Mr K Shanmugam: Sir, even, I think, picking up from what Mr Leong has  , said, I realised that the problem arises from what Mr Edwin Tong has said. Perhaps , we have very different opinions from Mr Leong on CMIO and its relevance,  , for instance, on the Ethnic Integration Policy. And I think that those different , ideas are apparent when, for instance, you see some of the issues that Mr Leong has said in the past. For example, on HDB living, if you look at Mr Leong ‘s , Facebook post of February 2023, and I quote, he says that Singaporeans are not , condemned to living in HDB flats. Mr Leong has also made remarks in this House , which are prejudiced, and he has very readily admitted to that very.
But, if I may learn out , from the Hansard of 14th of September, 2021: I asked him, sir, I asked through you, does Mr Leong recognize that his party’s remarks on CECA, having been , interpreted by some of PSP individuals as being racist, may well be interpreted by , Singaporeans when racist as well? And since there was no reply, I had to repeat the , problem. I asked him again: Some of Mr Leong’s gathering users interpreted his , statements as being prejudiced, and I quote, one of the quotes is, you are targeting the , American society, and it is absolutely with racist tone. If members of his own party does believe in that way, it’s possible for others to share his point of view with him. And I had to duplicate it in a different way, and question once, Mr Leong, it is commonsensical, is it not, that those PSP users will not be the only , ones who think that your comments are prejudiced? If they can believe like that, your own , party members, therefore various Singaporeans can fairly assume that your comments are racist too. It’s a simple point, and Mr Leong was good enough to say there will , be some people who will think that there is a racial undertone to his statements.  , Yes, and I will hand out these, sir.
But the point I will make arising from his question , is this, so if you look at his comments, that 80 per cent of Singaporeans who live in HDB , flats are condemned, and if you combine that with his racist comments, Mr Leong , may not put much value in our multiracial approach. He may not put value in our , ethnic integration, in our housing estates, but the EIP, for example, is a key plank of our policy to ensure that people live together, are integrated, and we put a lot of , value in making sure our housing estates are well managed, because we care for , Singaporeans, and the CMIO is a key plank of those policies. I hope that clarifies, sir. And if I can, with your leave, hand over just for the record, the copies and for Mr Leong to refresh his memory. One for yourself, sir, and one for Mr Leong.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: Mr Speaker, sir, I would like to put on record that PSP supports , the EIP, the ethnic integration programme, the policy that we have for HDB flats. What , we take issue with is that the EIP has caused economic disadvantages. There’s an , economic cost to the minorities. So we are looking, and we have suggested that we should make up for the economic loss the minorities have suffered from. So that’s all we say. We absolutely oppose the EIP.
Mr Shanmugam: I note that Mr Leong doesn’t deny saying that 80 per cent of , Singaporeans who live in HDB flats are condemned, and that his comments were , racist. Thank you, sir.