, executives and technicians - as Singapore grew, he said.

“I’m not against foreigners. If they can value add, then by all means, come value add to Singapore and Singaporeans,” he added.

“However, there must be checks and balances, sensible approaches to immigration. There must be legal safeguards, a balance in HR departments.”

Asking Singaporeans to be “dead honest” with themselves, Mr Neo noted that the country has to account for potential cultural or social biases in the workforce.

The government should ensure that all local Singaporean workers who contribute to Singapore’s security and defence “directly or indirectly” have equal job opportunities and a level playing field, he added.

Several RDU candidates repeated the call for Singaporeans to be treated as first-class citizens in their own country.

Ms Liyana Dhamirah, who is also part of the Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC team, stressed that “it is time to raise the standard”.

Singaporeans are not asking for riches, but for dignity "to be treated as what you are, first-class citizens in your own country",she added.

RDU's secretary-general Ravi Philemon, speaking second-to-last, said his party is "not here to upset the system".

“We understand how important the system is for Singaporeans. But it’s for sure that the system needs a reset,” he added.

As rain and lightning warnings delayed RDU’s rally on Thursday, Mr Philemon, who is standing as a candidate in Nee Soon GRC, shared that he chided the candidates who opened their umbrellas or suggested moving to a sheltered area.

“If we can’t brave the rain and stand in the rain for our people, how will they trust us? I told my people, put away your umbrellas. We’ll brave the rain,” he added, to cheers from those gathered at the field.

CITIZEN'S DIVIDEND

During the rally, candidate for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Emily Woo reiterated the party’s call for a "citizen-first" hiring policy so that locals “aren’t bypassed” in favour of “cheaper alternatives”.

She also referenced the party’s proposal for a citizen’s dividend, describing it as a “modest, unconditional payout” which will honour Singaporeans’ contributions to the country.

“Not a handout, a recognition,” said Ms Woo, a 59-year-old music teacher.

RDU's Jurong Central SMC candidate Kala Manickam, the final speaker at Wednesday's rally, addressed her opponent, the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Xie Yao Quan, who started overseeing the area after he was voted in as part of the Jurong GRC slate in 2020.

Mr Xie walks the ground, listens to residents and serves them, she added, noting that he has introduced support measures for the rising cost of living.But these are just basic expectations of an MP, said Ms Manickam.

“Many residents have come to me and said, ‘He’s a nice person, but he doesn’t speak up for us in parliament,’” she added.

Before every election, the PAP rolls out a five-year plan for every constituency, said the 52-year-old.

“All these plans will still go ahead even if RDU is elected, because these budgets have already been planned for development of these constituencies.”

Reminding residents that their vote is secret, she added: “There is no loss, no risk when you vote for the opposition, but there’s something to gain - a voice in a parliament that truly represents you.”

You can watch livestreams of all rallies on CNA's GE2025 site, CNA's YouTube channel and on mewatch.