Tag: Tan Jee Say

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

July 31, 2015
Tan Jee Say: Lee Hsien Loong Should Stop Fear-Mongering Over Calls For More Welfare Benefits

Two days ago, PM told a large audience at SMU that Singapore has to raise the GST from 7 to 20% if we want Scandinavian style benefits to raise the fertility rate. He is wrong. His speech is here

In SingFirst’s social safety net announced in February this year, we have provided for Scandinavian style welfare benefits to encourage childbirth such as 90% subsidies on childcare centre fee and child allowances of $300 per month for children up to age 12. In addition, we also proposed a range of other benefits for families by lowering the cost of living such as waiver of all fees from primary one to university, 30% reduction in public transport fares and old age pension of $300 per month for all senior citizens aged 60 and above. The total package costs only $6 billion a year and it can be financed from the investment return of around $8 billion that the government is allowed to use for annual budget spending. There is absolutely no need to raise the GST at all, much less to up it to 20%. Here’s a summary table of SingFirst’s safety net package

Details of our package are in this posting SingFirst’s social safety net

It is highly irresponsible for a prime minister to simply pluck a figure from the air and use it to scare the people from putting forward their legitimate demands. Stop your PAP-style scare-mongering to mislead the people. And lay out the facts and figures in full so that Singaporeans can know the truth and engage in a meaningful debate about what the government can do to help them lower their cost of living, raise children, look after the elderly and develop strong families.

Source: Tan Jee Say

July 3, 2015
Singaporeans First Party’s Chance Encounter With DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam In Taman Jurong
When Mature People Meet….. Collaboration Becomes Possible

The walkabout at Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre on Sunday saw SingFirst achieving several “firsts”. This is what we mean:

1. First walkabout when we met a minister making his round at the same location

2. First attempt in getting the members and supporters to take public transport to the walkabout location

3. First largest turn out by our members and supporters

4. First ever longest walkabout route

5. First ever most photo requests by members of the public with our chairman and secretary general

Taking the public transport to the location was our first attempt in building the bond and rapport between the members and supporters. This arrangement also allowed us to gain exposure and to publicise our party name. Everyone was enthusiastic and admitted that it was indeed a refreshing idea.

This walkabout was by far the largest turn out by our member and supporters. A total of 25 of us gathered at Lakeside MRT before making our way to Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre. SingFirst is encouraged by the great support by our members! It goes to show that we are growing in terms of membership.

As the market and food centre occupies 3 storeys with several units on each floor, it made its way into our record book for the longest walkabout route. Apart from the market and food centre, we also seized the opportunity to visit the nearby flea market. We were pleasantly surprised that many patrons at the market and food centre immediately recognized our chairman, Dr Ang Yong Guan and secretary general, Mr Tan Jee Say. We were even more surprised when several of them came up to the duo and asked for their pictures to be taken together.

The most pleasant encounter during this walkabout was the chance meeting with the finance minister, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam. He too was at the food centre greeting the residents. He was pleasant and greeted us with warm smiles and handshakes. We suggested having a photo together and he agreed without any hesitation. That wasn’t the end of our encounter with him. While taking a break from the walkabout at a nearby coffee shop, he came to us and said that the coffee shop has the cheapest food in the area.

From this walkabout, we would like to highlight some interesting points from the residents and our brief meeting with Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam:
- The residents recognized that there is a need for a political change in Singapore. They are also curious who will be the candidates for SingFirst and whether we are up to the mark to take on the ruling party in the next election. Many still bear the scars from the memory of the 1960s and 1970s during the tussle between Barisan Socialis and the PAP.
- They are sincere in their response when approached. The residents either stand up to greet or putting away their utensils to have a brief word with us. They also hope that SingFirst is able to do more to help the citizens.
- They hope to see in the coming election younger candidates with a credible party running for the public office and who can take on the PAP.
- MPs need to speak their language from the ground to represent them in parliament. They hope the MPs truly understand their plight.
- There is no need for scholars to stand for elections or be MPs. They just need someone who is able to understand their concerns and have a heart to feel and fill their needs. The Punggol East by-election is a good example where a caring candidate won despite a four-corner fight.
- The SingFirst logo is being etched into the minds of the Singaporeans. One elderly man said he recognized the logo because it resembles an ice cream brand.
Mr Tharman’s encounter was an encouraging one as he is so open. SingFirst hopes to see more of such PAP politicians to engage alternative parties. Only with such openness can we then build a better Singapore and move Singapore forward.

Taman Jurong walkabout was a new milestone set for SingFirst. We hope we will set a higher benchmark and be fortunate enough to meet more ministers or MPs in our future visits to the various GRCs.

Source: http://singfirst.org
March 2, 2015
Singaporeans First Party Hold First Walkabout In Tanjong Pagar GRC

SINGAPORE – More than 20 members and supporters joined Singaporeans First (SingFirst) on Sunday morning as the new political party held its debut walkabout in Tanjong Pagar GRC, a stronghold of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

Among them were six of the party’s 10 founding members, including its secretary-general and former presidential candidate Tan Jee Say.

SingFirst also launched its website, http://singfirst.org, on Saturday as it gears up for the next general elections, which must be held by January 2017.

Announced in May and officially registered in August, the party has received more than 100 applications from people keen to become members, Mr Tan said at a press conference held after the walkabout.

He added that the party has plans to contest “maybe four” constituencies, and reiterated its intentions of working together with other parties to avoid splitting the opposition vote.

“If they have a stronger team, we’ll make way for them,” said Mr Tan, an investment advisor who ran for the 2011 general elections under the Singapore Democratic Party’s banner.

He added: “The whole idea is to win. We are all in favour of opposition unity. We will respect other parties. The real objective is to defeat the PAP.”

SingFirst has spoken to the National Solidarity Party and the Democratic Progressive Party, Mr Tan said. The Singapore Democratic Party have waved away the need for a formal introduction, while the Singapore Malay National Organisation and the Singapore Democratic Alliance have said they need to hold internal discussions before agreeing to work together.

The Reform Party, the Singapore People’s Party and the Workers’ Party – the only opposition party with elected MPs in Parliament – have not responded to SingFirst’s overtures, said Mr Tan.

But he is not worried: “We still have time. No need to rush. Election is not around the corner so there’s still some time. We’ll work something out.”

Dressed in royal blue shirts bearing the party’s red-and-white logo, SingFirst’s members and supporters visited areas around the Holland Drive Market and Food Centre for close to two hours, shaking hands and giving out pamphlets explaining the party’s objectives.

Explaining why the party chose to visit Tanjong Pagar GRC, Mr Tan said residents in the constituency have not had the chance to vote for more than 20 years.

The constituency has been won by the PAP in walkovers since it was created in 1991. In 2011, a group of independents led by businessman Ng Teck Siong – chairman of the Socialist Front – made a last-minute bid to contest the GRC, but was disqualified after submitting their nomination papers too late.

SingFirst plans to visit various constituencies in the coming months to drum up awareness about the party – a strategic move as electoral boundaries have not been set in stone, said Mr Tan.

The party’s chairman Dr Ang Yong Guan also added that SingFirst is hoping to make a shift away from “personality-based politics”, where political parties are associated with certain key people.

“We want to move away from that and tell Singaporeans that political parties in Singapore need not be linked to any person. It needs to be for all. Anybody interested can come and join,” he said.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

November 10, 2014
LATEST: ‘Singaporeans First’ Is The Newest Political Party

Dear fellow Singaporeans, friends and supporters,

I am pleased to announce that SINGAPOREANS FIRST has been successfully registered as a society by the Registry of Societies. Following the registration, we submitted our proposed party symbol for approval. We expect the process to take a few weeks. Until it is approved, we cannot make use of the party logo.

We can now conduct activities of an approved political party. We need members to help us. If you share our beliefs and values (as stated in our Manifesto here), please join us by filling up this SINGAPOREANS FIRST MEMBERSHIP FORM.

In the months ahead, we will be planning a series of activities leading up to the next General Election. We welcome ideas from all Singaporeans. You can approach any of the members of the protem committee listed below :

Chairman : Dr Ang Yong Guan,

Vice chairman : Tan Peng Ann,

Secretary-General : Tan Jee Say,

Assistant-Secretary General : Loke Pak Hoe,

Treasurer : Dr David Foo Ming Jin,

Assistant Treasurer : Fatimah Akhtar,

Members : Michael Chia, Fahmi Rais, Winston Lim, David Tan.

We look forward to your support.

Tan Jee Say

Source: https://www.facebook.com/notes/tan-jee-say/breaking-news/697375350341743

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August 26, 2014