Category: Singapuraku

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
Politicians Dismayed With Online Vitriol

To politicians, social media these days is a double-edged sword. While it is a valuable tool for engagement, retiring People’s Action Party Member of Parliament (MP) Ellen Lee is among those who have rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty, only to be disappointed by how falsehoods circulated online can undo years of good work by not only themselves, but also those before them.

Ms Lee, who entered politics in 2006, cited the Central Provident Fund (CPF) as an example. She said while many accept that the CPF system is largely beneficial to Singaporeans, opinions were being swayed online by lies. “Those who try to reason will be flamed and regarded as pro-government,” she said. People are just receiving information online whether it is true or not, she lamented.

Announcing her decision to step down earlier this month, Ms Lee said then that the atmosphere for politicians had changed. Speaking to TODAY, she stressed that her frustration with cyberspace did not contribute to her decision to leave politics.

Nevertheless, she said she had been on the receiving end of some criticism online. She tried to track the source of these negative comments on Facebook, but found that some had been posted via fake accounts, she added.

Veteran PAP MP Inderjit Singh, who has also announced his retirement, said he had encountered his fair share of online vitriol, including people who use vulgarities. Nevertheless, he felt that these experiences were a minority. He added that he does not respond to every single criticism. Instead, he would try to determine if the ground sentiment corroborates with the feedback online.

Like Ms Lee, he said it is important for more of those who have been silent to speak up, so the discourse online would be more balanced.

PAP MP Alvin Yeo, who is stepping down after two terms, said that even though he does not have a Facebook account, his friends would notify him of negative online comments about him. To him, it is important to discern what is genuine feedback and to stay focused on his work as a politician.

Following the announcement that Mr Lui Tuck Yew will step down as Transport Minister, some of his Cabinet colleagues spoke out against the vilification and mocking of him online.

Not only have politicians from the ruling party borne the brunt of online attacks. With people posting negative comments on the Facebook page of Mr Desmond Lim’s company, the online harassment of the Singapore Democratic Alliance chairman has become so bad that he said on Facebook last week that if the situation continues, it might lead him to quit his job or leave politics.

Since an edited version of one of his old campaign videos went viral earlier this month, Mr Lim has been ridiculed for his command of English. While he accepts that there will be detractors, there is no need to make him lose his livelihood and affect his family, he told TODAY. “Is this the way we want politics to be? Who else will dare step forward to contest?” he asked.

Over the weekend, two National Solidarity Party leaders, Mr Sebastian Teo and Mr Steve Chia, were disparaged by anonymous posts put up on the Internet. Mr Teo has yet to comment on the remarks, while Mr Chia has decided not to stand in the coming election for the sake of his family.

People’s Power Party chief Goh Meng Seng said that most of the time, he would ignore the attacks unless they contain lies that smear his reputation or affect his family. He said the worst he had to face was people spreading rumours many years ago about him having a mistress. The rumours stopped only after he threatened the culprit who had started the rumour with legal action, he said. “It really should be about the contest of ideas and clean policy debate. There is no need to get ‘dirty’,” he said.

The WP’s potential new candidate Daniel Goh, who is active on social media, said he would usually respond to online criticism “not to defend (his) stance as such, but to ensure the view is truly tested in debate”. He would admit readily if he is wrong, he said.

Political observers and analysts felt the “harsher” political climate might deter people from going into politics, but aspiring politicians have little choice but to take it in their stride.

Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan noted that the placid environment for politicians in the past was more of an anomaly. Still, he said: “Certainly, we don’t want a toxic social-media environment either … So, there is much to be said for keeping our political scene a healthy one, where there is free and responsible discourse, debate and engagement. If we don’t, we will be cutting our noses to spite our own faces.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 25, 2015
NSP President Sebastian Teo: I Have To Be Strong If I Want To Fight On

In just over a week, the National Solidarity Party (NSP) made several U-turns on its intention to contest in MacPherson SMC; had its acting secretary-general and a council member resign; and watched its reputation crumble.

The NSP’s woes first surfaced after it announced a U-turn last Wednesday of its Aug 10 decision not to engage in a three-way contest with the Workers’ Party (WP) and People’s Action Party (PAP) in MacPherson.

The announcement that it intended to send someone into MacPherson prompted acting secretary-general Hazel Poa to quit the party the same day. Central Executive Council (CEC) member Steve Chia, who indicated that he would be the likely candidate, abruptly announced in a 1am post on his Facebook on Sunday that he would not be standing there – a decision which suggested that the NSP had again decided to leave the WP to take on the PAP.

The party, which remained silent over the turn of events, was then hit on Monday with another resignation: central executive committee member Mohamed Fazli Talip, who was identified as one of 12 potential candidates for the seats it intends to contest. He said on Facebook that he was leaving because the party’s position was damaged by the decisions it made, and he wanted to “protect my own credibility”.

Through it all, the party’s leader – party president Sebastian Teo – has kept his silence.

But on Monday night, he made his first remarks on the party’s week of turmoil, telling The Straits Times about the twist and turns of the MacPherson decision, the personal attacks on him and how he considered stepping down.

Here are edited excerpts of the interview.

Q: The NSP CEC voted last Monday to contest MacPherson. On Wednesday, Hazel Poa decided to quit.

Mr Teo: I don’t blame her. From day one, she thought it was right not to have three-cornered fights. I respect her decision, though some say we shouldn’t give way.

Q: What was the result of the CEC vote?

Mr Teo: It was 70 per cent in support of the motion to contest. Over 10 CEC members turned up. Some in the party felt we should rethink the first decision, as it (that decision) didn’t go to a vote.

Q: What are the factors behind the decision?

Mr Teo: Not to be seen as giving in to the WP is a factor, though a more important reason is that we’ve been on the ground (in MacPherson) for 10 over years. It’s a bit of a pity if we had to give up a constituency that we had cultivated for so long.

Q: Who was the assigned candidate for MacPherson if the NSP were to contest it? Is it you?

Mr Teo: No, Steve (Chia) pushed for it so he would be the one to go. He was the one that initiated the motion and tried to convince some.

Q: Why did Steve Chia change his mind? Did the CEC asked him to do so?

Mr Teo: No, he did it on his own.

Q: Now that he has come out to say he is pulling out of MacPherson, is the NSP still contesting it?

Mr Teo: It’s up to the party, the motion still stands. We have not decided not to contest MacPherson. The decision is still there.

Q: How do you think these developments have affected the party’s reputation?

Mr Teo: If I say no, you may think I’m too naive. If I say yes, I think it’s yet to be proven. So I’d rather not comment. But somehow or rather, it has created some concerns.

Q: As president, do you think you could or should have done things better?

Mr Teo: The issue is that we’re running (the party) the democratic way, based on collective decision. The power is not centralised in the party head. There’s a big difference. As NSP president, I don’t have absolute power. For major things, we go through a process if we really cannot get consensus. That’s the solution. It may not be a perfect solution but there’s no other way.

Q: So is it unfair to blame it on you?

Mr Teo: The earlier Straits Times report said the NSP president only steps in to be a tie-breaker. It is true to a certain extent. I will come in and weigh which side has more logic and makes more sense.

Q: Do you think you should have asserted yourself more as president to chart the direction of the party?

Mr Teo: To a certain extent, it’s the system. If people think the system has to be revamped, so be it.

Q: Do you think there’s a need for revamp?

Mr Teo: Yes, so that the decision-making process can be faster and the head of the party can be more decisive. At the present moment, if people want to put all the blame on me, I think it’s not too fair.

Q: Have you received any negative comments from members and supporters?

Mr Teo: No. In fact, most members still want me and so there’s no way I can just leave, even if I have the intention to resign.

Q: Why not?

Mr Teo: Logically, at this moment, as the party head, I cannot abandon the party. It’s my responsibility. At the present moment, I still have very strong support from the party internally, so that’s why I think the responsibility is still there.

Q: How long did you take to decide to stay on?

Mr Teo: A few days.

Q: Did you tell yourself you should move on and let others do the job?

Mr Teo: Yes I did try, not once but many times to see if anyone can take over my role, not just in the last few days but in the past. It’s not the first time such thoughts crossed my mind. It’s not because I’m not being supported. I’ve managed the party from 2001. From 2006, we pulled out of Singapore Democratic Alliance. It’s been nine years. I don’t know if I should say I’ve made NSP better known and helped it progress. It’s been quite some time.

Q: How will the developments affect NSP’s performance at the coming polls?

Mr Teo: I can’t foresee the outcome. But generally, I can tell you that NSP will still go for the election as planned. We will make it known to the public before Nomination Day.

Q: How many seats will the party contest?

Mr Teo: So far, it is still two GRCs and two SMCs (Sembawang GRC, Tampines GRC, Pioneer SMC and MacPherson SMC), if the motion is not moved.

Q: What will you do to repair NSP’s image?

Mr Teo: We will see if the public understands the situation and still give us their support. It’s hard for us to come out with a set of improvements to the system within a short period.

Q: NSP contested 24 seats in 2011, which was the biggest opposition slate at the election and a peak for you and the party. How do you feel about its preparations this time?

Mr Teo: Before these happened, we were in a very good shape. Our fighting spirit and energy was on full charge. It really looked like we could be winning. But now, I feel sayang (It’s a pity in Malay). But things happen and you just have to do your best and put in the effort you can.

Q: A few days ago, a website surfaced with details of your previous convictions and bankruptcy. How did it affect you?

Mr Teo: Of course, the motive, the objective (of the website) is obvious, it wants me to quit the team, whichever constituency that I intend to go.

Q: Does it make you more determined to prove yourself this time?

Mr Teo: I think if I want to fight on, I’ll have to be strong.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 25, 2015
NSP Will Still Contest Macpherson SMC

The National Solidarity Party (NSP) is committed to contesting in the MacPherson single member constituency, party organising secretary Spencer Ng confirmed on Monday, stressing that Mr Steve Chia’s withdrawal did not affect their decision.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting at the party’s headquarters in Jalan Besar, Mr Ng said that the CEC had collectively decided to contest in MacPherson, and was standing by its choice.

The latest announcement appears to contradict a Facebook post by NSP council member Steve Chia last Sunday stating that he was withdrawing from MacPherson. He also wished the Workers’ Party well and urged it to send a good candidate.

The NSP did not comment on Mr Chia’s post until Monday night, when Mr Ng said simply: “MacPherson is still on.”

“We’ve been there for 10 years and we want to go back because many residents had requested that we do,” he added.

Mr Ng’s remarks amount to NSP seemingly reversing its decision of whether to contest in MacPherson three times within a week.

The party declared last Wednesday that it would contest in MacPherson SMC after it said earlier that it would bow out so as to prevent a three-corner fight with the People’s Action Party and the Workers’ Party. Acting secretary-general Hazel Poa quit in protest on the same day.

On Sunday, Mr Chia indicated that NSP was pulling out only for Mr Ng to contradict him a day later.

Mr Ng said that Monday’s meeting was for elections preparations, and was not about party succession. He added that the party’s election manifesto will be out “in the next few days”.

Besides Mr Ng, other NSP members in attendance were Mr Eugene Yeo, Mr Elvin Ong, Mr Nicky Tan, Mr Yadzeth Haris and party new face Kevryn Lim. Neither Mr Chia nor party president Sebastian Teo were present.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 25, 2015