Tag: Workers Party

Workers’ Party: Singapore Government Must Disallow Online Betting

The Workers’ Party notes with concern the applications from Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf Club (STC) to launch online betting services.

There are no lack of legal gambling venues in Singapore, including the two casinos and hundreds of outlets accepting bets for Singapore Pools and STC.

When the government decided to clamp down on remote gambling in 2014, it cited concerns about addictive behaviour and easy access to these games. Should the Government approve their applications, Singapore Pools and STC will have 24/7 virtual betting outlets available in almost every home and mobile device.

This convenience may encourage Singaporeans to take up the habit and possibly become a gateway to more serious gambling. The social costs of gambling on families are well documented, and the number of problem gambling cases in Singapore has been on the rise.

It makes little sense for the government to close one door on remote gambling in order to “protect young persons and other vulnerable persons”, while opening another door that exposes them to the ills of gambling in their homes.

During the second reading of the Remote Gambling Bill in 2014, the Government rejected the Workers’ Party call to send the Remote Gambling Bill – specifically the clauses that dealt with exemptions – to a Select Committee of Parliament for further scrutiny and oversight. Nonetheless, the Government committed itself to step up public education and awareness efforts with a specific focus on online gambling. However, as of today, it remains unclear what are the Government’s specific plans and strategies to address the negative effects of online gambling, especially on young and vulnerable persons.

The WP’s 2015 Manifesto contained five proposals to fight problem gambling, including the complete prohibition of remote and online gambling with no exemptions allowed. Exempting Singapore Pools and STC will undermine the government’s motivations for banning remote gambling in the first place.

We oppose the granting of exemptions to any organisation to operate remote and online betting services and we call on the government to reject these applications.

Read the speeches by WP MPs Png Eng Huat, Pritam Singh, and Yee Jenn Jong during the Parliamentary debate on Remote Gambling in 2014.

Pritam Singh
Assistant Secretary-General
The Workers’ Party
27 September 2016

Source: www.wp.sg

September 28, 2016
Family Mourning Father’s Death Scramble To Find Venue For Wake After Rejected By Marine Parade Town Council

For a long time, I have refrained from posting unless necessary. Pondered long and hard about this before deciding to post this. I hope friends will help to share this reflection as there is a pertinent issue which the future young leaders of Singapore need to understand this fundamental value system and review the workings of the people under them. Only then will we see a better Singapore that we can truly belong to. These are facts with no added imagination.

A good friend’s father passed away suddenly on the late night of 26 Aug 2016, Fri. Those who have experienced the unfortunate demise of a loved one would know that it is a race against time to secure a location and inform the undertaker for the wake to proceed smoothly and immediately once the dawn breaks.

Her family stays in Serangoon Avenue 4, under Aljunied GRC management. But due to current home improvement works, showflats occupied their block’s and vicinity blocks’ void decks. Her dad’s wake cannot take place at their house void deck or immediate adjacent blocks as a result. They have no choice but to apply for the multipurpose hall opposite their flat, across a main road which is managed by Marine Parade GRC.

They called Marine Parade Town Council of that area and was told that the venue for the 4 days which her family needs (27th, 28th, 29th, 30th Aug) IS AVAILABLE, but the booking is still subject to the approval of the senior officer who can only revert the following day by 730am (27th Aug– first day of the wake), leaving the family with very little time to confirm with the undertaker where to setup.

The next morning (27th Aug), lo and behold, she was told that her request is not approved because they are “not resident of that area”!!!! (Quite frankly, if it were me, I would have sworn with the most beautiful language in that the exasperated and ridiculous situation.) Their family has no time but to scramble to look for a farther venue within Aljunied GRC.

And the most mind boggling call event took place on the third day of the wake when she received a call from the same officer who rejected her booking as he wanted to update her about the fact that the request is not approved. Upon clarification, it turns out that what he meant by “not a resident of the area” was that her HDB estate does not belong to the Marine Parade GRC because her estate is from the Aljunied GRC.

What is the point of “updating” her on the third day into the wake when people are mourning? In the family’s moment of need and bereavement, no help or compassion was offered from MPGRC. In fact, the rejection of the booking led to a lot of stress and a mad rush.
Dear friends….i try to be as objective as possible in this. But there is obviously politics in play here. Or are we reading too much in this?

The reason for not approving it is simply unacceptable especially given that the venue is available. Just because their residence belongs to the Aljunied GRC (run by Worker’s Party), they are not allowed to use PAP run facilities? Am I assuming too much political play in this? I do not think so. Are we back to the whole game of “ïf you vote for me, then you will enjoy privileges?” tactics which the old regime is so fond of using?

Why is there the biased assumption that just because their residence is in Aljunied GRC, they voted for the Workers’ Party? We are all Singaporeans. Sure, Politics is a dirty game. But there are OB markers as to where games cannot be played. A bereaving moment qualifies!

Utterly disappointed, I hope the relevant party reflect on its discriminatory practices and have some compassion.

Connect, not divide.

Source: Sanson Ng

September 20, 2016
WP: Paralympians Should Receive Same Prize Awards As Able-Bodied Counterparts

The Workers’ Party would like to congratulate our paralympians Yip Pin Xiu and Theresa Goh for clinching Singapore’s first gold medal and a bronze medal at the Rio Paralympic Games. Ms. Yip broke her own world record by more than two seconds.

Our paralympians deserve the same respect and value as our able-bodied athletes. To compete at the pinnacle of one’s sport demands dedication, sacrifice, discipline, and an indomitable fighting spirit. Our paralympians embody these values and are an inspiration to all Singaporeans.

Our paralympians demonstrate what we can achieve as an inclusive sporting nation. The smaller pool of competitors at the Games should not be reason to deny our paralympians the recognition and compensation that is due to them. It is only right that they should receive equal treatment as any Singaporean athlete who competes at the highest international levels.

For their equally important and inspiring achievements, the Workers’ Party calls for our national para-swimmers to receive the same prize awards from the Singapore National Olympics Council as their able-bodied counterparts.

Daniel Goh
Chair, Media Team
13 September 2016

Source: The Worker’s Party

September 14, 2016
End Of WP Treasurer Tenure In Accordance With Terms Of My Appointment: Chen Show Mao

The Workers’ Party’s (WP) Chen Show Mao has clarified that the end of his tenure as treasurer of the party was “in accordance with the terms of my appointment”.

The Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament was responding to comments on his Facebook page on his stepping down from the post, amid questions over his future in the party.

In a comment on a Facebook post on Sunday (Sept 11), Mr Chen, who entered politics in 2011, assured that his “focus remains Paya Lebar and Parliament, and the party too”, although in a “different way” now that his term as treasurer has ended.

“I did not quit or resign, but have stepped down from the post in accordance with the terms of my appointment. At the time of my appointment three months ago, it was agreed with the CEC, which appointed me, that my term as WP Treasurer would end in three months’ time, which is now upon us,” he said.

Mr Chen, considered a “star” catch for the WP in the 2011 General Election, caused a splash in June when he fronted a challenge to the leadership of party chief Low Thia Khiang at the party’s biennial Central Executive Council (CEC) elections.

Making a bid for the secretary-general post, Mr Chen had gathered 45 votes to Mr Low’s 61 votes. The contest was said to have been triggered by members who wanted to see changes in the way the party is run, with some members expressing discontentment over Mr Low’s ruling style.

Mr Chen remains a member of the CEC. Mr Dennis Tan, a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament for the party who made his political debut in the General Election last year, replaced Mr Chen as treasurer. He was previously deputy treasurer.

Source: TODAY Online

September 13, 2016
Zika Beware, WP Launches Operation Kaki Bukit!

Operation Kaki Bukit. 1 Sep 2016, 1930hrs.

More than 40 volunteers in six teams led by MPs Sylvia Lim, Png Eng Huat, Faisal Manap, Low Thia Khiang, Chen Show Mao and NCMP Daniel Goh knocked on doors to check on residents in 14 blocks of flats in the affected cluster in Bedok North Ave 3 and St 3. Too bad Pritam Singh, Dennis Tan and Leon Perera were overseas on work trips.

We advised residents about the symptoms and spread of the virus and collected information on vulnerable persons. We handed out flyers to inform everyone that Town Council would be conducting urgent floor-to-floor fogging of the common corridor and general area on Friday.

We gave out NEA brochures on Dengue and Zika and the 5-step Mozzie Wipeout. We didn’t have enough NEA brochures, so we made our own version to give out if we run out of the NEA version.

We could sense a strong collective spirit and appreciation of the combined efforts by government agencies, town councils, MPs, volunteers and grassroots. We will continue with the control measures and outreach efforts to fight Zika.

Source: Aljunied GRC

September 2, 2016