The Workers’ Party’s (WP) team for East Coast Group Representation Constituency is hoping that the “tremendous” support from residents during the hustings will translate into votes come Polling Day, said team leader Gerald Giam.
Speaking to reporters today (Sept 9) at a walkabout at New Upper Changi Road, Mr Giam noted the warm reception and said he expects East Coast GRC to be “one of the closest contested wards” in this election.
“So we’re trying to reach out to as many residents as possible… We hope that many of them will come to our rally tonight to hear what we have to say,” he said. WP is holding its final rally at East Coast GRC tonight.
Mr Giam added: “We hope that residents will also be able to share with their families and friends the message we have for them which is to entrench an opposition presence in Parliament and (for) a group of MPs who can hold the Government to account and give them (Singaporeans) bargaining power.”
In the 2011 General Election, WP received 45 per cent of the vote in East Coast GRC, while the People’s Action Party garnered 55 per cent of the vote. Mr Giam said he felt that the response from residents has been “better” this time round. He added that his stint as a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament after the previous GE has helped made it easier for him to connect with residents, as more of them were able to recognise him. “I am very proud to have a good team with me,” he said.
He said: “The people in Singapore have demonstrated a desire for greater Opposition presence. Many of them have come up to us and told us that they want to see a greater Opposition presence in parliament, but not just any Opposition. They want an opposition that is credible, responsible and can speak up for them and raise issues that matter to them — that what we hope to be if we’re elected.”
Mr Giam also reiterated the WP’s stand on foreign workers. While the WP supports the current tightening by the Government, it wants greater predictability to be given to businesses, with clearer targets and timelines on reducing the foreign worker dependency ratios. This should be done “independent of electoral cycles and other things that will be affected by political considerations”, Mr Giam said. “There is no choice (but) to tighten the inflow because of the excesses of the previous decade, where a lot of foreigners were brought in and there wasn’t sufficient planning done,” he said.
Source: www.todayonline.com
