The Workers’ Party unveiled its first batch of potential candidates for the upcoming general election at its Syed Alwi Road headquarters on Wednesday (Aug 26) afternoon.
Among them were new faces Daniel Goh, 42, an associate professor of sociology at the National University of Singapore, engineer Redzwan Hafidz, 30, and RHBBANK wealth manager Dylan Ng, 40.
On July 26, party chairman Sylvia Lim had revealed that it would befielding a record 28 candidates – up from 23 in 2011 – in fiveGROUPrepresentation constituencies (GRCs) and five single-member constituencies (SMCs).
APARTfrom Aljunied GRC, Hougang SMC and Punggol East SMC which WP currently holds, it is contesting in East Coast, Jalan Besar, Marine Parade and Nee Soon GRCs, as well as Fengshan, MacPherson and Sengkang West SMCs.
Mr Giam, 37, confirmed that he was one of the 28 candidates contesting at the coming polls.
The pair also submitted the candidates’ Political Donation Certificates and certificates from the Malay Community Committee and the Indian and Other Minority Communities Committee, ahead of the deadline on Aug 28.
Mr Low said on Aug 12 that WP was looking to field younger candidates who “will be able to connect more and represent the views and aspirations of the younger generation”.
Got this email with a painting of me by a young girl, courtesy of her uncle. The posture of me shooting arrows is from an earlier photo I had shared on FB from my archery practice. Hey, I give her an A+ for this!
Here’s the email, shared with permission:
“Hi Jenn Jong,
I am a resident of Hougang and my whole family supports your efforts in this coming election.
This is a gift of encouragement to you after Joo Chiat disappeared from the map. We were equally appalled.
This is done by my little niece in school as an arts project and I think she took about 2 weeks to complete it.
Although she got a C and was quite sad for about 2 days because of it, I told her there is nothing wrong with getting a C. She hopes you can see it on Facebook and that makes her happy. Thanks and all the best for the upcoming elections!
The MacPherson single-seat ward is set for a three-cornered fight after the National Solidarity Party (NSP) yesterday reneged on an earlier promise to stay out of the constituency and allow the Workers’ Party (WP) to take on the People’s Action Party in a straight contest.
The NSP’s announcement exposed cracks not only within the Opposition ranks, but in the party as well: Its acting secretary-general Hazel Poa quit the party — only two months after she returned to her old role on an interim basis — after disagreeing with the central executive council’s (CEC) decision to support CEC member Steve Chia’s request to contest in MacPherson.
“It was a decision I strongly disagreed with and, hence, not one I can implement. As the direction that the party has decided to pursue deviates greatly from my own, I see no choice other than to resign from the NSP,” Ms Poa said in a press statement issued less than one and a half hours after the NSP made its announcement.
On Aug 10, the NSP said it would not contest in the Marine Parade and MacPherson constituencies — which were both eyed by the WP. Ms Poa had said then that the NSP was looking at the “bigger picture” and a three-cornered fight would make it less likely for an opposition party to win.
But the NSP said it changed its position on MacPherson after lengthy deliberations, to “keep faith with our supporters”. “In recent weeks, NSP leaders have been receiving feedback and pledges of support from many residents in Marine Parade and MacPherson,” the party said, noting it had received about 43 per cent of the votes when it contested in Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the 2011 General Election (GE). MacPherson has been carved out from Marine Parade GRC for the coming polls, following changes to the electoral boundaries.
The NSP said: “We have decided to give up contesting in Marine Parade on the merit that Joo Chiat has previously been contested by the WP. As for MacPherson, the CEC strongly supports the decision to proceed with contesting in the SMC where considerable outreach has been done before the 2011 GE.” The party said this decision is “final”. “(It) reflects our view that maintaining opposition unity requires mutual respect and a spirit of compromise on the part of all parties,” it added.
The party reiterated that it had reached out to WP after talks to resolve conflicting election plans among opposition parties failed to yield a compromise between the WP and NSP over Marine Parade GRC and MacPherson. The WP, which did not attend the second round of talks, also did not respond to the NSP’s subsequent attempts to open discussions.
Opposition watcher Wong Wee Nam, who contested in the 1997 GE on the NSP ticket, said the NSP was “destroying itself”. “First of all, you never keep your promise, then your acting secretary-general has resigned because of that,” he said.
He felt that the NSP’s move would backfire, even in other constituencies where the party is contesting. “It just shows that they don’t keep their word … People won’t trust the party anymore,” he said.
Associate Professor Alan Chong from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies noted that there is a rational explanation for the NSP’s U-turn. “You don’t give up what you cultivated on the ground in 2011,” he said. As to the impact of the NSP’s move, Assoc Prof Chong felt that while some voters could lose trust in the NSP, others in MacPherson might actually be really grateful that the NSP has not forgotten them.
In June 2011, Ms Poa was first appointed NSP secretary-general, becoming the first female secretary-general of a political party here. About two years later, she resigned because of health reasons. In June, she reprised her old role on an interim basis after Mr Tan Lam Siong resigned as secretary-general after only five months in the post. Ms Poa’s departure means the NSP would be looking for its fifth secretary-general since the 2011 GE.
Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said the resignation of Ms Poa would weaken the party’s “A” team slate for Tampines GRC. “The leadership musical chairs continues. This points to the party being in a state of flux … They urgently need to be cohesive and with clear directions going forward or their campaign is going to be ineffective,” he said.
While Assoc Prof Chong said Ms Poa might end up with the WP or the Singapore Democratic Party, Ms Poa made clear in her statement that she would not be contesting in the coming GE.
Wishing the NSP well, she reiterated that the leader of NSP is its president Sebastian Teo. She added that she respected the right of the CEC as the decision-making body of the party. “I apologise to all whom I have disappointed. My own disappointment is no less. For me, the coming months will be a time for reflection,” she said.
Mr Teo told TODAY that he was also of the initial opinion that the NSP should not contest in MacPherson: “Personally, I think to avoid three-cornered fights should be the way, but we got to respect the majority.”
Amid speculation that the Workers’ Party’s (WP) big guns could move out of their home turf to contest in other constituencies, WP chairman Sylvia Lim said today (Aug 16) that all seven of the party’s elected Members of Parliament (MPs) will be staying put to defend their wards in the coming elections.
An Instagram post by WP chairman Sylvia Lim last week of her eating at Fengshan Single-Member Constituency had fanned speculation that the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) MP could strike out on her own.
Speaking to reporters at Chong Pang Market where WP supporters and members were selling its newspaper, Ms Lim quelled the talk by announcing that the WP will retain its slate for Aljunied GRC, as well as the Hougang and Punggol East single-seat wards.
She said: “We found that in the last four years, our experience in Aljunied has been fulfilling. We also have our challenges (and) throughout this period, there have been residents who inspired us by coming forward to give us encouragement because they believe in us.”
Earlier this month, WP chief Low Thia Khiang was the first from the party to declare that he would not be moving out of his constituency.
Nevertheless, Ms Lim said the party had given some thoughts to moving one of more of its members out to make new inroads. “On consideration, we decided that it is meaningful for us to remain as a team to seek (residents’) mandate for the next term,” she said.
She added that all the WP MPs will be helping the party’s other candidates to canvass support in the various constituencies.
On whether the saga over the financial lapses of the WP-run Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) had affected sentiments among the residents — and thus render it unwise for the MPs to move out, instead of staying put and being accountable — Ms Lim would only say that the party would “leave it to residents and the public to judge what is exactly going on”. She also revealed that the AHPETC’s audited financial figures will be released at the end of the month.
The WP entourage in Nee Soon GRC consisted of several new faces who have been touted as potential candidates including Singapore Cancer Society officer Kenneth Foo, 38, consultant Cheryl Denise Loh, 31, trainee lawyer Shaneet Rai, 27, property agent Ron Tan, 30, bank manager Dylan Ng, 40, holding company chief executive Luke Koh, 40, and project executive Bernard Chen, 29.
Since last week, the People’s Action Party has started introducing its candidates and breaking from tradition, the ruling party is also unveiling its slate before Nomination Day, barring last minute changes.
Ms Lim reiterated that the WP will introduce its candidates when it is ready, and this would likely to be “some time” after National Day Rally on Sunday.
Political analyst Gillian Koh said she was surprised by WP’s decision to keep its Aljunied GRC team intact for the coming polls.
Dr Koh, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, felt that the WP could perhaps be worried about losing Aljunied GRC if the team is split. By staying in Aljunied GRC, both Ms Lim and Mr Low could also campaign in other constituencies with “some level of comfort” that WP can successfully defend their home turf, Dr Koh said.
She said: “If on the other hand, they were quite confident about Aljunied GRC and were interested in extending their reach, it may have been more effective to have two GRC teams headed by their two leaders and best known WP politicians.”
Both Dr Koh and Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said that WP’s decision show that its leaders were confident of the party’s other candidates. Still, Associate Professor Tan felt that WP did explore the idea of moving its big guns out to try and win more constituencies. “But it’s clear they know where their priorities lie and that an incremental approach, as opposed to an aggressive and ambitious tack, is tactically more apt,” he said. He added: “There is the imperative to consolidate their hold of Aljunied GRC, their crown-jewel. They are signalling that they do not take their Aljunied residents for granted, and the same team will work through the AHPETC issues.”
Assoc Prof Tan noted that the decision would also help to “shut out further PAP criticisms that they are seeking new political pastures for the sake of doing so”.
Dr Koh and Assoc Tan felt it was unlikely that the WP could renege on its decision, and spring surprises on Nomination Day. “Should WP… deploy either Mr Low or Ms Lim in other wards at the eleventh hour, it will not go down well with the Aljunied GRC voters,” Assoc Prof Tan said. “Such a switch, even if tactical, would also result in the campaign being side-tracked by this matter. It will become the proverbial lightning rod.”
Speaking to reporters, Ms Lim also played down the absence of its WP MPs from the National Day Rally this Sunday, which clashes with a grassroots event – an SG50 celebration dinner for residents – they have been planning since last year.
Adding that she was “not sure why people are trying to create an issue out of it”, she said of the grassroots event: “We think it is meaningful for us, especially as an opposition party, to rally our supporters, to remind everyone what we want is to actually have betterment for Singapore as a whole.”
She added: “I think people sometimes get confused and they cannot distinguish between national issues and ruling party interests. We want to underscore the point that even if you are an opposition supporter, you can be as loyal to Singapore as any PAP supporter.”
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean unleashed some of the sharpest verbal attacks in the election season so far when he took aim at the Worker’s Party handling of Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC).
It was meant to be a Meet-the-Media session before the “sound and fury” of the election overwhelms the fundamentals of choosing a candidate to secure Singapore’s future.
But the Minister of Home Affairs delivered some of the fury himself when he was asked about what his People’s Action Party (PAP) would do if it wins back Aljunied GRC.
The first priority for the PAP, if elected, would be to “go in and sort out the mess in the town council”, said Mr Teo.
The PAP’s first assistant secretary-general noted that under the PAP previously, Aljunied GRC and Punggol East SMC were running healthy surpluses before they were amalgamated into AHPETC.
Mr Teo said: “Now the whole AHPETC is in deficit. How did that happen? How did a large surplus turn into deficit? Where did the money go?”
Mr Teo even took a swipe at AHPTEC chairman Sylvia Lim for her recent Instagram post, which fuelled rumours of her possibly running in Fengshan SMC.
The photo showed Ms Lim sampling fried oyster omelette with the caption “The taste of Fengshan – heavenly! #reasontowin”.
Mr Teo said: “Now we see the chairman of the town council saying that Fengshan SMC looks quite delicious. What’s going to happen? You’re going to swallow up Fengshan? For what purpose? To serve the residents of Fengshan? Or is Fengshan delicious because you want to add it to the pot? And help the town council with the deficit?”
RISKS
Political analyst Eugene Tan said: “These potshots are clear indications that the gloves have come off even before the word go.
“PAP is clearly going on the offensive. Essentially, it is going for WP’s Achilles’ heel, which is the AHPETC issue.”
Added the associate law professor at Singapore Management University: “It appears that PAP will keep hammering home this matter… And this may instead be perceived to be patronising to voters.”
Meanwhile, Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Gillian Koh said this was an ongoing issue that will be brought up constantly throughout the hustings period.
“It is just inevitable that after four years, this issue will crop up, especially since PAP values accountability, transparency and honesty.”
Party veteran Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was also in a fighting mood during a speech last night. (See report above.)
On the selection of MPs, he said: “At the very least, they must be able to run a town council in a transparent, accountable and responsible manner.”
Mr Teo said there is a difference between individual mistakes and major lapses in financial accounting. Armed with the Auditor-General Office report on the issue, he said it was a “blanket assessment that their financial accounts can’t be relied upon. That’s quite serious.”
That was why he could not leave it alone, he said.
When asked if voters would be turned off by PAP’s overly critical comments, he replied: “Well, I think it is an important issue and a fairly fundamental one. You want to say you are setting yourself up as an alternate government. You must be at least able to run a town council… We should not keep quiet about it.”
It is not only about competence, but also about integrity when choosing MPs, he said.
In the wide-ranging session, the DPM was also asked about WP leader Low Thia Kiang’s thinly veiled criticism when he asked if the departure of Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew was because he “has not been supported by his Cabinet colleagues”.
Mr Teo dismissed it as “crocodile tears”
He said: “I think it’s very characteristic of Mr Low to squeeze the most political mileage out of anything. I’m sure if his party had contested where Mr Lui stood, he wouldn’t be saying nice things about him.”
Recognising that the electorate would want opposition voices, he noted that the Constitution provided for nine opposition members in Parliament. He said: “Make sure you vote for a candidate and a party whom you really want to place your future in the hands of. Make sure they’re the ones you want to manage your money and your town council.”
“These potshots are clear indications that the gloves have come off even before the word go. PAP is clearly going on the offensive. Essentially, they are going for WP’s Archilles heel, which is the AHPETC issue.”
– Political analyst Eugene Tan, who warned that this tactic may backfire on the PAP
This election is about the future: DPM Teo
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said it is important to think of what the General Election (GE) is about.
THE FUTURE
“This election is about the future. It’s about setting down who the voters will select as their team to lead Singapore into the future.
“I’m not talking about the next five years. I’m talking about a good leadership team 20, 30 years into the future.”
“Good, stable, honest leadership with a heart for the people” is not a given, said DPM Teo.
THE LEADERSHIP
A “steady flow of good, able people” is crucial.
DPM Teo said that Singapore’s was the only system he knew of where politicians were actively searching for their successors as soon as they could.
It is not just a task for the Government, he said, urging Singaporeans to play an important role in choosing the next generation of leaders.
“If you reduce the number of people who can be on that team, you’re going to have a weaker team. The next Prime Minister, whoever he is, will have fewer people to choose from.
“It is not the PAP or the Government who will have a weaker team. Singapore will have a weaker team to advance Singapore’s interest on the international stage.”
THE TRACK RECORD
DPM Teo reflected on the PAP’s “track record of doing the right things” over the past 50 years. He said the foundation of various policies had been put in place years before.
He highlighted Workfare, implemented in 2007, as an example of a scheme that encouraged a “more inclusive society”, where everyone has an opportunity to “share in the prosperity of Singapore”.
On immigration, a sticky issue among Singaporeans, he said the Government had begun tightening controls even before the 2011 GE.
On retirement savings, DPM Teo said: “The CPF system is not new, but what we’ve done also is introduce more flexibility to cater for different people in different circumstances.
“There is more yet to be done, but you know it can be undone, too.”
The easiest thing to do is to be populist or rile people up, he said.
“Even I know how to do that.”
“It is much harder to work together” to make trade-offs that are balanced and nuanced.
THE TRUST
Acknowledging the changing characteristics of the electorates, who are now online-savvy and quick to respond, DPM Teo said it is important to “establish trust”.
“There is record of many years of building Singapore, working for Singapore and for Singaporeans.
“We hope that Singapore will be able to trust the PAP and the leadership.
wealth manager Dylan Ng, 40.
