Category: Politik

GE2015: First Time Polling Day Falls On Friday

Polling Day in the coming General Election will be on Sept 11, a Friday.

That has come as a surprise to many because Singaporeans have traditionally gone to the polls on a Saturday.

Only at three GEs since independence in 1965 has Polling Day not fallen on a Saturday.

This happened in the 1976 poll when people went to the ballot box on Dec 23, a Thursday. Then in 1980, the GE was held on Dec 23, a Tuesday. And in 1997, Polling Day on Jan 2 fell on a Thursday.

Even in the three elections before independence in 1965, when Parliament was known as the Legislative Assembly, people cast their votes on Saturdays.

This year’s election – Singapore’s 12th since independence – will also be the first time that a weekday date at the polls has not fallen during the year-end festive period.

GRAPHIC: ELD

The 1976, 1980 and 1997 dates were all either around Christmas and the new year.

In fact, calling a general election during the Christmas period used to be popular.

Three consecutive elections were held during the year’s end – in 1976, 1980 and 1984.

One theory was that people would be in a good mood at that time of the year.

“The stress levels among Singaporeans are lower during year-end, which puts them in a good position to deal with weighty issues the GE might throw up,” Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan told The Straits Times in May.

While Polling Day this year is in September, the feel-good factor from Golden Jubilee celebrations on Aug 7 to 10 could carry over, some say.

The September date also ends the streak of two consecutive Polling Days in May. Singaporeans took to the polls on May 6 in 2006, and on May 7 in 2011.

Interestingly, that was the only time, apart from the hat-trick of December dates mentioned earlier, that successive GEs were held in the same month of the year.

Sept 11 is known to many as the day terrorist attacks by the Al-Qaeda brought down the World Trade Center in New York and damaged the Pentagon in 2001. Associate Professor Alan Chong of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University speculated that the date could provide a backdrop for the ruling People’s Action Party to remind the electorate of global danger, and to vote wisely.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 26, 2015
Little Girl Shows Support For Wp’s Yee Jenn Jong With Painting

Something to light up the day.

Got this email with a painting of me by a young girl, courtesy of her uncle. The posture of me shooting arrows is from an earlier photo I had shared on FB from my archery practice. Hey, I give her an A+ for this!

Here’s the email, shared with permission:

“Hi Jenn Jong,

I am a resident of Hougang and my whole family supports your efforts in this coming election.

This is a gift of encouragement to you after Joo Chiat disappeared from the map. We were equally appalled.

This is done by my little niece in school as an arts project and I think she took about 2 weeks to complete it.

Although she got a C and was quite sad for about 2 days because of it, I told her there is nothing wrong with getting a C. She hopes you can see it on Facebook and that makes her happy. Thanks and all the best for the upcoming elections!

Best Regards,”

Source: Yee Jenn Jong

August 25, 2015
Independent Candidate Tan Lam Siong Now Joins SPP To Contest Chua Chu Kang GRC

Independent candidate lawyer Tan Lam Siong announced that he will give up contesting in a 3-corner fight with Potong Pasir SMC and join the People’s Power Party (PPP) to contest in Chua Chu Kang GRC.

Coincidentally, the former secretary general for the National Solidarity Party (NSP) is joining another former NSP sec-gen, Goh Meng Seng, who created his own political party PPP this year.

The good news is Singapore People’s Party NCMP Lina Chiam will have a direct contest with a weak PAP candidate Seetoh Yih Pin over Potong Pasir SMC. In the last election, NCMP Lina Chiam lost by only 114 votes and she is poised to win Potong Pasir SMC given the increasingly bitterness of ground sentiments against the ruling PAP party.

Source: http://statestimesreview.com

August 25, 2015
Is PAP Candidate Sun Xueling A New Citizen From China?

Is PAP candidate Sun Xue Ling a new citizen from China? This question has been hogging internet forums like Hardwarezone and Facebook for weeks and it appears Singaporeans are still not able to gather any “intel” from google to substantiate their claims.

Here are the facts about Sun Xue Ling:

1) Her original name was Sharene Soon Sher Rene, and she changed her name to Sun Xue Ling for unknown reasons. (Confirmed from a Straits Times Forum letter she submitted fifteen years ago on 15 July 2000)

2) Sun Xue Ling is only 36 year old and she is already the director of Singapore sovereign wealth fund company Temasek Holdings drawing at least S$25,000 a month excluding bonuses. If elected, her part-time MP job will add on another S$16,000 putting her the top 5% highest income earner in Singapore.

3) She joined PAP grassroots at the age of 22 years old at Buono Vista and Punggol West, which probably explains her meteoric rise to directorship in Temasek Holdings.

4) She reports to Ho Ching, the CEO of Temasek Holdings and also the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

5) She left for Hongkong in 2008 and only came back to Singapore in 2014, with only about a year of volunteer experience.

6) She is contesting in Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC, a sure-win for the ruling PAP party because their opposition opponent is Desmond Lim and his team.

7) Her husband is from People’s Republic of China and has only been a Singapore citizen for 6 years. Her new citizen husband does not serve National Service.

Here is one unconfirmed detail about Sun Xue Ling:

1) She is ruthlessly competitive according to her peers from Econs in NUS between 1998-2001 (HWZ)

The States Times Review is not interested in rumors but simply establishing facts in this article. This being said, the greater question for Sun Xue Ling is that whether if her allegiance is to Singaporeans given that her background is highly questionable.
However from the facts we do know, it is a conflict of interest for Sun Xue Ling to be a member of Parliament because her employer has vested interests in legislating laws that will lock more money in CPF.

Singaporeans have every valid concerns to know who they are voting for and especially for candidates who might have vested interests in Singapore politics. Another good example is PAP MP Dr Janil Puthucheary who is a new citizen from Malaysia and has never served a day of National Service. It will be dangerous to have people with dubious background to take up Ministerial positions and formulate policies to serve their foreign interests.

Source: http://statestimesreview.com

August 25, 2015
Roy Ngerng And M Ravi To Run In Ang Mo Kio?

Blogger Roy Ngerng and his one-time lawyer, Mr M. Ravi, are said to be in the running to contest Ang Mo Kio GRC in the coming general election under the Reform Party (RP) ballot.

Sources familiar with RP said that Mr Ravi, Mr Ngerng and activist Gilbert Goh will probably be part of the opposition party’s six-member team that will be fielded in Ang Mo Kio at the next polls.

The three are said to have joined other potential candidates on Sunday to get their portrait photos taken for the campaign, which is expected to be held next month. This is even though they have yet to be confirmed as party members.

The constituency is helmed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who had successfully sued Mr Ngerng for defamation, with damages to be assessed. Mr Ravi represented Mr Ngerng until he was suspended in mid-February from practising law after concerns about his mental health. When contacted, Mr Ravi and Mr Ngerng declined to comment about their plans.

RP secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam had said that his party will contest Ang Mo Kio and West Coast GRCs as well as Radin Mas SMC. Yesterday, he put paid to rumours circulating last week that his party may not have the numbers to field candidates in those wards by revealing that he has seen a “surge in membership”.

A statement released yesterday said former RP member Osman Sulaiman has rejoined the party and could spearhead its Ang Mo Kio GRC team. He is likely to be joined by Ang Mo Kio resident Siva Chandran and RP treasurer David Tan to contest in the area.

Mr Sulaiman was fielded in Ang Mo Kio GRC when RP contested there in the 2011 General Election. The RP team managed to gain about 30 per cent of the votes.

Mr Osman, who runs a renovation business, quit RP last year for the National Solidarity Party but left it earlier this year. He then volunteered with the Singapore Democratic Party and Singapore People’s Party before returning to RP.

On Sunday, RP said in a post on its Facebook page: “Siva will be introduced at our press conference.” The comment was accompanied by a photo of Mr Ngerng, Mr Ravi, Mr Goh, Mr Siva and Mr Osman donning the party’s yellow shirts.

When asked if Mr Ngerng was a party member, Mr Jeyaretnam said: “Roy’s membership is expected to be approved shortly.” He added that Mr Ngerng would bring “much-needed knowledge” of Ang Mo Kio, where his father runs a hawker stall.

Mr Jeyaretnam also confirmed that RP chairman Andy Zhu, who stood in West Coast GRC in the last polls, will contest again.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 25, 2015