SINGAPORE: The National Solidarity Party (NSP) would run a town council by directly employing the staff they need, instead of engaging a subcontractor, if elected, the party’s acting secretary-general Hazel Poa said on Sunday (Aug 16).
Ms Poa was speaking in response to questions about Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean’s criticism of the Workers’ Party (WP) over its handling of financial management lapses at Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC).
“We should be focusing on issues and things that really affect Singaporeans’ lives,” Ms Poa said to the media, after a walkabout at Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC). “We would also like to emphasise the point that electing Members of Parliament should be more than just estate management. After all it is ‘Member of Parliament’. Their primary role should be their contributions in Parliament to enact laws that affect the lives of every Singaporean.”
Ms Poa also declined to comment on the NSP’s slate of candidates, stating that the party will only reveal its 11 candidates for Tampines GRC, Sembawang GRC and Pioneer Single Member Constituency (SMC) – where it intends to contest in the upcoming General Election (GE) – at the end of the month. Nevertheless, the party could be heard introducing 39-year-old real estate agent Eugene Yeo and 35-year-old businessman Spencer Ng, who have also been participating in walkabouts in other constituencies, as potential candidates.
Possible NSP candidates Eugene Yeo (left) and Spencer Ng (right) on a walkabout in Sembawang GRC on Aug 16, 2015. (Photo: Hon Jing Yi / TODAY)
Ms Poa also commented on the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) candidates, noting that Mr Ong Ye Kung, who was a member of the PAP team that lost to WP in Aljunied GRC in the 2011 GE, has joined the ruling party’s slate for Sembawang GRC.
“We are glad to see that Ong Ye Kung is back to contest in the General Election despite the setback that he received in the last election. If you’re committed to serving Singaporeans, that’s the right spirit, although it would have been better if he had gone back to Aljunied to fight for the voters there,” Ms Poa said. “He contested there in the previous round and it was quite a close contest, so if he had gone back to Aljunied it would have better shown his commitment to serve his residents there.”
Menteri Bertanggungjawab bagi Ehwal Masyarakat Islam, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, menekankan bahawa rekod beliau dan rakan-rakan Anggota Parlimen (AP) Melayu daripada Parti Tindakan Rakyat (PAP) harus dinilai dari sudut pembangunan masyarakat Melayu setempat secara menyeluruh, meliputi kemajuan yang dicapai dalam pelbagai bidang seperti pendidikan dan sosial.
Berkata demikian kepada Berita Harian (BH) setelah memperkenalkan pasukan PAP bagi Kawasan Undi Perwakilan Kumpulan (GRC) Jalan Besar yang diterajuinya pagi semalam, Dr Yaacob berkata beliau berharap pengundi Melayu akan berfikiran luas dan tidak hanya menilai AP-AP Melayu PAP berdasarkan satu-satu isu yang belum terhurai.
“Masyarakat kita masih berdepan dengan beberapa isu, masih mempunyai cabaran, saya tidak menafikannya.
“Tapi cabaran ini sedang ditangani bukan hanya oleh badan-badan Melayu/Islam, malah dengan kerjasama agensi pemerintah,” ujar beliau yang tidak menyebut isu-isu yang dimaksudkan secara khusus.
Di peringkat nasional pula, Dr Yaacob menekankan bahawa dasar perumahan, kesihatan, pendidikan dan sosial yang diperkenalkan pemerintah turut memberi manfaat kepada masyarakat Melayu.
Inisiatif SkillsFuture, menurutnya, akan memberi manfaat besar kepada pelajar dan pekerja Melayu.
Lantaran itu Yayasan Mendaki telah pun membentuk divisyen khas bagi meneroka cara memastikan masyarakat merebut peluang penuh skim pemerintah itu.
Dalam pada itu, Dr Yaacob berkata pemerintah telah membuktikan ia sentiasa terbuka kepada kerjasama dengan masyarakat Melayu/Islam dalam memperbaiki hidup mereka dalam segala aspek.
Antaranya menerusi perubahan dasar pendidikan yang memberi manfaat kepada pelajar di madrasah.
“Jadi, saya rasa jika kita jujur dalam penilaian kita, pengundi Melayu akan melihat bahawa pemerintah hari ini prihatin dan jujur berkhidmat bagi pembangunan masyarakat.
“Dan pada masa yang sama, pemerintah ini juga memerlukan sokongan masyarakat Melayu untuk ia memimpin negara kita mengharungi tempoh mencabar pada masa-maa akan datang,” kata Dr Yaacob, yang juga Menteri Perhubungan dan Penerangan dan Menteri Bertanggungjawab bagi Keselamatan Siber.
Sementara itu, selain Dr Yaacob, melengkapi pasukan PAP di GRC Jalan Besar ialah Menteri Negara Kanan (Pejabat Perdana Menteri), Encik Heng Chee How; Mayor Central Singapore, Cik Denise Phua; dan AP veteran, Dr Lily Neo.
GRC Jalan Besar dibentuk semula dalam semakan sempadan kawasan undi baru-baru ini, menggantikan GRC Moulmein-Kallang.
Menteri Perhubungan dan Penerangan, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, akan menerajui pasukan Parti Tindakan Rakyat (PAP) bagi GRC Jalan Besar yang dibentuk semula bagi Pilihan Raya Umum akan datang.
Selain Dr Yaacob, melengkapi pasukan PAP di GRC Jalan Besar ialah Menteri Negara Kanan (Pejabat Perdana Menteri), Encik Heng Chee How; Mayor Central Singapore, Cik Denise Phua; dan AP veteran, Dr Lily Neo.
Pasukan itu dijangka menghadapi saingan daripada pasukan Parti Pekerja (WP).
GRC Jalan Besar dibentuk semula dalam semakan sempadan kawasan undi baru-baru ini, menggantikan GRC Moulmein-Kallang.
Semalam, PAP turut mengumumkan pasukannya bagi GRC West Coast, yang telah dikurangkan daripada GRC lima anggota kepada GRC empat anggota.
GRC itu akan menampilkan anggota baru – Encik Patrick Tay.
Tiga lagi anggotanya ialah Menteri Perdagangan dan Perusahaan, Encik Lim Hng Kiang; Menteri di Pejabat Perdana Menteri, Encik S. Iswaran; dan AP, Cik Foo Mee Har.
Encik Tay menggantikan Menteri Kebudayaan, Masyarakat dan Belia, Encik Lawrence Wong, yang mengetuai GRC Marsiling-Yew Tee yang baru, bersama Speaker Parlimen, Cik Halimah Yaacob.
Encik Tay, Penolong Setiausaha Agung Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Kebangsaan (NTUC), sebelum ini adalah AP GRC Nee Soon.
Encik Lim, yang menyertai politik pada 1991, akan memimpin GRC tersebut bersama Encik Iswaran.
Encik Cedric Foo pula diumumkan akan kekal dalam Kawasan Undi Perseorangan (SMC) Pioneer.
Sementara itu, GRC Chua Chu Kang melihat seorang muka baru – Encik Yee Chia Hsing.
Beliau menggantikan Encik AlvinYeo, yang meninggalkan politik setelah berkhidmat selama dua penggal.
Menteri Kesihatan, Encik Gan Kim Yong, kekal menerajui GRC tersebut.
Anggota-anggota lain pasukannya ialah AP-AP Encik Zaqy Mohamad dan Cik Low Yen Ling.
Selain PAP, parti pembangkang juga tidak melepaskan peluang mengadakan lawatan menemui penduduk di serata pulau.
Dalam lawatan ke pasar dan pusat makanan Chong Pang, Pengerusi WP, Cik Sylvia Lim, mendedahkan kepada media bahawa AP partinya akan kekal di kawasan undi masingmasing mempertahankan kerusi Parlimen mereka.
Sementara itu, Parti Rakyat Singapura (SPP) dan Parti Progresif Demokratik (DPP) masih mengadakan perbincangan menampilkan pasukan gabungan bertanding bagi GRC Bishan-Toa Payoh.
Anggota Parlimen (AP) GRC Chua Chu Kang, Encik Zaqy Mohamad, akan mempertahankan kerusinya bersama pasukan Parti Tindakan Rakyat (PAP) GRC itu dalam Pilihan Raya Umum akan datang.
Ini merupakan pilihan rayanya yang ketiga sejak beliau menceburi politik pada 2006 ketika bertanding bagi GRC Hong Kah.
Sejak dilantik menjadi AP, Encik Zaqy telah diberi beberapa tanggungjawab seperti Pengerusi Majlis Bandaran Chua Chu Kang, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Parlimen Pemerintah (GPC) bagi Perhubungan dan Penerangan, dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Bulan Bahasa.
Beliau kini merupakan seorang Pengarah Akaun Asean dan Pembangunan Perniagaan di Ernst & Young.
Amid speculation that the Workers’ Party’s (WP) big guns could move out of their home turf to contest in other constituencies, WP chairman Sylvia Lim said today (Aug 16) that all seven of the party’s elected Members of Parliament (MPs) will be staying put to defend their wards in the coming elections.
An Instagram post by WP chairman Sylvia Lim last week of her eating at Fengshan Single-Member Constituency had fanned speculation that the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) MP could strike out on her own.
Speaking to reporters at Chong Pang Market where WP supporters and members were selling its newspaper, Ms Lim quelled the talk by announcing that the WP will retain its slate for Aljunied GRC, as well as the Hougang and Punggol East single-seat wards.
She said: “We found that in the last four years, our experience in Aljunied has been fulfilling. We also have our challenges (and) throughout this period, there have been residents who inspired us by coming forward to give us encouragement because they believe in us.”
Earlier this month, WP chief Low Thia Khiang was the first from the party to declare that he would not be moving out of his constituency.
Nevertheless, Ms Lim said the party had given some thoughts to moving one of more of its members out to make new inroads. “On consideration, we decided that it is meaningful for us to remain as a team to seek (residents’) mandate for the next term,” she said.
She added that all the WP MPs will be helping the party’s other candidates to canvass support in the various constituencies.
On whether the saga over the financial lapses of the WP-run Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) had affected sentiments among the residents — and thus render it unwise for the MPs to move out, instead of staying put and being accountable — Ms Lim would only say that the party would “leave it to residents and the public to judge what is exactly going on”. She also revealed that the AHPETC’s audited financial figures will be released at the end of the month.
The WP entourage in Nee Soon GRC consisted of several new faces who have been touted as potential candidates including Singapore Cancer Society officer Kenneth Foo, 38, consultant Cheryl Denise Loh, 31, trainee lawyer Shaneet Rai, 27, property agent Ron Tan, 30, bank manager Dylan Ng, 40, holding company chief executive Luke Koh, 40, and project executive Bernard Chen, 29.
Since last week, the People’s Action Party has started introducing its candidates and breaking from tradition, the ruling party is also unveiling its slate before Nomination Day, barring last minute changes.
Ms Lim reiterated that the WP will introduce its candidates when it is ready, and this would likely to be “some time” after National Day Rally on Sunday.
Political analyst Gillian Koh said she was surprised by WP’s decision to keep its Aljunied GRC team intact for the coming polls.
Dr Koh, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, felt that the WP could perhaps be worried about losing Aljunied GRC if the team is split. By staying in Aljunied GRC, both Ms Lim and Mr Low could also campaign in other constituencies with “some level of comfort” that WP can successfully defend their home turf, Dr Koh said.
She said: “If on the other hand, they were quite confident about Aljunied GRC and were interested in extending their reach, it may have been more effective to have two GRC teams headed by their two leaders and best known WP politicians.”
Both Dr Koh and Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said that WP’s decision show that its leaders were confident of the party’s other candidates. Still, Associate Professor Tan felt that WP did explore the idea of moving its big guns out to try and win more constituencies. “But it’s clear they know where their priorities lie and that an incremental approach, as opposed to an aggressive and ambitious tack, is tactically more apt,” he said. He added: “There is the imperative to consolidate their hold of Aljunied GRC, their crown-jewel. They are signalling that they do not take their Aljunied residents for granted, and the same team will work through the AHPETC issues.”
Assoc Prof Tan noted that the decision would also help to “shut out further PAP criticisms that they are seeking new political pastures for the sake of doing so”.
Dr Koh and Assoc Tan felt it was unlikely that the WP could renege on its decision, and spring surprises on Nomination Day. “Should WP… deploy either Mr Low or Ms Lim in other wards at the eleventh hour, it will not go down well with the Aljunied GRC voters,” Assoc Prof Tan said. “Such a switch, even if tactical, would also result in the campaign being side-tracked by this matter. It will become the proverbial lightning rod.”
Speaking to reporters, Ms Lim also played down the absence of its WP MPs from the National Day Rally this Sunday, which clashes with a grassroots event – an SG50 celebration dinner for residents – they have been planning since last year.
Adding that she was “not sure why people are trying to create an issue out of it”, she said of the grassroots event: “We think it is meaningful for us, especially as an opposition party, to rally our supporters, to remind everyone what we want is to actually have betterment for Singapore as a whole.”
She added: “I think people sometimes get confused and they cannot distinguish between national issues and ruling party interests. We want to underscore the point that even if you are an opposition supporter, you can be as loyal to Singapore as any PAP supporter.”
