The People’s Action Party (PAP) has confirmed that Mr Edwin Tong will be fielded in Joo Chiat as part of the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) team for the coming General Election.
Anchored by Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, the rest of the team will include incumbents Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef and Mr Seah Kian Peng.
The team had previously been cited as the likely line-up for Marine Parade GRC by Mr Goh on the MParader Facebook page. Mr Goh had said he requested for Mr Tong “to be tested” in Joo Chiat, a single-seat ward in the 2011 GE that has been absorbed into Marine Parade GRC for the coming GE.
Mr Tong, who comes from Moulmein-Kallang GRC, replaces MP Tin Pei Ling, who will stand in the newly carved-out MacPherson single-seat ward.
Fighting his 9th election, Mr Goh said this morning (Aug 26) he could have retired but felt duty-bound to stay on when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong asked him to. On Mr Tan’s appointment as anchor minister in Marine Parade GRC, Mr Goh said: “This is national leadership transition in action”.
Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin will be the anchor minister at Marine Parade GRC in the upcoming election, he announced on Saturday evening (Aug 15) at the sidelines of a Hari Raya celebration event.
Mr Tan said this means he will be “playing a leading role” within a team, adding that ESM Goh Chok Tong will continue to run in Marine Parade GRC for the upcoming election.
“We will continue leveraging on his experience. He’s much loved and respected by many of the residents in Marine Parade and Marine Parade GRC, and I would say many Singaporeans as well,” Mr Tan said. “We will discuss issues together and I think we operate very much as a team, and I don’t see that changing.”
ESM Goh Chok Tong had on Friday announced that he will be standing for election in Marine Parade GRC, where he has been an MP for close to 40 years.
Having spent the past few weeks getting to know Joo Chiat residents, People’s Action Party Member of Parliament Edwin Tong said on Saturday (Aug 15) that he feels “very welcome”.
Mr Tong, who is currently MP of Moulmein-Kallang GRC, looks set to move to Marine Parade GRC, which will absorb the single ward of Joo Chiat. Mr Tong also thanked current Joo Chiat MP, Charles Chong, who may contest in the opposition-held ward of Punggol East.
“People are very warm, and have been long-term residents of Joo Chiat. I think you value the heritage and close community bonds that you have. A lot of that is down to the good work that Charles and his team have done over the last few years in building up Joo Chiat, and I look forward to being able to continue on that good work and build on those foundations and getting to know all of you better – so that we can understand the issues that you face, and more importantly to build a little kampong that we have called Joo Chiat,” he said.
Mr Tong was speaking at the PAssionArts Festival at Siglap South Community Centre. The festival, which is into its sixth weekend, also saw the launch of these eight panels of facade art.
The designs, which were done by residents, students and teachers of La Salle College of the Arts, tell a unique story of local food. Residents also enjoyed the food and cultural performances.
“My greatest regret is that I didn’t manage to bring my parents to Universal Studios.”
With those words, jaws dropped across the nation, and Tin Pei Ling, then 27, set herself on the path to becoming one of the most controversial personalities of General Election 2011.
A senior associate with Ernst & Young at the time, with a degree in psychology, the candidate for Marine Parade GRC seemed markedly different from the usual People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate. Voters were used to seeing standing for election former generals, scholars and civil servants who were typically mature individuals in their 30s and 40s.
Then came her first doorstop with the media, where she uttered those infamous words. Netizens began questioning her qualifications and wondered aloud if she had gotten in through her connections – she is married to Ng How Yue, former Principal Private Secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and now Second Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Then this photo was unearthed:
This was the infamous image of Tin that drew much flak from online users last year.
From that point on, there was no turning back.
Many netizens were convinced that Ms Tin was too immature and inexperienced. She lacked substance. She could not speak well. She was being parachuted into power by riding on the coat tails of former Prime Minister and then-Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.
Perhaps even more crucially, she stood in stark contrast to one of her direct opponents: the National Solidarity Party’s (NSP’s) Nicole Seah, then 24. Attractive, composed and idealistic, Ms Seah had star power that Ms Tin simply could not match.
Former politician Nicole Seah at an NSP rally in 2011.
During an NSP rally, I personally witnessed the crowd booing the speaker before Ms Seah, urging him to get off the stage. When she had finished speaking and came to shake hands with supporters, one starstruck, middle-aged woman even told her: “Nicole, I will vote for you! You must fight for us in Parliament, okay!”
If there was such a thing as preferred youth candidate, it was Ms Seah. Some even called NSP the Nicole Seah Party.
All of which led to this memorable scene on Nomination Day, when the PAP team contesting Marine Parade came out to address supporters. Among my colleagues at the time, there were more than a few sniggers.
When the PAP eventually won in Marine Parade with more than 56% of the vote – a historically low margin of victory in the ward – SM Goh acknowledged that Ms Tin had played a significant role in the reduced percentage.
Outraged netizens even set up a Facebook page called Petition to Remove Tin Pei Ling as a MP. It attracted thousands of likes.
To her credit, a chastened looking Ms Tin addressed the criticisms directly, “I hope that I’ll be given this opportunity in the next five years to prove myself through my actions, serving the residents of MacPherson.”
But Ms Tin herself acknowledged that it would be an uphill task.
An unfortunately timed video a year later seemed to sum up the prevailing sentiments towards her:
In the years since 2011, Ms Tin looks to have thrown herself into the task of serving her constituency.
She is a full-time MP, and the comments on her Facebook page (more than 18,000 likes), once vitriolic, are now largely positive:
Photo source: Tin Pei Ling Facebook page
Photo source: Tin Pei Ling Facebook page
Other than the occasional naysayer on social media, there was also plenty of goodwill towards Ms Tin when she gave birth recently.
As evidenced from her Facebook page, she continued to serve even while heavily pregnant:
Photo source: Tin Pei Ling Facebook page
Senior Minister Emeritus Goh posted the first photo of the happy family, along with a promise:
Photo credit: MParader Facebook page
How will Ms Tin fare this time round, especially as a candidate in her own right? We will just have to wait and see.
After news broke about a heated discussion between the National Solidarity Party (NSP) and the Workers Party (WP) during an oppositions get-together meeting on Tuesday, some netizens have gone on to the NSP Facebook page to criticize the party for obstructing the WP’s plans in Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
In the NSP’s latest Facebook posting, pictures of the party’s most recent walkabout at Marine Parade GRC were uploaded for supporters on Tuesday evening. However, the move has been construed by some as a deliberate provocation against the WP, who is also contesting the ward.
Although most netizens stopped short of condemning the NSP, many strongly advised the party to step aside so that the party with the stronger chance of winning could come forward.
One netizen, Jane Grant, wrote, “NSP, it was Nicole Seah who won the hearts of the voters; not your party. If you insist on contesting in Marine Parade, it would only show how shallow your thought process is as your party is not thinking about the greater good or the people but your own selfish ambitions.”
She continued, “If you want to win, contest in MacPherson. The WP has a much higher potential and credibility to win in Marine Parade than NSP. Multi cornered fights always and will favor the PAP. This is a no brainer. For the sake of Singapore’s future, leave Marine Parade alone.”
Jane’s words were echoed by another netizen, Joey Kim: “Frankly speaking if NSPwant to win any seat in coming GE, the only solution is to focus on Tampines &Tampines only. Send your best line up to Tampines. If you fight more than 1 grc, my prediction is 赔了夫人又折兵. Mark my words.”
“Seems like NSP today is like Reform Party in 2011. Many high calibre people come in and eventually many more left the party. Perhaps NSP should consolidate their strength and firm up the party’s leadership and direction,” wrote one netizen, RafizHapipi. “NSP has the branding tradition and reputation to once again be a force in Singapore’s political scene. However, the party is injured now. It is a waste to spread the party’s resources thin. Pls do consider putting your best team up in North West region.”
Although many netizens did not appear to be supportive of the NSP, one netizen,MunchiAbd, said that he hoped that “NSP will not back out their fights with other opposition parties and stand for what they fight for.”
Given the state of affairs now, much hinges on today’s discussion between the opposition parties, who will need to iron out these territorial issues before the coming General Elections for the good of all Singaporeans.
