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Tag: Low Thia Khiang

  • PAP-Proposed Amendment To NCMP Bill Tabled By WP Passed, WP Abstained From Voting

    PAP-Proposed Amendment To NCMP Bill Tabled By WP Passed, WP Abstained From Voting

    Parliament yesterday approved a motion tabled by the Workers’ Party (WP) to transfer its Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat offered to losing Punggol East candidate Lee Li Lian to Associate Professor Daniel Goh — but not before a heated debate, lasting almost two hours, and with amendments made to the original motion by the Government Whip and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing.

    A clause was inserted to the motion to state that Parliament “regrets that Ms Lee Li Lian, having stood as a Workers’ Party candidate and received the highest vote share among all losing opposition candidates, has now decided to give up her NCMP seat to another candidate from her party with a lower vote share, contrary to the expressed will of the voters. And that the WP supports this political manoeuvre to take full advantage of the NCMP seat, even as its secretary-general criticises NCMPs as just duckweed on the water of the pond”.

    The amended motion was passed by Parliament, despite the objections to the additional clause by the eight WP MPs — including its two incumbent NCMPs Mr Leon Perera and Mr Dennis Tan. All the WP MPs abstained from the final vote on the amended motion.

    During the debate on the motion, the PAP and the WP locked horns on the spirit of the NCMP scheme and had strong words for each other.

    The PAP MPs — Mr Chan, Punggol East MP Charles Chong and Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah — charged that the WP was trying to game the system despite openly criticising the NCMP scheme. They also took aim at WP chief Low Thia Khiang’s comments on Wednesday — in response to changes to the NCMP scheme — where he likened an NCMP to “duckweed” as he or she does not have roots in a constituency, unlike an elected MP.

    In response, Mr Low — who was joined in the debate by Mr Perera, Hougang MP Png Eng Huat and Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim — called the ruling party a “hypocrite” for downplaying fundamental differences between elected MPs and NCMPs.

    In proposing the amendment, Mr Chan said the motion “must reflect the truth”. “My party (PAP) will support the filling of the last NCMP seat according to the rules … We have recognised that the WP has continued to criticise the system, but yet deliberately made use of it to the hilt for their political advantage,” Mr Chan said.

    Referring to comments made by Ms Lee in turning down the NCMP seat — Ms Lee had said she wanted to give this chance to her WP colleagues — Mr Chan said: “The honour and privilege to join this House is for service to our nation. It is not for us to showcase ourselves. It is not for us to showcase our party talents. If we do that, we come in with the wrong end in mind.”

    Mr Chong, who edged Ms Lee out in last September’s polls, called for a review of the NCMP scheme to ensure that it is not abused. It is not intended for opposition parties to “pick and choose” which best losers to enter Parliament, he said.

    Objecting to the amendment tabled by Mr Chan, Mr Low said there is “no basis” to say the motion was a political manoeuvre. “It is provided under the law that since Lee Li Lian has not taken up the seat, Parliament can decide to fill the seat, and I have moved the motion to allow Parliament to decide.”

    All four WP MPs who spoke pointed out that Parliament had moved to fill a vacancy left by WP candidate M P D Nair back in 1984. The seat, which was offered to Mr Tan Chee Kien of the Singapore United Front, was ultimately left vacant after Mr Tan also turned it down.

    While the party remains opposed to the NCMP scheme in principle, said Mr Low, it recognises that having one more seat in Parliament can contribute to the debate and “possibly better policy outcomes”. “There is no contradiction, make no mistake about it. That is the spirit of the WP in wanting to work the system by respecting the law,” he said.

    Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said he was surprised by the PAP’s “tactically shrewd” move to let the WP fill the NCMP seat. “What they have done … is they facilitated WP having its complement of three NCMP seats, but they also took the opportunity to show up the WP for their inconsistent stance on and instrumental use of the NCMP scheme,” he said, adding that the WP would be shooting themselves in the foot if they voted against the amended motion.

    National University of Singapore political scientist Bilveer Singh noted that historically, the WP has in principle objected to the scheme and yet, it has produced the most number of NCMPs. The amendment sought by the PAP was “to signal to the public that the WP is not upfront on the issue”. However, Associate Professor Singh doubted that the matter will be a major dent on the WP. “Eventually what matters is what the three NCMPs of the WP do in Parliament … as the WP’s pouring of cold water on the scheme is a more-than-30-years-old story,” he said.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

     

  • Low Thia Khiang: Towards A First World Parliament

    Low Thia Khiang: Towards A First World Parliament

    At the last General Election in 2011, I urged Singaporeans to vote Workers’ Party to move Singapore Towards a First World Parliament.

    I thank voters who have supported this call. We have seen the outcome of moving Towards a First World Parliament. Today, we have a more responsive government that is more sensitive to the needs and struggles of the people. The ruling party has also openly admitted that the Cabinet has shifted more to the left to be more focused on the livelihood concerns of ordinary Singaporeans.

    Some Singaporeans asked what the Workers’ Party has been doing in the last four years with the call Towards A First World Parliament. I present here“The Workers’ Party in Parliament, 2011-2015” for your information.

    The government has responded to the voters of Hougang, Aljunied and Punggol-East who returned 7 elected WP members to Parliament, which is 8% of the total of 87 elected members in Parliament.

    A Landmark Election 2015

    This election is a landmark election in a new era in Singapore, because your vote will set direction for the future of our nation.

    First, do you want to send a signal to the ruling party that the government should continue to be transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the people?

    Second, should you empower yourself to participate in the decision-making process to shape your own future and the future of your children and grandchildren in the next era of Singapore?

    Build a Balanced Parliament

    Parliament is the supreme representation of the People; it derives its legitimacy in making policy and laws for Singapore on your behalf via elected Members of Parliament. You have to decide whether having more ruling party MPs in Parliament resulting in an imbalanced Parliament is in the best interest of the future of Singapore and your children.

    More importantly, your vote is a signal to the ruling party that it cannot do what it deems fit without taking you seriously. It will signal to what extent the ruling party can deprive you of your power to participate in the policy-making process without consulting you, in the name of acting in your best interest.

    There are trade-offs to every policy. Singaporeans entrusted the ruling party to decide on the trade-offs in the last 50 years of nation building; will it continue to work well in the next 50 years? How many more trade-offs should Singaporeans tolerate?

    The talent pool Singapore has today and what is required for Singapore to succeed are vastly different from the past. Many talented Singaporeans today excel in their own fields and gain international recognition. The ruling party’s mindset of monopolising power to exercise control over almost every aspect of our society and to set direction for all endeavours is a hindrance to the continuing development of Singapore in achieving excellence to become an outstanding nation.

    People must be freed from the political net-trap where talented Singaporeans in management and the professions have to worry about political correctness in decision-making and the reaction of our political leaders. Our political leaders should serve the people, not be our political masters.

    To be creative and to be able to think out of the box, people should feel free to express themselves and debate issues within known limits as a multi-racial and multi-religious society. People must also feel secure and be assured of their rights against unreasonable and disproportionate actions from the government and our political leaders.

    We must build confident professional, business and people sectors to enable Singapore to continue progress in the next 50 years. This requires checking the power of the government and empowering the people via a more balanced Parliament representing the diversity of Singapore society.

    Why Vote Workers’ Party?

    The Workers’ Party (WP) is a Rational, Responsible and Respectable party with a long history and established track record.

    • WP has been offering Singaporeans a choice at every General Election since 1957. WP has been the voice of the people in Parliament since 1981.
    • WP engages the government in policy making in a rational manner, and it does not oppose for the sake of opposition. When the policy is clearly not in the interest of the nation and the people, WP engages the front bench in debate and opposes it. WP supports policies that are beneficial to the people and the nation.
    • WP articulates balanced views and takes into consideration our multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-lingual context as a society in our political discourse.
    • WP has managed Town Council well despite many challenges and hurdles along the way in managing a much bigger town from about 9,000 units at Hougang Town Council to over 70,000 units at Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council. Apart from a number of procedural and accounting lapses pointed out in the Auditor-General’s report, which by now have mostly been addressed, the other important aspects of town management such as cleanliness, lift breakdowns and maintenance are comparable to other Town Councils. WP now has more MPs experienced in Town Council management.

    Vote Workers’ Party – Empower Your Future

    Your vote is your power. To exercise the power of your vote, you need to have an alternative party deserving your support. I have put in my best efforts for over a decade to build The Workers’ Party to be your credible choice.

    Before 2011, the ruling party cruised along with policies that led to escalating cost of living, employment and retirement insecurity, and strained infrastructure due to runaway immigration. Your vote changed the course and led to U-turns; change for the better is only beginning. We need to continue the change by sending more Workers’ Party candidates into Parliament.

    You can empower yourself to make decisions for your own future.

    Vote Workers’ Party; use the power of your vote to empower your future.

    Message from Mr Low Thia Khiang
    Secretary-General
    The Workers’ Party

     

    Source: www.wp.sg

  • Low Thia Khiang: Lui Tuck Yew A Loss, Questions If Lui Lacked Support From Cabinet

    Low Thia Khiang: Lui Tuck Yew A Loss, Questions If Lui Lacked Support From Cabinet

    Workers’ Party chief Low Thia Khiang on Wednesday expressed disappointment that Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew was leaving politics, saying the timing of the decision by the “hardworking minister” has raised questions about his reasons for doing so.

    Mr Low added that Mr Lui had done a good job, pointing out that he “goes to the ground to try his best to resolve transport issues”.

    He said: “It’s a loss to the Cabinet.”

    He also said that the unexpected announcement of Mr Lui’s impending departure from politics has raised speculation about the internal workings of the Cabinet and the Government’s handling of a public transport system beset by breakdowns in recent years.

    “Was it because of the recent incident of the MRT big breakdown…or is it because he feels he has not been supported by his Cabinet colleagues who is supposed to work as a team to give him enough confidence to stay on and solve the issues?” Mr Low told reporters before he attended his weekly Meet-the-People session.

    About 250,000 people were affected when both the North-South as well as the East-West MRT lines broke down in July during the evening peak hours.

    He also said he would be “very disappointed” with the People’s Action Party (PAP) if it allows a minister to resign in order to take the heat off public transport issues.

    Mr Low noted that Mr Lui’s predecessor, Mr Raymond Lim, also left the Cabinet after a stint as Transport Minister and questioned whether the Government needed to fundamentally rethink Singapore’s transport model.

    “Was it because philosophically I think how they treat transport is not correct and not convincing to the Minister for Transport?” he wondered aloud.

    He also suggested that perhaps Mr Lui’s morale had been affected after his ward in the soon-to-be-defunct Moulmein-Kallang GRC was “chopped off into pieces and redistributed” into other constituencies.

    Mr Low acknowledged that public transport was “a long-term problem” that would “take some time to solve” as the network is heavily used daily.

    He was also asked a series of questions on the coming general election, such as whether he feels the PAP is trying to ride the wave of national unity generated by Singapore celebrating 50 years of independence and Singaporeans celebrating the life of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, after his death in March.

    He declined to comment, saying: “It is better for members of the public (and) the younger generation of Singaporeans to look at what (the PAP) is doing and make their own judgement.”

    On what he thought of recent comments PAP ministers have made about integrity and town council management, he said: “If they really want to launch an attack,we will respond to them.”

    Meanwhile, said Mr Low, his party plans to engage younger voters through a younger slate of candidates who will be more savvy on social media, which he admitted to knowing little about.

    “I’m not on Facebook,” he said, adding that he is not planning to start a Facebook page.

    He also said the WP will introduce its candidates soon and that they were “already on the ground”.

    He said his party would probably not depart from its past practice of revealing only on Nomination Day where its candidates will stand.

    He, however, hinted that his party’s Aljunied MPs will disclose if they were staying to defend the GRC on Sunday during the sale of the WP’s newsletter.

    Mr Low was also asked to evaluate the performance of his fellow MPs in the House in the past four years. Recently, various websites have tabulated the attendance of MPs in Parliament.

    He said he would leave it to Singaporeans to evaluate them, but added that the role of an MP is not confined to attending Parliament. An MP is also involved in running town councils and serving constituents.

    However, he added, MPs should prioritise attending Parliament over other activities.

    “That’s why you offer yourself to be elected. Parliament is your destination, where you represent the people. So even if you are not slated to speak, at least you (have to be there) to know what happened.”

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Low Thia Khiang To Contest In Aljunied GRC

    Low Thia Khiang To Contest In Aljunied GRC

    The Secretary-General of the Opposition Workers’ Party (WP) Low Thia Khiang has confirmed he will defend his seat in Aljunied GRC for the upcoming General Election.

    “I appreciate very much the residents of Aljunied who have given us a chance to serve, who have responded to the call to move Singapore towards a First World Parliament,” he told reporters before his Meet The People session in Hougang on Wednesday (Aug 5).

    He said he is “happy” to see that the Government today is “more responsive”. “There are many policy U-turns being made for the benefit of the people and I want to continue to serve residents of Aljunied GRC and I’m grateful for their support,” Mr Low added.

    Aljunied GRC is the only Opposition-run GRC in Singapore. In 2011, the WP won 54.7 per cent of the votes in the General Election, versus the ruling People’s Action Party’s 45.3 per cent. The WP team there includes party chairman Sylvia Lim, and MPs Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap and Pritam Singh.

    Mr Low added that it is difficult for the party to move. “Where else can we move? Our base is here. We don’t have the resources to go as far as the West or all over Singapore,” Mr Low stated.

    “We make good use of our resources to provide a choice to Singaporeans and to build up a credible Opposition over time.”

    When asked if the upcoming election will see the current WP team of Aljunied MPs intact, he said: “We will give you more information about the candidates and all that so let’s be patient about it. But I will stay.”

    He added that the WP would still like to avoid three-cornered fights if possible as it is a “waste of resources”.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Getting Used To A New Face As Singapore PM

    Getting Used To A New Face As Singapore PM

    The GE is coming and as in any general election, a new man or woman could be thrown up as the new Prime Minister. This is normal and common in any democracy except in Singapore. Here the PM is like a life time tenure and would go to the PAP’s candidate. In this GE the PM in the aftermath would be Hsien Loong. There is hardly any doubt about this. Many things would change but the PM of Singapore after the GE would not change.

    Let’s put aside this reality and go on a trip to wonderland and let’s say a miracle happens and a new party or coalition is swept to power. And Singaporeans would have to live with a new face as the new Prime Minister. Who would that face be, Low Thia Khiang, Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Chee Soon Juan or Tan Jee Say? Try to imagine that one of them would be the new Prime Minister. The feeling is quite strange.

    Strange it might be, but would anyone picture Jokowi, a businessman, not an elite or a general, an unassuming man being the President of Indonesia? Jokowi has been the President of Indonesia for more than a year and is looking more and more like a President. And who says you need to have experience in politics and an apprenticeship to become a President or a head of govt?

    In a democracy every citizen is good enough to be the President or Prime Minister. Singaporeans must get use to a new face as the Prime Minister sooner or later. Maybe not in this election, but it will come. Look at Low Thia Khiang and get use to his face as the PM. Or look at Jee Say or Chee Soon Juan, get accustom to their faces and get use to it that their faces could be the face of a PM. Imagine them in formal business suits and ties and looking dignified as the Prime Minister. I am not talking about the money type of dignity, but the dignity of the Office of the Prime Minister, the Head of the govt of a country.

    It is just a matter of getting use to it. Get the idea? In a democracy you don’t need to be from the nobility or aristocracy to be the Prime Minister. There is no need to look noble and rich, just look like a Prime Minister will do. And the strange thing is that it will grow on the person in the Office.

     

    Source: http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com.au