Category: Politik

Two Successful Muslims Join Newest Political Party – Singaporeans First

[UPDATE on Sunday, 25 May, 11.00am: Adding details of party’s name, logo, manifesto and founding members]

Former presidential candidate Tan Jee Say unveiled Singapore’s newest political party, Singaporeans First, on Sunday.

The party’s manifesto — “Fair Society, Strong Families and Esteemed People” — was announced along with a list of 11 founding members, which include 60-year-old Tan himself as well as members of the medical profession, architects and company directors.

They include Dr Ang Yong Guan, psychiatrist and former grassroots leader, who along with Tan ran under the Singapore Democratic Party banner at the 2011 elections; Michael Chia, retired engineer and volunteer social worker; Fahmi Rais, communications professional and former Young PAP member; Fatimah Akhtar, architect; Dr David Foo Ming Jin, chemist and former Young PAP member; Jamie Lee Swee Yan, IT professional; Winston Lim, architect; Loke Pak Hoe, company director; and Tan Peng Ann, retired army colonel and former PAP grassroots leader.

Speaking at the party’s unveiling on Sunday at a media conference, Tan said discussions about forming a new party first began last year, and that joining a current opposition party instead of starting a new one was the “easy way out”.

When asked if his new Singaporeans First party would dilute opposition votes further, Tan said it would depend on how the opposition would work together, adding that he was also open to forming coalitions. The next General Election is due to be held by 2016.

On what the new party stood for, Tan said it aimed to remove the Goods and Services Tax, because it was especially unfair to lower and middle class Singaporeans. Another key policy it was aiming for was free education as it wanted to increase the fertility rate by making it affordable to raise children in Singapore. It also proposed unemployment insurance, old age pension and affordable healthcare.

Tan added the party would begin walkabouts and preparing policy papers for public consultation after formally registering the party, which he estimated would take two months.

A financial adviser and fund manager, party leader Tan was formerly the principal private secretary to then Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. He and Dr Ang had previously ran for 2011 elections together under the SDP banner in the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

Tan left the political party before announcing his candidacy for the 2011 presidential election. He garnered 25% of popular votes, losing out to Tan Cheng Bock and eventual President Tony Tan Keng Yam.

After the elections, Tan had leased a three-storey building along Orchard Road to host weekly policy discussions. The venue, known as “Heart Beat”, had to be closed down following tenancy issues. The space was reportedly approved for restaurant and office use only.

Source: Yahoo SG

MORE ARTICLES ON SINGAPORE POLITICS HERE

EDITOR’S NOTE

Congratulations to Fahmi Rais and Fatimah Akhtar for embarking in their new challenging journeys – politics. Developing and exercising power require having both will and skill. It is the will that often seems to be missing for most people, and we hope it will not happen to any of our Malay and Muslim leaders. The Malay & Muslim community, and Rilek1Corner family are very happy and extremely proud to learn about their involvement. We wish the new leaders the best in this new political dispensation. We need a nation that will be filled with remarkable development. Towards a better future in Singapore.

May 26, 2014
Local Malay Supports Barisan Nasional Blames His Ancestors for M’sia-SG Separation

DO YOU AGREE WITH THE AUTHOR WHO BLAMED HIS MALAY ANCESTORS FOR MALAYSIAN-SINGAPORE SEPARATION?

https://www.facebook.com/wall.shafieeamir

SHOULD WE BLAME OUR ANCESTORS? OR SHOULD WE BLAME BOTH SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIA FOR THE SEPARATION?

On Aug 7, 1965, both parties signed the separation agreement. It was ratified at an emergency sitting of the Malaysian Parliament, which was hurriedly convened on Aug 9. In Singapore, at a televised press conference on the same day, Lee said the separation was for him “a moment of anguish”. He was so “emotionally affected” he broke down in tears, and the conference was terminated.

http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/article/proclamation-of-singapore

http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/article/proclamation-of-singapore

http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/echoes_of_the_past/the_separation_of_singapore.html

Source: The Malaysian Bar, National Archives Singapore

May 2, 2014
PAP New Face: Research scientist Dr Ismail Muhamad Hanif Seen With Halimah Yacob

Dr Ismail Muhamad Hanif. Dr Ismail, 35, was seen mingling with Bukit Batok East residents on Sunday morning. — FILE PHOTO: NUS ALUMNI OFFICE

BY NUR ASYIQIN MOHAMAD SALLEH

Research scientist Dr Ismail Muhamad Hanif, 35, was seen mingling with Bukit Batok East residents on Sunday morning as Jurong GRC MP Madam Halimah Yacob took Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong on a walkabout around shops in the area.

Dr Ismail, who is married, has been a member of the Tampines West Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC) since 2009 and had helped out in the last general elections.

Madam Halimah told reporters that she had met Dr Ismail at a community event and invited him to volunteer in her ward.

She declined to say if he was a potential PAP candidate for the next polls, only that he was part of Bukit Batok East’s Volunteer Induction Programme, which was started in 2010.

Source: The Straits Times

May 2, 2014
WP New Faces: Firuz Khan and Leon Perera

Credit: Firuz Khan Facebook

SINGAPORE — A former civil servant who became a corporate high-flyer has reportedly joined the ranks of the Workers’ Party (WP).

In what some analysts have described as a tit-for-tat response to the tactics of the People’s Action Party (PAP), Mr Leon Perera was out and about in WP colours under the full glare of the media last Sunday.

Mr Perera, 44, who is chief executive of Spire Research and Consulting, was among party volunteers and members handing out food rations and daily necessities to elderly residents in the Paya Lebar division.

Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao identified Mr Perera and Mr Firuz Khan, 48, who works in the banking and retail industry, as the opposition party’s potential candidates for the next General Election due by January 2017.

In recent weeks, the PAP has exposed to the public eye its potential candidates for the next GE — a move analysts felt was a significant departure from its practice of keeping its cards close to the chest as far as the identities of potential candidates were concerned. Analysts noted that the party had learnt from the 2011 GE that voters need time to familiarise themselves with new candidates.

Unlike Mr Khan, who has been with the WP for several years and was on the council of its youth wing in 2007, Mr Perera is a new face in the WP’s ranks. When contacted, Mr Perera declined to comment. The WP was also tight-lipped about his involvement.

A former assistant head of the Economic Development Board’s Enterprise Development Division, Mr Perera graduated from Oxford University with double first-class honours. He is also an adviser for The Independent news website and vice-president on the board of the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics. Last Sunday, Mr Perera was photographed by Lianhe Zaobao beside WP’s Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Chen Show Mao.

Political analysts previously noted that the PAP was taking a leaf out of the WP’s book by having potential candidates work the ground early. Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said the opposition party is now, in turn, responding to the PAP as well.

“The WP realises that they need to also demonstrate a sense of urgency and informally introduce their potential candidates early,” said Associate Professor Tan, who is also a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP). Agreeing, former NMP Siew Kum Hong said the WP was “following PAP’s playbook”.

Assoc Prof Tan, who was Mr Perera’s classmate in junior college, said he was not surprised to learn of the latter’s political involvement. Adding that it was a natural transition for Mr Perera as an activist, he said: “Leon has always been politically conscious and has very strong ideas about government and politics in Singapore.”

So far, five potential PAP candidates have been identified. Most recently, corporate lawyer Amrin Amin, 35, was described last Saturday to reporters by Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Education and Manpower) Hawazi Daipi — who is also an MP for Sembawang GRC — as “someone who has the potential to be a candidate”.

Mr Perera is the latest in the line of former civil servants who have joined the opposition. Others include husband-and-wife pair Tony Tan and Hazel Poa, who are with the National Solidarity Party.

Mr Siew said: “It’s just a natural state of things as politics in Singapore normalises. You are going to see good candidates going to both sides.”

Source: TODAYOnline, Firuz Khan

April 30, 2014
PAP New Face: Malay Muslim Lawyer Set to Champion Social Mobility Issues

SINGAPORE: A new face, who could be a potential election candidate for the People’s Action Party, was spotted at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new integrated development in Woodlands on Saturday.

He was later introduced to the media by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower Hawazi Daipi – who is also the MP for Marsiling division of Sembawang GRC.

He is 35-year-old Amrin Amin, a corporate lawyer with Watson, Farley and Williams Asia Practice LLP.

Amrin, a member of Marsiling’s Citizens’ Consultative Committee for about a year, has been helping with Meet-the-People sessions.

Previously, he was a member of the Chong Pang CCC since 2004.

He was also a legislative assistant to Law Minister K Shanmugam.

A MUIS scholar, he also spent four years in New York studying and working.

He is also on the board of Nanyang Polytechnic and serves in the National Council on Problem Gambling.

Mr Hawazi said: “The party (PAP) always looks to younger Singaporeans to consider and to offer themselves as potential candidates of the party.

“While I look at Amrin as someone who has the potential to be a candidate, it depends very much on him and whether the party assesses he can do the job in serving the community and Singapore.

“I’m sure Amrin has all the attributes needed to serve the community and the country and you’ll have to ask whether he would be ready.

“But the opportunities for him to contribute are immense and the opportunities for us to benefit from the services of young men and women like him are also immense.

“So far in the last one year and at MPS, I think it has benefited both sides.”

Amrin said: “It’s too early at this stage to discuss whether I’m ready. I think I have much to learn and I’m very happy the reception from residents has been very, very kind.

“I’m very passionate on social mobility and youth development. I think these are two very important issues and perhaps the defining issues of our time.”

Source: CNA

April 28, 2014