The Workers Party was registered as a political party in Singapore in 1957. The Party was completely re-organised in June 1971 and a new executive body was elected. The Party Manifesto, which was drawn up by the current executive council, are printed in the following pages. It spells out in broad outline the aims and objectives of the Party.

ECONOMIC GROWTH

The Party intends to examine and assess the whole economic structure and in the light of this will institute a plan to further expand the programme of industrialisation. It will take positive steps to ensure that such a programme will in no way jeopardise or harm the unique potentialities flowing from the geographical position of Singapore which should be placed as one of the twin aims in expanding the economic viability of the Republic.

The Party will strive for the establishment of a regional common market and will initiate positive steps to this end.

The Party will review the extent and terms of Government participation in private enterprises and industries.

The Party will review the present role of Government Agencies promoting trade and industries and ensure that they do not impede the economic growth of Singapore.

The Party with the efforts of local entrepreneurs and Government resources will promote an aggressive campaign to draw foreign capital into the Republic. The Party will not only provide attractive inducements but also safeguards for these investments.

LABOUR AND WAGES

The Party is committed to improving the terms and conditions under which labour is employed so as to provide security of tenure and better conditions of service. The Party will revise the restrictions now placed on collective bargaining between trade unions and employers.

The Party is committed to repealing the Employment Act and to introduce suitable legislation and to amend the Industrial Relations Ordinance.

The Party will ensure that employees share in the financial expansion of the country's economic growth and guide employers to work towards a system of profit sharing and equity participation with employees.

The Party will emplement a study of the wage structure now prevailing and consider introducing legislation to provide for a minimum wage.

The Party will mount an aggressive campaign against industrial accidents and introduce legislation to provide minimum safety requirements.

The Party will free the Trade Unions from control by the Government or Government sponsored bodies.

DEFENCE

The Party is of the view that in the present day context of relations between nations the present expenditure on defence is wasteful and unnecessary. We shall examine the present administration of national service with a view to removing all injustices and hardships resulting from the call-up. The Party will strive to maintain good friendly relations with our neighbours and will work towards effective regional defence arrangements.

EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE

The Party recognises that in a multi racial Society like Singapore, adequate recognition must be given to the mother tongues of the major races that make up the multi racial society. The Party recognises that whilst the present Government has paid lip service to this, it has not always implemented it. The Party therefore will to this end raise the standard of vernacular Primary Schools to the same level as that of English Primary Schools and give them parity of treatment so that every parent may be encouraged to educate his child in his mother tongue or vernacular language of his choice.

In secondary stream, the Party will ensure that each child is bi-lingual. It is the intention of the Party that the University of Singapore should continue to use English as the medium of instruction but the Party will immediately expand the Department of Malay studies and implement the setting up of a department of Tamil studies.

The medium of instruction in Nanyang University will continue to be Chinese.

The Party will also arrange for a greater use of the vernacular languages in correspondence emanating from departments of the Government.

The Party recognises the need for technical education and will review the present policy both on content and training to suit the needs of Singapore. The Party at the same time recognises that there is a lack of adequate managerial skill in Singapore and will take steps to provide a sufficieny in such skill.

The Party is pledged to restore the University of Singapore to its traditional role from its present role of being a Government high school.

The Party will abolish Suitability Certificates.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Party will pay more attention to its relationship with the immediate neighbouring countries and generally with countries in Asia rather than with countries in the West. Hithero we have been concerned more with our image in London and New York. We intend to change this. We intend to pay more attention to what Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Manila is thinking rather than what London or Washington is thinking. We realise that our survival depends on our maintaining friendly relations with countries in this region. In wider setting we shall strive to avoid being committed to any block or camp.

GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION

The Party is alarmed at the concentration of power in the hands of single Ministers and the Executive without challenge or recourse to an independent tribunal. The Party will implement legislation to reduce the concentration of power and provide for appeal from Executive decisions to an independent tribunal. The Party will also consider ways and means to provide the individual with more effective remedies against arbitrary exercise of power by the Executive.

DETENTION

Whilst the Party recognises that there may be cases where it may be necessary to detain without trial persons who attempt to overthrow the organised Government by violence or by other than constitutional means, the Party is also aware that the present laws under which people are detained do not contain adequate safeguards against the abuse of the powers granted under the laws. The Party will amend the laws to provide safeguards against possible abuses of this power. The Party sees no justification whatsoever for the punitive conditions under which the detainees are being detained by the present Government and will immediately remove all punitive conditions. It will further review the case of every detainee who has been detained by the present Government and if it is satisfied that there has been an abuse of the power given to the authorities, it will imediately order a release of the detainee.

CIVIC RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS

The Party is aware that today in Singapore the individual enjoys none of the fundamental freedoms whatsoever under the law. We are committed to restoring to the individual what have been termed his inalienable rights, the freedom to speak his mind and the freedom of association, to exercise such rights within the framework of the law, as opposed to the present dictatorial and arbitrary policies of the present Government. We do not think it is necessary to curtail these freedoms in the supposed interests of the State.

IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP

The Party is opposed to the present policy of granting permanent residence with a view to eventual citizenship to those who can afford to pay $250,000/-. The Party will review the present policy on immigration and the granting of citizenship which has rendered countless persons stateless in Singapore and introduce a more humanitarian approach to the whole question. It will repeal the provision in the Constitution which empowers a Minister to deprive persons of citizenship and give the power to a Tribunal.

On the question of work permits, it intends to conduct an exchange of views with Malaysia to work towards the abolition of the work permits and a freer movement of the two peoples.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Party will study the entire public housing and home ownership plan and the price structure. The Party also intends to make a study in depth of resettlement problems and will do everything to ameliorate the problems.

On Urban Renewal, the Party will introduce legislation to amend the law regarding the terms and conditions of land acquisition from private owners and compensation payable to occupiers.

The Party will consider setting up a unified body to take over all bus services.

The Party will introduce legislation to provide for a National Health Scheme and adequate medical facilities under the Scheme. The Party will embark on an aggressive public health policy to deal with problems arising out of insanitation and pollution.

The Party is committed to raise the social standards of the people and to the upliftment of moral values in society.

The Party will review the role of the People's Association and the amenities provided by the Community Centres. It will ensure that these do not become a tool of the ruling regime in furthering its political advancement. The P.A. ad C.C. will be made to assume a new identity.

GENERAL

The Workers Party firmly believes in a society with equal opportunities for every citizen, regardless of race, creed or religion. The raising of the social standards of the people will be one of its primary concerns. It will at the same time guard zealously the sovereign status of Singapore and the right of its citizens to be men with dignity and pride.