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Tag: MP

  • SDP: Halimah’s Resignation Is A Deliberate, Calculated Ploy By PAP To Remove One Of Its MPs To Stand For Another Election

    SDP: Halimah’s Resignation Is A Deliberate, Calculated Ploy By PAP To Remove One Of Its MPs To Stand For Another Election

    Ms Halimah Yacob has announced that she will contest in the coming Presidential Elections and has resigned as MP for the Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.

    The GRC system was introduced in 1988, the official reason being “to ensure that Singapore’s parliament would always be multiracial in composition and representation.” As such, the constitution requires that GRC teams include at least one member from a minority community.

    Given this rationale, Ms Halimah’s stepping down as MP runs counter to the essence of the GRC system both in letter and spirit. Her resignation must necessarily trigger a by-election in Marsiling-Yew Tee.

    The government determines the number of GRCs needed at any one general election necessary for fair representation. If the government can remove a minority MP at will after he/she is elected, why set the number of GRCs – and therefore the number of minority MPs – to be contested in the first place?

    In addition, the government stipulates the particular ethnic representation for a particular GRC so as to ensure that the ethnic community in that GRC is adequately and effectively represented. By removing that MP, is the government not also removing that community’s representation in Parliament?

    To be clear, Ms Halimah’s resignation is a deliberate and calculated ploy by the PAP to remove one of its MPs in order that she may stand for another election. The PAP cannot be allowed to vacate elected Parliamentary seats just to maximise its electoral chances for another office. It is an abuse of the system and makes a mockery of the general elections.

    If the PAP insists on taking such a step, it must abide by the rule of law and call for a by-election. It cannot have its cake and eat it too.

    Minister Chan Chun Sing says, however, that no by-election will be held if Ms Halimah were to resign from her seat. Such a unilateral and unconstitutional measure runs counter to the concept of the GRC system and must be challenged.

    To this end, the SDP will actively explore legal remedies to ensure that the PAP does not willy-nilly change rules or interpret the law to suit its own political ends by calling for a by-election in Marsiling-Yew Tee.

     

    Source: http://yoursdp.org

  • No By-Election If Mdm President Halimah Yacob (Minority MP) Leaves GRC, Explained Chan Chun Sing

    No By-Election If Mdm President Halimah Yacob (Minority MP) Leaves GRC, Explained Chan Chun Sing

    If a minority candidate leaves his group representation constituency (GRC), a by-election will not be called, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing said in February 2017.

    That was the response he gave to the opposition Workers’ Party’s Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC), who wanted to know what would happen if a minority member of a GRC were to step down to run for presidency.

    Mr Singh specifically used Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob as an example in his question.

    As most Singaporeans have known, Madam Halimah, the minority member of Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, has been tipped as a potential candidate for the upcoming election, which is reserved for Malays since months ago.

    Mr Chan said that when Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong explained the GRC system in Parliament decades back, he said its intent was to achieve two purposes:

    One, to ensure enough minority members in the House. This, Mr Chan said, had been achieved over the years.

    Two, to ensure no political campaign on issues of race and religion, “that we will all, regardless of party lines, campaign on the basis that we are all Singaporeans, that we will not use race, language or religion for political reasons”, Mr Chan said.

    Elected members are also expected to serve all residents, regardless of race, language and religion.

    These key goals would not be affected if one member of the GRC left, Mr Chan added.

     

    Source: http://www.straitstimes.com

  • Man Wears American-Flag Polo While Taking National Day Photo With PAP MP?

    Man Wears American-Flag Polo While Taking National Day Photo With PAP MP?

    Dear All Singapore Stuff,

    Please see the attached photo. PAP is celebrating Singapore’s national day and US Independence Day in August.

    The guy on the National Day banner next to the PAP MP is wearing a shirt with the USA flag.

    Grassroots leader forgot which flag is Singapore’s?

     

    Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

  • Rahayu Mahzam: Using Statutory Declaration Appears Like Backdoor Approach To Challenging Validity Of Will

    Rahayu Mahzam: Using Statutory Declaration Appears Like Backdoor Approach To Challenging Validity Of Will

    “As a grant of probate has been granted and there is no challenge, the will should be taken as valid and proper. You (PM Lee) have, however, in your statutory declaration submitted to the ministerial committee alluding to certain questionable circumstances upon which the will was executed,” MP Rahayu Mahzam said.

    “This may appear to be a backdoor approach in challenging the validity of the will. Could you therefore clarify why you found it necessary to affirm the statutory declaration and your intentions in doing so?

    “Why could you not just rely on the words of the will which in itself contemplated a situation where the house is not being demolished?” she asked.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Teo Ser Luck To Quit Politics To Join Private Sector

    Teo Ser Luck To Quit Politics To Join Private Sector

    Mr Teo Ser Luck has requested to step down from public office to return to the private sector. The Prime Minister has accepted Mr Teo’s request. Mr Teo will relinquish his appointment as Minister of State for Manpower on Jun 30. Mr Teo will also relinquish his appointment as Mayor of North East CDC when his current term ends on May 26, but will continue serving the residents of Sengkang Central division as a Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

    The changes are part of leadership renewal, the PMO said.

    This is the third round of changes in appointments that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has made to this Cabinet. The first changes on Aug 22 last year saw Mr Lawrence Wong appointed as Second Minister for Finance, and Ms Sim Ann appointed as Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and relinquishing her appointment in the Ministry of Finance.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com