Category: Singapuraku

Goh Chok Tong To Stand In Marine Parade, Reveals ‘Likely Team’

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who has been an MP in Marine Parade since 1976, said on Tuesday (Aug 4) that he will likely stand in the next election.

In a post on the Marine Parade Facebook page, he revealed the People’s Action Party (PAP)’s likely line-up in his five-member GRC for the next election.

Four of the five members of the current team will remain, except Ms Tin Pei Ling, whose MacPherson ward will be carved out as a single seat in the next General Election (GE).

The fifth member of ESM Goh’s team is likely to be first-term MP Edwin Tong, whose current Jalan Besar ward is part of the soon-to-be-dissolved Moulmein-Kallang GRC.

He will likely be fielded in the Joo Chiat division, a closely-contested single seat that will be absorbed into Marine Parade GRC for the next GE. Joo Chiat’s current MP, Charles Chong, is expected to contest the Workers’ Party-held single seat of Punggol East.

Mr Tong attended his first public event at the constituency, a National Day celebratory parade, on Sunday. He also attended the Joo Chiat National Day dinner the same day.

Said ESM Goh: “At my request, (the) party sent Edwin Tong to Marine Parade GRC to be tested for Joo Chiat.”

“This is likely to be the MP GRC team for GE,” he added, referring to a picture of himself, Mr Tong, Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin and veteran backbenchers Fatimah Lateef and Mr Seah Kian Peng

“As for me, a few friends have suggested that I retire as I have done enough for the country. But Marine Parade residents and many others urge me to stay on. They say the country and Marine Parade still need me.”

He added that he will explain his decision at the GRC’s National Day dinner to be held on Aug 14.

The PAP slate won 56.7 per cent of the vote against the National Solidarity Party (NSP) in 2011, which was the ruling party’s second-closest shave in a group representation constituency, after East Coast.

It was also the first contest the constituency had seen since 1992 by-election, and the first time the vote share in its history had fallen below 70 per cent.

The constituency is also shaping up for a tough fight in the next hustings, with both the Workers’ Party (WP) and NSP having said they intend to contest there. The Straits Times also understands that this was one of the flashpoints at an opposition meeting on Monday, with neither party wanting to budge.

Also on Tuesday, Mr Tan posted about the Joo Chiat National Day dinner on his Facebook page: “Appreciate the hospitality shown to both ESM and myself! We’d miss Charles but welcome Edwin Tong who will get to know all of you better, along with us in the team.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 5, 2015
SingFirst’s Latest Plans Create Crowded Field In 3 GRCs

Following the talks among the opposition parties on Monday, the Singaporeans First (SingFirst) party said yesterday it has made substantial changes to its plans, potentially giving rise to more complicated negotiations at the second round of horse-trading talks tomorrow.

Of the four Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) it had expressed an interest in, it will relinquish Marine Parade and Pasir Ris-Punggol. But it is now casting its eyes on three new constituencies, SingFirst secretary-general Tan Jee Say told TODAY.

“We are discussing about Jurong, West Coast and Holland-Bukit Timah … We will probably not end up with all, but we’re now negotiating,” he said.

Tanjong Pagar GRC, one of its original targets, is off the negotiating table too, said Mr Tan, although he will listen to an idea mooted by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to send a joint team there. Tampines is the remaining GRC SingFirst had staked its claim on, alongside the National Solidarity Party (NSP) — the People’s Power Party has since backed out.

With these changes, SingFirst has, for the moment, cleared a multi-way fight in one constituency, but created a crowded field in three others.

Its exit sets the stage for the Singapore Democratic Alliance to go head-to-head with the incumbent People’s Action Party in Pasir Ris-Punggol. Marine Parade, however, is still being claimed by the Workers’ Party and the NSP. For the new GRCs SingFirst is aiming for: The NSP has staked its claim on Jurong, the Reform Party (RP) on West Coast, and the Singapore Democratic Party on Holland-Bukit Timah.

Asked about the likelihood that SingFirst and DPP would field a joint team in Tanjong Pagar GRC, Mr Tan said it was an initiative from DPP that has yet to come up with a proposal.

“It’s always good to consider somebody’s offer … but we have a complete team (for the GRC) … so we have to see what they have in mind,” he said.

Meanwhile, RP chairman Andy Zhu said the party will stand its ground in wards it had contested in the 2011 General Election, such as Ang Mo Kio and West Coast GRCs, as well as the Radin Mas single seat. RP is also interested in Jurong GRC, which has absorbed the Clementi ward it had fought in.

Mr Zhu said the party will not hold bilateral meetings ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of opposition parties, so any resolution of issues or compromises to be struck will only be discussed then.

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 5, 2015
Opposition Parties Optimistic Issues Will Be Resolved By Thursday

Opposition parties said they made progress in avoiding three-cornered fights at a meeting on Monday night (Aug 3). They are optimistic that outstanding issues will be resolved at the next meeting, scheduled for Thursday.

Monday’s meeting lasted almost three hours and described by party representatives as one that was amicable and cooperative. They also said most of the issues involving the Single-Member and Group-Representation Constituencies have been resolved.

But some sticking points remain, and it is understood that Marine Parade GRC is one of them. It is the stomping ground of the National Solidarity Party – which contested there in 2011 – and the party is keen to return.

But the Workers’ Party (WP) has indicated interest – especially now that Joo Chiat SMC will be absorbed into Marine Parade GRC in the next General Election.

In the 2011 General Election, the WP’s Yee Jenn Jong lost the seat in Joo Chiat to the ruling People’s Action Party’s Charles Chong by just 388 votes.

Whether either party will budge on their decision to contest in that constituency is anyone’s guess for now. A consensus might not even reached at Thursday’s meeting. A source told Channel NewsAsia several more private meetings between various parties might be needed to iron things out. Even so, political analysts say such meetings indicate a maturity in the way opposition parties interact with one another.

Dr Gillian Koh, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies said: “You have the Workers’ Party making a big breakthrough in 2011, so it’s really the leading Opposition party, and it probably feels the obligation to carry on, and go bigger and better. But then you’ve seen many little new parties bubbling up, and old parties being revived.”

“And so, the general landscape of the Opposition party space in Singapore is becoming more complex, and just becoming more interesting and really more mature. Getting together, meeting, and discussing whether they’ll be able to avoid three-cornered fights is actually a very mature process of negotiation and engagement. It’s a far more complex landscape than we faced say, in 2006 – when we only had two opposition MPs,” she added.

But another expert said it remains to be seen whether this amicability among the opposition could play out.

Dr Alan Chong, coordinator of the International Relations Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said: “They realise that in order to gain the same level of prominence and success as WP, the rest of them are still very small fish. So for their electoral survivability, they have to form some kind of alliance. Then again, you never know if they are going to descend into petty bickering the moment Nomination Day is announced.”

Dr Chong said that while it may seem hopeful that the Opposition Parties can sort out their differences, all bets could be off come Nomination Day.

Source: www.channlnewsasia.com

August 5, 2015
It’s The Singapore Way: Very Wealthy And Still Living With Mum

Everyone knows Singapore is an expensive country that’s transforming itself into a smart city. Here are five less-known facts about the island nation as it marks its 50th year of independence.

Costly cars

Car buyers in Singapore must bid for a limited number of permits — called Certificates of Entitlement — that are auctioned by the government. It’s tool used to control pollution and congestion and can more than double the vehicle’s market value. Consequently, an average family sedan can cost almost as much as a home in the U.S.

Economic miracle

The country went from third world to first in two generations. Singapore took 22 years to double its GDP per capita, about half the time of other developed economies including Australia. Its GDP per capita was S$71,318 ($52,000) in 2014, among the highest in the world. The island also has among the highest proportions of millionaire households, according to Boston Consulting Group.

Living at home

The majority of housing in Singapore is built by the government. More than 80 percent of the resident population lives in such accommodation, which is typically cheaper than privately developed properties. Because of these dynamics and a rule that prohibits most single Singaporeans from buying a public housing apartment while single — unless they are at least 35 years old — an overwhelming majority of unmarried adults live with their parents. And are big fans of Airbnb.

Mandatory military service

Singapore is among a handful of developed nations with compulsory military service for its male residents and citizens. The National Service is for a period of about two years, and typically begins at age 18, unless there are exceptional circumstances — like training for the Olympics, for example.

Highly paid ministers

Singapore’s prime minister is among the world’s highest paid heads of state. The government has justified his and other ministers’ salaries on the grounds that it helps attract top talent that might otherwise be lost to the private sector, and that it discourages corruption. It cut ministers’ salaries in 2012 after voter unhappiness over a widening income gap in the country. But they’re still very comfortably off.

Source: http://english.astroawani.com

August 5, 2015
Malaysia’s VEP Discriminates Against Singapore Vehicles

Malaysia’s upcoming RM20 (S$7.16) entry fee for foreign-registered vehicles travelling through Johor, “discriminates against Singapore vehicles”, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) said on Tuesday (Aug 4).

The fee kicks in on Oct 1 and the ministry said Singapore will consider matching the levy in some form after studying its implementation.

MOT also said it is requesting more information from Malaysian authorities on their new requirement for Singapore vehicles to pre-register before entering Malaysia. Over the weekend, Malaysian Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi was quoted by The Star as saying “from Sep 1, Singapore vehicles which are not registered with the Road Transport Department (JPJ) would be refused entry into Malaysia”.

Online registration starts on Aug 15 and the road charge costs RM10 (S$3.60) for five years. The rules apply to all private vehicles, public buses, taxis, goods vehicles as well as diplomatic cars.

An MOT spokesperson said “such costs and inconveniences could discourage Singaporeans from going to Malaysia, in particular Johor, for leisure purposes such as shopping, entertainment, sight-seeing, holiday”.

Last August, Singapore had raised its vehicle entry permit charges for foreign-registered cars from S$20 to S$35 per day, while the Goods Vehicle Permit fee for foreign-registered goods vehicles was raised from S$10 to S$40 per calendar month. In that month, Malaysia announced a 400 per cent increase in toll charges to RM6.80 (S$2.65), RM10.20, RM13.60, RM3.40 and RM5.50 for Class 1 to Class 5 vehicles, respectively.

In response, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority increased toll charges for all vehicles, except motorcycles, leaving Singapore through the Causeway from Oct 2014.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

August 5, 2015