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Tag: SDP

  • Mohamed Jufrie: Failure Of Opposition To Let Voters Have Their Cake And Eat It Let To Their Dismal Showing At The Polls

    Mohamed Jufrie: Failure Of Opposition To Let Voters Have Their Cake And Eat It Let To Their Dismal Showing At The Polls

    Much has been said about the last GE, or rather its result. A combination of factors – from LKY’s passing to newly minted citizens, right down to the bookies who predicted PAP’s loss in many constituencies which alarmed many voters.One important factor which many failed to mention was the failure of the opposition to give voters what they wanted ie to have their cake and eat it.

    Singaporeans are very smart indeed. What is the use of having the cake and not getting to eat it?

    Simply speaking the voters wanted the PAP to still be the governing party and at the same time they want a strong opposition presence. The alternative parties were just not ready. When they heard minister Khaw Boon Wan’s threat that the PAP might not be able to form the government they panicked and decided to play it safe. They went for the cake even if they end up not getting to eat it.

    Had the opposition been smart enough they would have executed the By Election Effect Strategy (BEES as we described it some years ago) to let the PAP form the government on Nomination Day by contesting less than 50% of the seats. Just like we did in 1991 when the opposition won an unprecedented 4 seats – 3 SDP and Low Thia Khiang for the WP.

    Had we repeated the BEES voters would not have been threatened and would have voted for the more credible candidates without fear. The credible opposition candidates could then prove themselves worthy of the peoples’ support and gone on to prepare themselves for future elections to win more seats and by then would be on their way to ready themselves for government in subsequent elections.

    Voters now get the cake but cannot get to eat it because the PAP would not let them. Just watch.

     

    Source: Mohamed Jufrie Bin Mahmood

  • A Letter From Australia – Thank You SDP For Well-Run Campaign In GE2015

    A Letter From Australia – Thank You SDP For Well-Run Campaign In GE2015

    Dear Singapore Democratic Party,

    I am a Singaporean living in Australia. I am married to an Australian and live here with our family.

    I followed closely both GE2011 and more recently GE2015 from afar, which has been made possible by the Internet in current times. Needless to say, given that I am writing this letter to you, I am supportive of having strong and credible opposition voices in the current political climate in Singapore.

    Since GE2015, 9/11/15, I have been left somewhat broken-hearted, and to be honest, a little shell-shocked.  It is not my intent to go into a political analysis here – I am not a political commentator, neither am I au fairewith the intricacies of politics in Singapore – I am sure that you all would have done/ will do a post-mortem of the outcomes from GE2015 and are in a much better position to do so that I am.

    However, I would like to give my gratitude to ALL OF YOU, candidates and volunteers alike, at the SDP (and all other opposition parties) for putting yourselves forward in a bid to secure an alternative, and equally as good if not better, future for the country and people of Singapore. Thank you. You are all courageous and progressive people that Singapore should be proud to call sons and daughters.

    In my opinion, GE2015 saw the fielding of the strongest pool of opposition candidates that Singapore has seen since Independence. Not just in formal qualifications, but also in personality, character and voice. It was because of this that I was so heartbroken that the ground did not show the support that I had wished it to. It was never a question for me that the incumbent party would still form government at the end of this round of GE based on numbers alone (and dare I say, so should they as they are probably the most adequately resourced to do so at present), but I had felt that the opposition field this time would have been able to provide the much-needed alternative and credible voice in Parliament, to challenge both the incumbent and people of the nation to think outside-of-the-box, be more progressive and dare to dream beyond our backyard as a nation. I would have been happy even with a stronger margin for the opposition than what GE2015 delivered, for a more promising GE2020. Alas, that wasn’t to be so.

    So it leaves, I guess, the opposition parties and their supporters to re-evaluate their positions, as they face the cross-roads post GE2015.

    In any case, please accept my gratitude again for a campaign well-run for GE2015. Onwards and forwards to the next milestone!

    With best wishes,
    ​Elin

     

    Source: http://yoursdp.org

  • Damanhuri Abas: Friends Must Learn To Put Friendship Above Political Partisanship

    Damanhuri Abas: Friends Must Learn To Put Friendship Above Political Partisanship

    Entering politics has changed my life.

    Since i made the decision to join politics and run in the recent elections, relations with individuals and institutions (both govt and non-govt) has changed. Friends suddenly prefers to distance themselves from associating with me as it could mean a potential risk of being misconstrued as supporting opposition.

    Instead of having a non-partizan position, they somehow behaves otherwise strangely uncritical of how hypocritical they are, when they accord all the civilities and cordialities when it comes to someone from the persons of the PAP government. Yet, i was somehow accused of politicizing during the hustings eventhough rightly that is what i now do.

    A step forward to move democracy forward is these individuals that are my friends taking the bold step to challenge this unhealthy mode of biasness and partizanship towards the incumbant. They can do so simply by remaining normal in their relationship with me and be seen with me in public.

    Lets hope this happens.

     

    Source: Damahuri Abas

  • SDP: Non-Transparency Over Hepatitis C Outbreak Extremely Serious

    SDP: Non-Transparency Over Hepatitis C Outbreak Extremely Serious

    The SDP sends our condolences to the bereaved families of those who died from the recent Hepatitis C outbreak at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) as well as to those who are infected by this serious viral infection.

    We look forward to an expeditious and comprehensive investigation into how the episode occurred and, subsequently, deteriorated and what steps are being taken to prevent future mishaps.

    What is disturbing, however, is the non-transparent manner in which the incident was handled by the Government. Information about the outbreak apparently first emerged between April 17 and May 14 this year when the first five cases of the hepatitis C infections were reported by the SGH to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

    The SDP appreciates the difficulty in distinguishing between acute and chronic infections of hepatitis C in some of these cases, as explained by the MOH in its statement today. But even if it was only in August that the MOH was informed that cases were suspected to be linked, it would have been aware of the first outbreak in April. And yet the public was not informed.

    Most of these patients were apparently transplant recipients who, according to the Singhealth website, are routinely screened for hepatitis pre-transplant. Thus, their conversion from negative to positive would have been an indicator of an acute or subacute infection.

    Also, it appears that infection control reviews may have been conducted from at least June 2015 for patients in the affected wards. Thus, patient safety as well as safety of the blood supply were potentially compromised by delays in notification of the general public, especially those vulnerable patients who might have gone through the affected units.

    This is because individuals who may have been recently infected with the virus and incubating it may have gone on to donate blood without knowing that they were in the “window period”. This is a potentially extremely serious situation.

    It is our understanding that the outbreak is the among the most widespread in medical history. Yet the MOH kept the matter under wraps and did not keep the public informed. This is in marked contrast to the SARS Epidemic in 2003 when the Government handled the matter with much more transparency.

    The secretiveness in this episode is unwarranted as the public has the right to know – and the Government the obligation to inform the public – of such a life-and-death matter. The management of the incident by the Government raises two important questions:

    One, why was the public not informed when the outbreak was recognised and investigations commenced in May-June 2015 despite the potential risks to other patients?

    Two, was the withholding of the information a political consideration?

    The Government needs to answer these questions and account to the people over the matter.

     

    Source: http://yoursdp.org

  • Damanhuri Abas: Sudah 50 Tahun Merdeka Tapi Mengapa AP Melayu Hanya Layak Sandang Jawatan Menteri Sekitaran Dan Yang Sewaktu Dengannya?

    Damanhuri Abas: Sudah 50 Tahun Merdeka Tapi Mengapa AP Melayu Hanya Layak Sandang Jawatan Menteri Sekitaran Dan Yang Sewaktu Dengannya?

    Jadi setelah 50 tahun merdeka, AP Melayu PAP hanya masih layak memegang jawatan Menteri Kesekitaran dan yang sewaktu dengannya.

    Bagi orang melayu yang mengundi PAP, bersyukurlah dengan anugerah Menteri-Menteri Melayu ini yang membanggakan anda dan redhalah dengan hasil usaha bertahun-tahun anda ini.

    Bagi kami di SDP, kita akan terus bekerja keras menentang sikap curiga terhadap bangsa kita oleh golongan minoriti ini. Kami percaya, setelah 50 tahun merdeka, ramai rakyat Singapura, yang berbilang bangsa, bersikap adil dan penuh yakin dengan orang Melayu di Negara kita yang tercinta ini.

    Ayuh kita hidupkan kesatuan dan kesetiakawanan dengan majoriti bangsa lain yang bersikap adil dan jujur sesama kita.

    Majulah Singapura.

     

    Source: Damanhuri Abas