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Tag: Gerald Giam

  • Gerald Giam: Neighbours Need To Live At Peace With Each Other

    Gerald Giam: Neighbours Need To Live At Peace With Each Other

    Had to mediate several disputes between neighbours on the same floor during house visits last night. There were four households in the fray! It was clear they were vexed over noise, smoking, rude behaviour and other issues. Even the police and HDB had been called in previously, but weren’t able to take any action.

    It took some time for me to hear out each resident’s complaints and convey their salient concerns to their neighbours, to try to convince them to see things from each others’ perspective, empathise with their neighbours’ concerns and change their behaviour.

    As with most community disputes, it helps if neighbours are considerate to each other in the first instance, but even when they are not, to be pleasant-mannered when communicating one’s unhappiness to neighbours, so as not to breed animosity.

    Easier said than done, but there is no better way for all of us to live at peace with each other.

     

    Source: Gerald Giam 严燕松

  • Gerald Giam: I Will Continue To Serve Residents On The Ground In East Coast GRC

    Gerald Giam: I Will Continue To Serve Residents On The Ground In East Coast GRC

    Last night, the Workers’ Party’s CEC (Central Executive Council) met to decide on which candidates would accept the Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) positions, following the results of General Election 2015. The press release on our decisions is here.

    Before a vote was taken on the nominee from the East Coast GRC team, I asked the CEC to consider nominating Leon Perera and, if Parliament decides to open up the vacated seat left by Lee Li Lian, for Daniel Goh to fill it.

    I am happy that the CEC unanimously agreed to this proposal. The East Coast team had earlier discussed this matter amongst ourselves and we agreed that Leon and Daniel would be the most suitable candidates as NCMPs. They have both taken leading roles in policy work within our Party, and I am confident they will be able to make very positive contributions to Parliamentary debates and speak up for not just residents of East Coast GRC, but all Singaporeans.

    I am grateful to have had the privilege and opportunity to serve as an NCMP in the 12th Parliament of Singapore. It was a very fulfilling four years. I learned so much from the debates, the policy research that we did, and from my fellow MPs, volunteers, residents and the subject matter experts I consulted.

    I am very thankful to all those who helped me fulfil my NCMP role, including the WP volunteers who gave up so much time to help me in policy work and ground outreach. Special thanks go to my wife and parents who stood by me through all the trying times, as well as my two young kids who were always understanding when I told them I couldn’t spend time with them because I was going out to a certain “Party”.

    While I will no longer be an NCMP, I intend to continue serving residents on the ground in East Coast GRC and through my Party in the areas of policy research and media. I would like to thank all the residents of East Coast GRC who have supported me and WP in the past two elections which I contested, and I look forward to greater interactions with you over the next five years. For those who did not vote for us, I especially look forward to an opportunity to understand your concerns, hopes and dreams, and to be able to serve you better in the future.

     

    Source: http://geraldgiam.sg

  • Workers’ Party Expects East Coast GRC Fight To Go To The Wire

    Workers’ Party Expects East Coast GRC Fight To Go To The Wire

    The Workers’ Party’s (WP) team for East Coast Group Representation Constituency is hoping that the “tremendous” support from residents during the hustings will translate into votes come Polling Day, said team leader Gerald Giam.

    Speaking to reporters today (Sept 9) at a walkabout at New Upper Changi Road, Mr Giam noted the warm reception and said he expects East Coast GRC to be “one of the closest contested wards” in this election.

    “So we’re trying to reach out to as many residents as possible… We hope that many of them will come to our rally tonight to hear what we have to say,” he said. WP is holding its final rally at East Coast GRC tonight.

    Mr Giam added: “We hope that residents will also be able to share with their families and friends the message we have for them which is to entrench an opposition presence in Parliament and (for) a group of MPs who can hold the Government to account and give them (Singaporeans) bargaining power.”

    In the 2011 General Election, WP received 45 per cent of the vote in East Coast GRC, while the People’s Action Party garnered 55 per cent of the vote. Mr Giam said he felt that the response from residents has been “better” this time round. He added that his stint as a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament after the previous GE has helped made it easier for him to connect with residents, as more of them were able to recognise him. “I am very proud to have a good team with me,” he said.

    He said: “The people in Singapore have demonstrated a desire for greater Opposition presence. Many of them have come up to us and told us that they want to see a greater Opposition presence in parliament, but not just any Opposition. They want an opposition that is credible, responsible and can speak up for them and raise issues that matter to them — that what we hope to be if we’re elected.”

    Mr Giam also reiterated the WP’s stand on foreign workers. While the WP supports the current tightening by the Government, it wants greater predictability to be given to businesses, with clearer targets and timelines on reducing the foreign worker dependency ratios. This should be done “independent of electoral cycles and other things that will be affected by political considerations”, Mr Giam said. “There is no choice (but) to tighten the inflow because of the excesses of the previous decade, where a lot of foreigners were brought in and there wasn’t sufficient planning done,” he said.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Engineer, Redzwan Hafidz, Unveiled As Workers’ Party Candidate

    Engineer, Redzwan Hafidz, Unveiled As Workers’ Party Candidate

    The Workers’ Party unveiled its first batch of potential candidates for the upcoming general election at its Syed Alwi Road headquarters on Wednesday (Aug 26) afternoon.

    Among them were new faces Daniel Goh, 42, an associate professor of sociology at the National University of Singapore, engineer Redzwan Hafidz, 30, and RHBBANK wealth manager Dylan Ng, 40.

    On July 26, party chairman Sylvia Lim had revealed that it would befielding a record 28 candidates – up from 23 in 2011 – in fiveGROUPrepresentation constituencies (GRCs) and five single-member constituencies (SMCs).

    APARTfrom Aljunied GRC, Hougang SMC and Punggol East SMC which WP currently holds, it is contesting in East Coast, Jalan Besar, Marine Parade and Nee Soon GRCs, as well as Fengshan, MacPherson and Sengkang West SMCs.

    Non-constituency MP Gerald Giam and Aljunied MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap had visited the Elections Department headquarters on Wednesday morning toCOLLECT nomination papers on behalf of the party.

    Mr Giam, 37, confirmed that he was one of the 28 candidates contesting at the coming polls.

    The pair also submitted the candidates’ Political Donation Certificates and certificates from the Malay Community Committee and the Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee, ahead of the deadline on Aug 28.

    The Straits Times had previously identified as many as 16 new faces who could be on the party’s slate, half of whom hail from the private sector. Their ages range between 27 and 48.

    Mr Low said on Aug 12 that WP was looking to field younger candidates who “will be able to connect more and represent the views and aspirations of the younger generation”.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • GE2015: A Local Or National GE?

    GE2015: A Local Or National GE?

    Preparations for the next General Election have begun in earnest. Some MPs have announced their retirement, while others have reaffirmed their commitment to continue serving the nation. Parties have begun announcing new candidates; and in a break from tradition, the incumbent has decided to introduce all new candidates before nomination day, giving them a chance to familiarise themselves with the electorate.
    This move could be read as an indication from the incumbent that this GE would likely be a “local” election. In a recent Facebook post, potential Workers’ Party candidate and current NCMP Gerald Giam, shared his thoughts on this issue
    As Giam has rightly pointed out, many constituents are happy with the municipal work done by their incumbent, and their votes would reflect their satisfaction. Considering the lack of a national platform for many MPs, the only real differentiating factor visible to residents is the “local” work done by the MPs.
    Building strong bonds with constituents is certainly beneficial to any candidate. At the end of the day, regardless of the national issues, it is the residents within the constituency that decide who should be their MP, and if the incumbent has done a good job within the division, their chances of re-election are high.
    As the campaigning heats up, the incumbents would certainly present their track record in managing the estate as a strong justification for re-election. Their ability to solve local issues, and provide their constituents with a safe and pleasant neighbourhood will certainly be a deciding factor; but I hope it is not the only one.
    As a young nation, we are at an inflection point. Forces beyond our control have dictated that our region will be one of the key drivers of the global economy. Technological advancements have made some of Singapore’s traditional strengths redundant – offshore centres in lower cost countries can easily provide the professional services that Singapore has been a global leader at.
    What worries me, is that many people have discussions regarding bread and butter issues, assuming our nation’s continued prosperity. Singapore’s success is not guaranteed, and as Mr. Lee Kuan Yew used to say, no one owes us a living.
    I hope that we never forget that our current success is an anomaly, a product of visionary leadership and a hardworking, self-sacrificing population. I would like to see today’s politicians display the same determination and clarity of vision that our pioneer leaders displayed. And I hope that we citizens are ready to work hard and sacrifice to ensure that Singapore continues to beat the odds.
    So on polling day, I will cast my vote for the  party that has the most compelling and actionable vision for Singapore – a Singapore that I would be proud to leave for future generations and one that my parents would be proud I helped shape.
    So parties it is time to convince me, and other voters, not only that you can keep my estate spotlessly clean but also that you have a vision for tomorrow.
    Source: http://inconvenientquestions.sg