WP MP He Ting Ru: Economic growth must translate to better lives for Singaporeans

SINGAPORE: In a speech in Parliament last week, Workers’ Party Member of Parliament (WP MP) He Ting Ru (Sengkang) said that the future prosperity of Singapore does not depend only on economic growth or connectivity, but also on ensuring that these benefits reach Singaporeans.

“Ultimately, economic growth must translate into stronger businesses, greater security, and most importantly, better lives for Singaporeans,” she said, underlining the need for the city-state to remain indispensable to the global community even as it builds a fairer, more resilient, and inclusive economy to the advantage of workers, households, and businesses.

Connectivity, not just competitiveness

Ms He was one of six WP MPs who spoke on the Transport Motion (Reinforcing Singapore’s Position as a Global Transport Hub) on July 7, saying that with the world in turmoil, what Singapore can do is redefine its role as a trusted connector facilitating the movement of goods, capital, people, and ideas, not just turning inward or only focusing on competitiveness. 

The MP urged the government to ensure that digital trade agreements and internationalisation do not only benefit multinational corporations but, more importantly, Singaporeans and local SMEs. Amid numerous digital economy agreements, companies and workers are still struggling with wages, higher living costs, job security and AI-driven disruption, she argued, adding that clearer measures are needed for determining whether digital economy policies are creating better jobs, stronger local enterprises and greater opportunities for ordinary Singaporeans.

In her speech, Ms He also acknowledged how vulnerable Singapore is due to its trade-reliant nature, especially in terms of maritime trade, imported energy and food supplies. Therefore, conflicts and attacks on critical infrastructure such as submarine cables could cause severe disruptions to the city-state even if it is not directly involved.

In this light, the MP called on the government to provide better clarity on contingency plans to safeguard transport, communications, energy and supply chains during future crises. Ms He argued that resilience planning should be deeply integrated into Singapore's infrastructure and economic strategies. /TISG

Read also: He Ting Ru shares reflections after lunch with academics: ‘Is it really so bad to have so much heart?’