outrage

singapore calls snap elections for may 6 - financial times

"The polls are expected to be dominated by a debate over the widening gap between rich and poor in the wealthy city-state, with a recent government survey disclosing that 250,000 of its 3.6m citizens were earning less than S$1,000 a month."

"The government, which normally places tight limits on social spending, recently decided to distribute S$2.6bn in one-off payments to mainly low-income workers and the elderly.

The opposition said the timing of the move, shortly before the election was expected to occur, amounted to an attempt to buy votes - an allegation that the government denied."

"The government has warned that estate upgrades in districts that elect an opposition member of parliament would be delayed - an important consideration for many voters because upgrades increase the resale value of homes."

"The government has succeeded in marginalising opposition parties through what critics claim are intimidation tactics and by denying them full access to the state-guided media."