Tag: MacPherson SMC

No Surprises In Workers’ Party Line-Up For 10 Battlegrounds

A snapshot of the Workers’ Party (WP) line-ups in its 10 battlegrounds at the Sept 11 polls has emerged on Nomination Day, with the party pulling no surprises yet.

WP chief Low Thia Khiang, 58, chairman Sylvia Lim, 50, lawyer Pritam Singh, 39, and full-MPs Chen Show Mao, 54, and Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, 40, are set to be defending the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

The quintet have arrived on Tuesday (Sept 1) morning at the Raffles Institution, the nomination centre for the five-member constituency, along with Mr Koh Choong Yong, 42, a software engineer. He is likely again contesting the Sengkang West single-member constituency (SMC) like he did at the 2011 polls.

The WP’s Nee Soon GRC team will comprise: Singapore Cancer Society manager Kenneth Foo Seck Guan, 38, managing partner of private investment business Luke Koh, 41, lawyer Gurmit Singh, 55, and sales consultant Cheryl Denise Loh, 31. They have arrived at the nomination centre at Yishun Primary School.

Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong, 50, lawyer Terence Tan, 44, lawyer He Ting Ru, 32, bank wealth manager Dylan Ng, 40, and chocolate factory owner Firuz Khan, 48, could be contesting the Marine Parade GRC and have arrived at the Kong Hwa School.

Funeral services company executive Bernard Chen, 29, is set to be fielded in MacPherson SMC and is also at the same nomination centre.

The four potential WP candidates for the resurrected Jalan Besar GRC, medical social worker Frieda Chan Sio Phing, 39, polytechnic lecturer L. Somasundaram, 52, engineer Redzwan Hafidz Abdul Razak, 30, and businessman Adrian Sim Tian Hock, 43, have arrived at Bendemeer Primary School.

NCMP Gerald Giam, 37, National University of Singapore sociology professor Daniel Goh, 42; consultancy firm CEO Leon Perera, 44; former associate librarian Mohamed Fairoz Shariff, 36; shipping law firm partner Dennis Tan, 45, were at the Aljunied Town Council office in Kaki Bukit and have boarded a bus set for Fengshan Primary School.

It is the nomination centre for the East Coast GRC and Fengshan SMC. Mr Tan is likely to stand in the SMC as his team has split up with that of the other four WP candidates.

Also at the same nomination centre was Punggol East MP Lee Li Lian, 37, who will be defending the constituency she won in a 2013 by-election.

Hougang MP Png Eng Huat, 53, has also arrived at Poi Ching school, the nomination centre for the SMC that he won in a 2012 by-election.

Hougang is the stronghold of the WP, held by Mr Low from 1991 till he left in 2011 and won the first GRC for the opposition.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

September 1, 2015
NSP Will Still Contest Macpherson SMC

The National Solidarity Party (NSP) is committed to contesting in the MacPherson single member constituency, party organising secretary Spencer Ng confirmed on Monday, stressing that Mr Steve Chia’s withdrawal did not affect their decision.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting at the party’s headquarters in Jalan Besar, Mr Ng said that the CEC had collectively decided to contest in MacPherson, and was standing by its choice.

The latest announcement appears to contradict a Facebook post by NSP council member Steve Chia last Sunday stating that he was withdrawing from MacPherson. He also wished the Workers’ Party well and urged it to send a good candidate.

The NSP did not comment on Mr Chia’s post until Monday night, when Mr Ng said simply: “MacPherson is still on.”

“We’ve been there for 10 years and we want to go back because many residents had requested that we do,” he added.

Mr Ng’s remarks amount to NSP seemingly reversing its decision of whether to contest in MacPherson three times within a week.

The party declared last Wednesday that it would contest in MacPherson SMC after it said earlier that it would bow out so as to prevent a three-corner fight with the People’s Action Party and the Workers’ Party. Acting secretary-general Hazel Poa quit in protest on the same day.

On Sunday, Mr Chia indicated that NSP was pulling out only for Mr Ng to contradict him a day later.

Mr Ng said that Monday’s meeting was for elections preparations, and was not about party succession. He added that the party’s election manifesto will be out “in the next few days”.

Besides Mr Ng, other NSP members in attendance were Mr Eugene Yeo, Mr Elvin Ong, Mr Nicky Tan, Mr Yadzeth Haris and party new face Kevryn Lim. Neither Mr Chia nor party president Sebastian Teo were present.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 25, 2015
NSP’S Steve Chia Withdraws From Macpherson SMC

National Solidarity Party’s member, Mr Steve Chia has announced via his personal facebook account that he would not be contesting in MacPherson Single Member Constituency (SMC) and also would not be contesting in the upcoming General Election.

While Mr Chia did not clearly attributed the reason for his withdrawal from the election, but the content of the post suggests that the negativity surrounding NSP’s flip-flopping on the withdrawal from MacPherson SMC might have affected him much.

The former non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) wrote in his post, “The Trolls have won”, followed with hashtags of ‪#‎MyReputationIsGone‬, ‪#‎PeopleOnlyRemembersTheBad‬,‪ #‎NotWorthIt‬.

He also attached a hyperlink to a website created that contains information of his past as a politician. He clarified that the site is not set up by him and that some of the information in it are not correctly written.

Mr Chia went on to state his personal wish that Workers’ Party would send a strong candidate and take down MacPherson SMC.

Earlier this week, former Secretary General, Hazel Poa resigned from NSP due to the party’s decision to go back on its earlier decision to contest MacPherson SMC, going into a three-corner fight with Workers’ Party and People’s Action Party. Mr Chia is said to be the candidate that the party was going to field for the SMC.

Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com

August 23, 2015
Tin Pei Ling Confirms Candidacy For Macpherson SMC

Fresh from giving birth earlier this month, Member of Parliament (MP) for Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency Tin Pei Ling confirmed today (Aug 21) that she is the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate for the newly created MacPherson SMC.

Holding a press conference today at PAP MacPherson Branch just two weeks after she had a baby boy, the first-term MP chose to surround herself with grassroots volunteers as a show of appreciation and said she and her team have been here “from day one, dedicating our time and energy” to serve residents.

She said that they have rolled out various programmes to help vulnerable families and the elderly, upgrading projects and social initiatives over the past four years. “My team and I have delivered more than what we have promised,” she said, adding that they hope to do more.

She also thanked residents for their support, adding that she has developed emotional attachments to them and hopes to continue helping them and being their voice in Parliament.

Ms Tin’s MacPherson ward was carved out of Marine Parade GRC during recent electoral boundary changes.

In the 2011 election, Ms Tin, who was the PAP’s youngest candidate at age 27, was the subject of harsh criticism, with many questioning her maturity and capabilities.

After the GRC won 56.6 per cent of votes, the party’s second-lowest winning percentage in a group representation constituency, Ms Tin quit her job at Ernst & Young to become a full-time MP. She currently sits on the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law.

Asked about MacPherson SMC heading for a three-cornered fight after the National Solidarity Party made a U-turn over its decision not to contest the single seat to make way for the Workers’ Party, Ms Tin said her main motivation is to serve the residents. Her team is observing the happenings and will “prepare accordingly”, no matter which opposition party comes forward to contest the constituency, she said.

As for the negative publicity she had attracted previously, Ms Tin acknowledged her “rocky and painful start” but said she pressed on because of the desire to help others and make a difference. When she hears her residents’ issues, what she has endured back then “pales in comparison”.

If she is able to help someone and make an impact, it would have been worth it, she added.

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 22, 2015
Why The ‘Very Hot-Blooded Fight For Macpherson SMC?

The recent news of National Solidarity Party’s (NSP) secretary general Hazel Poa resignation, together with her downcast facial expression, came to my sight as I flipped through my newspapers. It was a smart move by the mainstream media to use the situation to the People’s Action Party’s advantage.

Moving the focus past that, I was more curious about what initially made NSP gave up both areas when they could have fought for at least one, even if it meant a three-cornered fight.

And if NSP had taken up the initial offer by Workers’ Party (WP), it would not have even led to the sudden resignation by Ms Poa. However, I can empathize that it was most likely because NSP did not want to give up Marine Parade GRC which they had fought for in 2011 (with a close margin of 43%). WP could also have chosen to not contest in Marine Parade since they know it was NSP’s “territory”.

The outcome of this entangled mess was 1) Ms Poa’s resignation as she “strongly disagreed” with NSP’s decision to contest in MacPherson SMC and 2) NSP’s return to MacPherson SMC due to what they claim was support and appeal by the residents from the constituency. This would mean a three-party fight, which could result in the increase of PAP’s chance of winning.

To give a fair picture, WP did contest in Joo Chiat SMC in 2011 which they nearly won (49%), and the area has now been absorbed into Marine Parade. This was their stated reason for wanting to contest in Marine Parade GRC this year. Still, since NSP contested in Marine Parade in 2011 and WP is already contesting in so many other wards, why not give way to other parties who gave way to you before?

If WP had not stepped into Marine Parade, might NSP even do better this year than the 43% they received in Marine Parade GRC during GE2011?

What does all this show? WP may feel they can easily win Marine Parade GRC this year since NSP was on the verge of winning in 2011. “Since we are the most established opposition party and have prominent supporters, the smaller parties will most likely give way to us.” To give some insight, NSP had also similarly given up Moulmein-Kallang GRC to WP in 2011.

In a sense, WP was very smart when it stuck to their plans and played the waiting game, letting the action and drama play out in NSP, which affects only NSP’s image. Lesson 1: The one who strategise in the long-term, instead of making quick decisions rashly, only stands to win. Lesson 2: More power = more control over the playing field = less prominent parties will give way to us. Does this mean more parties will have to give way to WP in the future?

Another reason for the three-cornered fight in MacPherson SMC could also be the opposition parties thinking they can win MacPherson because of Ms Tin Pei Ling’s presence. Yes, Ms Tin Pei Ling may have faced negative backlash 4 years back, but it seems her image has matured, and she has become more level-headed.

Furthermore, she had just given birth during the pre-election period – which could be an X-factor to draw in more voters, since she is a new mother; and is active even during this post-partum period, usually set aside as a resting period for a mother’s recovery.

Tin Pei Ling, husband and ESM Goh Chok Tong (image – ESM’s Facebook page)

“We have five years. If after five years, Tin Pei Ling remains what she is, then of course, she would still be a factor at the next election. But at this stage, looking at her action, in three years time, she would be a different Tin Pei Ling.” It seems like what Mr Goh Chok Tong said in 2011 did come true, and Ms Tin Pei Ling did persevere to stay on in the political scene. Let’s see if her effort will pay off and if she can prove her worth in September.

And lastly, the burning question: Is thereopposition unity in Singapore? No doubt, we saw separate parties contesting when they could have a higher chance of winning by combining forces. However, the opposition parties’ meeting and the fact that most parties gave way to each other to prevent three-cornered fights do show the mutual respect and amity they have for each other.

Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com

August 22, 2015