Tag: GE2015

GE2015: Key Takeaways In Manifesto

If Singaporeans want the People’s Action Party (PAP) to form the government, they have to be unequivocal about it through their vote, said political analyst Associate Professor Eugene Tan. He explained that this could be one of the biggest takeaways from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s speech at the introduction of his party’s manifesto on Saturday (Aug 29).

The Workers’ Party (WP) also unveiled its manifesto on the same day, and Professor Tan said despite its clear stand at not being ready to form the government, the manifesto is the party’s indication that it is growing from strength to strength.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had called on Singaporeans to take the upcoming General Election “very seriously”, and not “wanting one party but voting for a different one”.

Professor Tan explained: “It’s making clear that Singaporean voters can’t have their cake and eat it. So if they want a PAP government, they will have to be mindful of who they are voting for. Because I think he did allude, although without making a clear reference to it, the concern about a freak election result – that people want a PAP government, but believe everyone else will vote for the PAP and that they, in order to put pressure on the government, will vote for the opposition. And then we will have an outcome which they may not have otherwise wanted.”

Professor Tan added that the PAP’s 88-page manifesto is a “self-appraised report card” that highlights the party’s track record over the last 50 years, and of how it has responded to issues raised in the last General Election.

The WP manifesto contains 130 proposals covering areas like the economy and education. Professor Tan said some of these proposals have been mentioned in the previous election, or are refinements to current policies.

“If the policies are very much similar to the PAP’s, we should not be too surprised because very often the Workers’ Party would hope to win voters who would have otherwise voted for the PAP. And so they are trying to say, ‘We are going to build on PAP’s policies but we’re going to make it better’,” he explained.

With Nomination Day on Tuesday, Professor Tan also touched on the slate of candidates of the two parties: “The big questions for voters are, ‘how different will they be? Will they be prepared to stand up and speak for voters, or will they become very much party men and women?’”

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

August 31, 2015
Marriage Not On The Cards for Sylivia Lim And Quah Kim Song

Marriage is not on the cards for Workers’ Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim and her boyfriend of more than two years, retired football star Quah Kim Song, as they are happy with where the relationship is at.

“People do ask us often when we’re getting married. But we have discussed this and he’s already a grandfather and we’re enjoying our relationship as it is now, so we have no plans to get married at this point. We do not know if things will change but, at the moment, we’re quite happy with the way things are,” Ms Lim told The Straits Times.

Despite her increasingly busy schedule as the party kicks into high gear for the polls, they have been meeting every day.

“Kim Song is a very understanding person so he would try to get out of the way when I’ve got work to do,” said Ms Lim, 50, wearing a top emblazoned with football powerhouse Brazil’s flag during the interview.

They have even devised a way to see each other during the impending campaign, as Mr Quah will act as her driver, ferrying her to rally sites and other places.

Ms Lim also opened up in the exclusive interview about her wish to spend more time with her parents – who are in their late 70s – and her struggles with her father’s ill health due to strokes and dementia.

“He was always a great supporter of the WP when I joined it 14 years ago and he was so proud when I went on to be sworn in as a Non-Constituency MP in 2006,” she said, adding that both her parents attended the ceremony.

“But in between, before the 2011 General Election, he had two strokes so he was not able to come when I was elected.”

Parenthood is not something that Ms Lim will experience “as being a mother is past my age now” and she will not consider procedures such as in vitro fertilisation, she said.

“I suppose I have missed out on something very special – being a mother. But that was where my life took me so I just have to enjoy my life the way it is.”

But the topic of marriage and children is still regularly brought up to her, she said, recounting a “hilarious” incident at an event she attended. “Somebody came up to me and said ‘Zao sheng gui zi’ (may you have a son soon) and I looked at the person – ‘Do you know how old I am? What are you trying to tell me?’ ” she said with a laugh.

As for being a woman in politics, Ms Lim said: “I think my gender is just a fact. I don’t like to dwell on it in any way and I don’t expect people to treat me differently because I’m a woman or to judge me by different standards.”

Ms Lim was 36 when she joined politics. Looking back on that decision and her journey, she referred to a book by US public speaker Brene Brown titled Daring Greatly. “The fundamental message of that book is that sometimes we may be very self-critical and face criticism from others as well,” she said.

“But we should always remember there’s something to celebrate about the endeavour itself. And people who are prepared to come forward to be criticised should also sometimes cut ourselves some slack.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 31, 2015
Cambridge-Educated Lawyer, Lim Tean, Appointed Acting Sec-Gen Of NSP

After weeks of turmoil, Cambridge-educated legal consultant Lim Tean has been appointed the National Solidarity Party’s (NSP) new acting secretary-general, TODAY has learnt.

Mr Lim, who was a partner at law firm Rajah and Tann, was introduced as a potential candidate at a walkabout in Tampines GRC earlier this month. He takes over from Ms Hazel Poa, who abruptly resigned from her post over a week ago because she “strongly disagreed” with the party’s decision to contest in MacPherson.

Mr Lim did not respond to calls for comment, but several party sources at a walkabout today (Aug 30) in Sembawang confirmed the appointment.

When contacted, NSP president Sebastian Teo said the party will introduce its new acting secretary-general and its slate of candidates on Nomination Day on Tuesday.

The party has said it will contest in Tampines GRC, Sembawang GRC, as well as in MacPherson and Pioneer. When asked, Mr Teo also said he planned to contest, but reiterated that final confirmation would have to wait until Nomination Day.

Today, over a dozen NSP members, including NSP organising secretary Spencer Ng, new face Kevryn Lim, youth-wing head Eugene Yeo and former Member Of Parliament Cheo Chai Chen — all touted as potential candidates — gave out flyers at Sembawang and Woodlands MRT stations. Other new faces present included Mr Yadzeth Haris and Mr Nicky Tan.

The walkabout came in the wake of the drama that besieged the party over the past two weeks, with its decision to run in MacPherson — a U-turn from an earlier position that sets up a three-cornered fight with the Workers’ Party and the People’s Action Party — leading to the resignation of Ms Poa and Mr Mohamed Fazli Talip, who was on the party’s central executive committee.

This was followed by an anonymous online smear campaign that went viral, resulting in party member Steve Chia reversing his decision to run in MacPherson. Mr Teo was also a target of the online attack, which detailed his corruption conviction in the 1970s.

On Saturday night, the NSP also said it was filing a police report on an alleged intrusion at its offices. In a Facebook post, the party said the four alleged intruders were captured on closed-circuit television. The police are investigating the incident while the party is also conducting its own investigations.

The uncertainty over the NSP’s election slate has also led the Reform Party to signal that it is keen on contesting in Pioneer if the NSP withdraws.

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 31, 2015
Hazel Poa Seen At SDP Walkabout

After keeping quiet for over a week since she resigned from the National Solidarity Party (NSP), Ms Hazel Poa was spotted at a walkabout organised by the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) yesterday.

Ms Poa, clad in the SDP’s red shirt, was seen helping to give out flyers, and was also captured in a group shot of the party taken at Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre. When contacted, a spokesperson for the SDP said Ms Poa was a volunteer, and yesterday was the first time she was helping out the party. Ms Poa could not be reached for comment.

The SDP introduced its full slate of 11 candidates at a series of press conferences last week, among them party chief Chee Soon Juan. The party plans to contest Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, and Yuhua SMC.

Ms Poa left the NSP earlier this month, citing a disagreement with the NSP’s decision to do an about-turn and contest in MacPherson. Touted as a star candidate for the NSP in the 2011 General Election, Ms Poa was appointed the party’s secretary-general that year, making her the first female secretary-general of a political party here.

She resigned two years later citing health reasons, but reprised her old role on an interim basis in June after Mr Tan Lam Siong resigned as secretary-general after only five months in the post.

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 31, 2015
SDA Member, William Lim, Resigned From Party For ‘Personal Reasons’

A member of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) who helped set up an alternative association for cabbies touted by the party has resigned.

In a statement to the media, Mr William Lim said he resigned yesterday (Aug 30) due to “personal reasons”.

A full-time taxi driver, he told TODAY he was leaving the party to concentrate on his work and other business commitments, and currently does not have plans to join any other political party. He had been a member at SDA for over a year.

He also took pains to say that the new Singapore Cabbies Association (SCA), which was announced less than two weeks ago by him and SDA chairman Desmond Lim, was “never associated with the SDA in any way”, other than the fact he is the SCA’s founding president and until now, an SDA member. The SCA, which has 200 members, aims to be an alternative to the National Taxi Association in championing cabbie welfare.

Mr William Lim’s announcement comes two days before Nomination Day, but SDA chairman Desmond Lim said that while Mr William Lim was a member of the party, he was not a potential candidate for the upcoming General Election.

“(He is leaving for) personal reasons, our hearts are heavy, but we have to respect (his decision),” said Mr Desmond Lim.

Mr Desmond Lim also said the SCA is still subject to approval by the Registry of Societies. “We had this idea, because we know taxi drivers have certain issues that need us to address. We are very concerned. Since (Mr William Lim) is a taxi driver, we helped him to form this (association), and he was a member of SDA, so it was affiliated to the SDA.”

Mr Desmond Lim added that he would prefer to wait to see if the SCA gets its approval, before commenting on whether the association will continue to be affiliated to the party.

However, Mr William Lim said the SCA will become a “non-partisan association”. “I am the only one who is handling it. Actually I have been planning to set up the SCA since last year,” he said.

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 31, 2015