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Thursday, March 24, 2011
Stepping forward – Part 1
Stepping forward – Part 1
Posted by theonlinecitizen on March 23, 2011
In an exclusive interview with The Online Citizen, four former Reform Party members – along with Ms Nor Lella Mardillah – speak about the reasons they joined the National Solidarity Party, their interest in politics, and the issues which should concern Singaporeans as the country prepares itself for the General Election.
Andrew Loh /
It has been quite a rollercoaster ride for some of the National Solidarity Party’s (NSP) new candidates for the General Election (GE), expected to be called in a matter of weeks.
Mr Tony Tan, Ms Hazel Poa, Mr Jeisilan Sivalingam and Ms Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss, together with five others, resigned en masse from the three-year old Reform Party in February this year. For a while, their political future seemed uncertain. In the weeks following the resignations, the group held talks with other opposition political parties, ostensibly about joining them.
Most notably, Mr Tan and Ms Poa met with veteran politician and Member of Parliament, Mr Chiam See Tong, in February/March. Mr Chiam is the secretary general of the Singapore People’s Party. The group also held talks with the NSP in the same period.
Eventually, however, the four of the nine RP breakaway faction decided to sign-up with the NSP and were promptly introduced on 11 March as the party’s candidates for the upcoming GE.
One of the reasons why they chose the NSP is because of the ‘complementary’ abilities which they are able to provide to the party, the group tells The Online Citizen (TOC). An example is Mr Tan’s and Ms Poa’s experience in and exposure to public service. Mr Tan was formerly with the Singapore Armed Forces, and Ms Poa with the Administrative Service. The experience and the organizational abilities of the NSP’s veterans, together with the new members’ exposure in public service, would be mutually beneficial to the party especially in a General Election, the group says.
“This election very important for us,” Mr Tan explains. He feels that the experience will cement the bonding among the old and new party members.
Mr Tan, Ms Poa, Mr Jeisilan and Ms Nor Lella were introduced at the media conference in March as the NSP’s candidates for Moulmein-Kallang GRC. However, the party is still in discussion with the Workers’ Party which is also interested in contesting the constituency.
Ms Chong, meanwhile, has set her sights on Mountbatten SMC, where she grew up in, and has begun her outreach activities there.
So, what is it that makes seemingly ordinary folks like them interested in politics, and opposition politics at that?
Mr Jeisilan says he was “disillusioned” with the way things were and the direction that the country was heading. It came to a point where he said he had to get involved. He joined the Reform Party and became its Organising Secretary.
“The primary purpose was to stand [for elections],” he says. As a teenager he would attend events and rallies where the late Mr JB Jeyaretnam would speak at. These inspired him. “I saw the passion and conviction he had in fighting for ordinary Singaporeans,” Mr Jeisilan explains. “That had an effect on me.”
Mr Jeyaretnam founded the Reform Party in 2008.
For lawyer Ms Chong, it was her personal experience which spurred her to dip her feet in politics. When her block was designated for the en bloc programme, she realized that she could do little when the majority of those in her block of flats consented to the programme. She could not fathom how a law could allow one’s home to be involuntarily sold.
“I began to read the parliamentary debates,” Ms Chong says, “to see how that law was promulgated.” While the debate was “lively”, she says, in the end the PAP Government, because of its overwhelmingly majority in the House, passed the law.
“I do not understand how we can have any parliamentary debates over new laws if 82 out of 84 parliamentarians are from one party,” she says. Ms Chong also observed that her own children were becoming disaffected and were lacking a sense of belonging to the country. “That really woke me up,” she says, “that I may lose my children. I [would] be as good as childless because my children would be wanting to go overseas.”
It has since been a journey of several years for her to find out why young Singaporeans such as her children do not feel any affinity to Singapore. Her decision to enter the political arena is, among others, to help facilitate a two-party system in Singapore and to foster a more engaged citizenry.
When Lee Hsien Loong took office as Prime Minister in 2004, Mr Tan believed that PM Lee would take the country “to the next level”. However, soon after, Mr Tan began to realize that things were not quite right. The Government’s decision to peg civil servants’ salaries to the private sector and bonuses to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was a turning point for Mr Tan.
“I personally had a lot of concerns about this,” he says. As someone who had started and managed businesses of his own, he could not imagine that there was only one Key Performance Indicator (KPI) – the GDP – as the determinant in paying such high salaries and bonuses to ministers. “If your system is one that is opaque, and [you] only say trust us, we know what is best for you… I am very uncomfortable with that,” Mr Tan explains.
“I first started having misgivings about the PAP Government when they linked HDB upgrading to party politics,” says Ms Poa. “To me that was the first overt sign that party interest supercedes citizens’ interest.” She became more concerned when other policies were implemented, such as high ministerial salaries and the decision to allow casinos in Singapore. The Government was also not listening to public sentiment, says Ms Poa.
“PAP has been in power for so long, successful for so long they have enormous faith in some of their longstanding positions,” Ms Poa says. “It has come to a point where it’s difficult for any person to change them. I don’t believe the change can come from inside.”
Change can only come from politicians, she feels. “For civil service, it is very difficult to change anything because they are there to execute [policies].”
Ms Poa says that while there are certain people within the PAP who may be trying to change things from within the party, she does not see them succeeding either. “I feel that external pressure is necessary,” she explains.
For Ms Nor Lella, it was her experience in community, charity and counseling work which made her realize that the system was not helping those at the bottom level of society and those who have fallen through the cracks.
“The things I have witnessed with my own eyes, my ground work with Red Staff Community. . it’s very sad,” she says. Eventually, through a friend she got in touch with Mr Goh Meng Seng, the Secretary General of the NSP.
“He asked me what I wanted to do in my life,” Ms Nor Lella says, “and I said well, if I could change something for these people, that’s what I want to do. He asked me to consider NSP as my next platform. I didn’t say no.”
Their individual decisions to step into politics had not been easy, the group says. There were “a lot of push and pull over a duration of a few years”, Mr Tan explains. “For many of us, mother of four, father of two, I must say that all of us make a lot of sacrifices. Time we want to spend with our kids, time to grow our business, gazing at the beach, which is something I miss.”
They are also aware of the state of the opposition in Singapore.
“We know the state of opposition vis-à-vis PAP,” Mr Tan says. “Like machinery versus spears.” But he is not discouraged. In particular, he hopes to get younger Singaporeans to be interested. “This is my message to young people: in 10-15 years this country will be yours, not ours. So what is in it for you? They should know that if they are not happy with the policies, they must speak out.”
In Part 2 of this article, the group speaks about the issues which they feel are important, especially in the General Election.
Posted by theonlinecitizen on March 23, 2011
In an exclusive interview with The Online Citizen, four former Reform Party members – along with Ms Nor Lella Mardillah – speak about the reasons they joined the National Solidarity Party, their interest in politics, and the issues which should concern Singaporeans as the country prepares itself for the General Election.
Andrew Loh /
It has been quite a rollercoaster ride for some of the National Solidarity Party’s (NSP) new candidates for the General Election (GE), expected to be called in a matter of weeks.
Mr Tony Tan, Ms Hazel Poa, Mr Jeisilan Sivalingam and Ms Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss, together with five others, resigned en masse from the three-year old Reform Party in February this year. For a while, their political future seemed uncertain. In the weeks following the resignations, the group held talks with other opposition political parties, ostensibly about joining them.
Most notably, Mr Tan and Ms Poa met with veteran politician and Member of Parliament, Mr Chiam See Tong, in February/March. Mr Chiam is the secretary general of the Singapore People’s Party. The group also held talks with the NSP in the same period.
Eventually, however, the four of the nine RP breakaway faction decided to sign-up with the NSP and were promptly introduced on 11 March as the party’s candidates for the upcoming GE.
One of the reasons why they chose the NSP is because of the ‘complementary’ abilities which they are able to provide to the party, the group tells The Online Citizen (TOC). An example is Mr Tan’s and Ms Poa’s experience in and exposure to public service. Mr Tan was formerly with the Singapore Armed Forces, and Ms Poa with the Administrative Service. The experience and the organizational abilities of the NSP’s veterans, together with the new members’ exposure in public service, would be mutually beneficial to the party especially in a General Election, the group says.
“This election very important for us,” Mr Tan explains. He feels that the experience will cement the bonding among the old and new party members.
Mr Tan, Ms Poa, Mr Jeisilan and Ms Nor Lella were introduced at the media conference in March as the NSP’s candidates for Moulmein-Kallang GRC. However, the party is still in discussion with the Workers’ Party which is also interested in contesting the constituency.
Ms Chong, meanwhile, has set her sights on Mountbatten SMC, where she grew up in, and has begun her outreach activities there.
So, what is it that makes seemingly ordinary folks like them interested in politics, and opposition politics at that?
Mr Jeisilan says he was “disillusioned” with the way things were and the direction that the country was heading. It came to a point where he said he had to get involved. He joined the Reform Party and became its Organising Secretary.
“The primary purpose was to stand [for elections],” he says. As a teenager he would attend events and rallies where the late Mr JB Jeyaretnam would speak at. These inspired him. “I saw the passion and conviction he had in fighting for ordinary Singaporeans,” Mr Jeisilan explains. “That had an effect on me.”
Mr Jeyaretnam founded the Reform Party in 2008.
For lawyer Ms Chong, it was her personal experience which spurred her to dip her feet in politics. When her block was designated for the en bloc programme, she realized that she could do little when the majority of those in her block of flats consented to the programme. She could not fathom how a law could allow one’s home to be involuntarily sold.
“I began to read the parliamentary debates,” Ms Chong says, “to see how that law was promulgated.” While the debate was “lively”, she says, in the end the PAP Government, because of its overwhelmingly majority in the House, passed the law.
“I do not understand how we can have any parliamentary debates over new laws if 82 out of 84 parliamentarians are from one party,” she says. Ms Chong also observed that her own children were becoming disaffected and were lacking a sense of belonging to the country. “That really woke me up,” she says, “that I may lose my children. I [would] be as good as childless because my children would be wanting to go overseas.”
It has since been a journey of several years for her to find out why young Singaporeans such as her children do not feel any affinity to Singapore. Her decision to enter the political arena is, among others, to help facilitate a two-party system in Singapore and to foster a more engaged citizenry.
When Lee Hsien Loong took office as Prime Minister in 2004, Mr Tan believed that PM Lee would take the country “to the next level”. However, soon after, Mr Tan began to realize that things were not quite right. The Government’s decision to peg civil servants’ salaries to the private sector and bonuses to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was a turning point for Mr Tan.
“I personally had a lot of concerns about this,” he says. As someone who had started and managed businesses of his own, he could not imagine that there was only one Key Performance Indicator (KPI) – the GDP – as the determinant in paying such high salaries and bonuses to ministers. “If your system is one that is opaque, and [you] only say trust us, we know what is best for you… I am very uncomfortable with that,” Mr Tan explains.
“I first started having misgivings about the PAP Government when they linked HDB upgrading to party politics,” says Ms Poa. “To me that was the first overt sign that party interest supercedes citizens’ interest.” She became more concerned when other policies were implemented, such as high ministerial salaries and the decision to allow casinos in Singapore. The Government was also not listening to public sentiment, says Ms Poa.
“PAP has been in power for so long, successful for so long they have enormous faith in some of their longstanding positions,” Ms Poa says. “It has come to a point where it’s difficult for any person to change them. I don’t believe the change can come from inside.”
Change can only come from politicians, she feels. “For civil service, it is very difficult to change anything because they are there to execute [policies].”
Ms Poa says that while there are certain people within the PAP who may be trying to change things from within the party, she does not see them succeeding either. “I feel that external pressure is necessary,” she explains.
For Ms Nor Lella, it was her experience in community, charity and counseling work which made her realize that the system was not helping those at the bottom level of society and those who have fallen through the cracks.
“The things I have witnessed with my own eyes, my ground work with Red Staff Community. . it’s very sad,” she says. Eventually, through a friend she got in touch with Mr Goh Meng Seng, the Secretary General of the NSP.
“He asked me what I wanted to do in my life,” Ms Nor Lella says, “and I said well, if I could change something for these people, that’s what I want to do. He asked me to consider NSP as my next platform. I didn’t say no.”
Their individual decisions to step into politics had not been easy, the group says. There were “a lot of push and pull over a duration of a few years”, Mr Tan explains. “For many of us, mother of four, father of two, I must say that all of us make a lot of sacrifices. Time we want to spend with our kids, time to grow our business, gazing at the beach, which is something I miss.”
They are also aware of the state of the opposition in Singapore.
“We know the state of opposition vis-à-vis PAP,” Mr Tan says. “Like machinery versus spears.” But he is not discouraged. In particular, he hopes to get younger Singaporeans to be interested. “This is my message to young people: in 10-15 years this country will be yours, not ours. So what is in it for you? They should know that if they are not happy with the policies, they must speak out.”
In Part 2 of this article, the group speaks about the issues which they feel are important, especially in the General Election.
DA unveils its first batch of election candidates
SDA unveils its first batch of election candidates
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid | Posted: 23 March 2011 2151 hrs
SINGAPORE: The opposition Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) said it has identified more than 20 potential candidates for the upcoming General Election.
The first batch was introduced on Wednesday with SDA also listing the constituencies they would contest in.
Three of the four candidates introduced are from the Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS), a component party of the SDA.
One of them is 38-year-old Noraine Anabi, a business consultant. She is expected to contest in Pasir Pasir-Punggol GRC.
Ms Noraine's father was a veteran PKMS member in the 1960s and 70s.
"Whatever he had actually done previously, or whatever service he has done for the people and the public, it has inspired me to join politics," she said.
Another first-time candidate is Noraine's husband, 42-year-old Mohd Nazem Suki, who is also secretary-general of PKMS.
The entrepreneur said he intends to stand in Radin Mas constituency, where other opposition parties have also expressed interest.
Other parties like National Solidarity Party and the Reform Party have also expressed interest to contest there.
SDA said it would avoid any three- or four-cornered fights.
Mr Nazem said his candidacy has been acknowledged.
"I have made my stand clear that I will be contesting in Radin Mas, during our last meeting, the inter-party meeting," Mr Nazem said.
"There was interest by other parties, and we are on the negotiation and I think we have come to a conclusion whereby only one party will be contesting in Radin Mas.
"We are still on the negotiation table and I believe, I stand a chance in Radin Mas."
Another candidate is 46-year-old project consultant Ismail Yaacob, who is also first vice-president of PKMS. He said he will stand in Sengkang West constituency.
He last contested in 1988 at the age of 21.
"Our focus now is on education, housing, transportation, medical costs (which) very important for the old age (so) I think we have to do something for that," Mr Ismail said.
Meanwhile, SDA secretary-general Desmond Lim confirmed his candidacy for Punggol East SMC.
SDA said the potential candidates identified so far come from a diverse background.
Their age ranges between 27 and 65 years old.
As for their educational qualifications, they include ITE graduates right up to degree holders.
Mr Lim said: "We offer ourselves, (because) one, to give the people a choice and two, to reduce the government's power and give back the rights to the people to participate in the process of policy-making.
"What we are talking about is transparency and accountability.
"There is no such thing as contesting in the right or wrong GRC, or we are here to just offer ourselves when the elections come.
"I have been in politics (for) more than 18 years - that only reflects commitment... this country, for Singaporeans and for our next generation.
"So the only thing is that we are from different camps but we still serving the same country".
Mr Lim said SDA's candidates will be full-time MPs, if elected.
He added as there are now more candidates expressing interest in the polls, SDA is thinking of contesting in more constituencies.
Among those likely to be fielded are 27-year-old Abdul Malik Mohd Ghazali, former member of the Singapore Democratic Party.
The last time he made the news was when he purportedly incited violence by posting negative remarks against a minister on Facebook.
He was arrested in August last year but the case was dropped in February.
Mr Lim said more candidates will be introduced soon.
-CNA/wk
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid | Posted: 23 March 2011 2151 hrs
SINGAPORE: The opposition Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) said it has identified more than 20 potential candidates for the upcoming General Election.
The first batch was introduced on Wednesday with SDA also listing the constituencies they would contest in.
Three of the four candidates introduced are from the Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS), a component party of the SDA.
One of them is 38-year-old Noraine Anabi, a business consultant. She is expected to contest in Pasir Pasir-Punggol GRC.
Ms Noraine's father was a veteran PKMS member in the 1960s and 70s.
"Whatever he had actually done previously, or whatever service he has done for the people and the public, it has inspired me to join politics," she said.
Another first-time candidate is Noraine's husband, 42-year-old Mohd Nazem Suki, who is also secretary-general of PKMS.
The entrepreneur said he intends to stand in Radin Mas constituency, where other opposition parties have also expressed interest.
Other parties like National Solidarity Party and the Reform Party have also expressed interest to contest there.
SDA said it would avoid any three- or four-cornered fights.
Mr Nazem said his candidacy has been acknowledged.
"I have made my stand clear that I will be contesting in Radin Mas, during our last meeting, the inter-party meeting," Mr Nazem said.
"There was interest by other parties, and we are on the negotiation and I think we have come to a conclusion whereby only one party will be contesting in Radin Mas.
"We are still on the negotiation table and I believe, I stand a chance in Radin Mas."
Another candidate is 46-year-old project consultant Ismail Yaacob, who is also first vice-president of PKMS. He said he will stand in Sengkang West constituency.
He last contested in 1988 at the age of 21.
"Our focus now is on education, housing, transportation, medical costs (which) very important for the old age (so) I think we have to do something for that," Mr Ismail said.
Meanwhile, SDA secretary-general Desmond Lim confirmed his candidacy for Punggol East SMC.
SDA said the potential candidates identified so far come from a diverse background.
Their age ranges between 27 and 65 years old.
As for their educational qualifications, they include ITE graduates right up to degree holders.
Mr Lim said: "We offer ourselves, (because) one, to give the people a choice and two, to reduce the government's power and give back the rights to the people to participate in the process of policy-making.
"What we are talking about is transparency and accountability.
"There is no such thing as contesting in the right or wrong GRC, or we are here to just offer ourselves when the elections come.
"I have been in politics (for) more than 18 years - that only reflects commitment... this country, for Singaporeans and for our next generation.
"So the only thing is that we are from different camps but we still serving the same country".
Mr Lim said SDA's candidates will be full-time MPs, if elected.
He added as there are now more candidates expressing interest in the polls, SDA is thinking of contesting in more constituencies.
Among those likely to be fielded are 27-year-old Abdul Malik Mohd Ghazali, former member of the Singapore Democratic Party.
The last time he made the news was when he purportedly incited violence by posting negative remarks against a minister on Facebook.
He was arrested in August last year but the case was dropped in February.
Mr Lim said more candidates will be introduced soon.
-CNA/wk
PAP introduces its first new woman candidate for coming GE
PAP introduces its first new woman candidate for coming GE
By S Ramesh/Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid | Posted: 23 March 2011 1638 hrs
SINGAPORE: The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) on Wednesday introduced its first new woman candidate for the coming General Election.
45-year-old Ms Foo Mee Har is the global head of premium banking for Standard Chartered Bank.
Also introduced at the session was the son of a former Cabinet Minister. 35-year-old Desmond Lee Ti-Seng, an associate director in the Legal & Regulations Department of Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited, is the son of former Cabinet Minister Mr Lee Yock Suan.
The third PAP candidate introduced on Wednesday was 38-year-old Steve Tan Peng Hoe, currently the executive secretary of Young NTUC, the labour movement's official youth wing.
Ms Foo joined the Stanchart in 1994 and has since held a number of senior roles across businesses and functions.
Ms Foo joined the PAP in 2010 and has been helping out at the Cashew division in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. She has taken part in various community events and Meet-the-People Sessions.
"I have been doing quite a lot of block visits in different areas, looking at people's homes. Obviously there are plenty of happy Singaporeans....and (there are also) people who need our help," she said at the introduction session.
Ms Foo has also been inducted into the PAP executive committee as assistant secretary to the Women's Wing.
For Mr Steve Tan, he has been exposed to helping workers in different ways in his 10 years with the labour movement. These include managing scholarships and education grants, administering insurance claims for workers and issuing transport vouchers and other assistance schemes.
He said: "I come from a generation which straddles the Singapore as it was developing and the Singapore that we see today....definitely plugged into the psyche of the workers today and Singaporeans today. We have lived meritocracy through our own lives."
Steve is currently a grassroots volunteer at Tampines East. He is the third PAP candidate from the labour movement to be introduced so far. The other two are Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Ong Ye Kung.
Mr Desmond Lee Ti-Seng started his career as a Justices' Law Clerk of the Supreme Court, providing legal research support.
Before leaving the government service, Desmond worked in the Legal Policy Division of the Ministry of Law as deputy director, where he was involved in the development of legal policies and the review and amendment of various pieces of legislation such as the Criminal Procedure Code.
Desmond said: "When I told him (his father Lee Yock Suan) I was approached by the PAP and invited to drink tea, his advice was, 'think very carefully. Are you able to serve? Do you have the heart for the people and this is serious stuff, 100 percent of your time'. I thought it was very sound advice. The road to reach here was a long and rigorous one and that gave me a lot of time to reflect and think."
The latest batch brings to six so far the number of PAP's new faces made known to the electorate.
Speaking at Wednesday's introduction session, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said the renewal process of PAP has been systematic and structured.
This is done by finding people who will be able to serve the wider interest of Singaporeans, said Mr Wong, who is also the PAP's First Assistant Secretary General.
Mr Wong said that he hopes the opposition, like the PAP, will introduce their election candidates early.
He said this will help the electorate know what the candidates can offer.
The PAP has said it will be fielding more than 20 new candidates in the coming General Election.
Mr Wong said the process of renewal is important as new blood can contribute new ideas and energy to the party.
It also connects the party to societal changes and aspirations on the ground.
"That is the difference between us and many countries....we plan, we think ahead, we want to make sure that there is always a team of people available and around (and) with experience who can take Singapore to the next lap," said Mr Wong.
Deputy Prime Minister Wong reminded Singaporeans that provisions have now been made in Parliament to have up to nine opposition members as Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) so that the voice of the opposition continues to be heard in the House.
He said: "In our parliamentary system, we have tried to ensure that all kinds of voices are heard including the opposition voice. Even if they fail to get into Parliament, we have the NCMP system and the NMP (Nominated MP) system so that opposition and alternate voices can be heard. In the coming election we have also changed the law so that if less than nine opposition candidates are elected, there will at least be nine opposition MPs in Parliament. I don't think any other countries have done that."
Mr Wong also urged voters to weigh the intentions of the opposition to capture a Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
Both opposition MPs Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong have of late spoken of the need for their parties to make a breakthrough by winning a GRC in the coming General Election.
Mr Wong said: "What voters should take into account is to see which political party, which candidate can really do well for them, which is a stronger team, stronger candidate that will bring them forward in the future.
"If you ask why the opposition want to win a constituency, I think the intention is quite clear. Some of them say, 'we want to do that for renewal', others say they want to be the first one to break through into a GRC and win the GRC.
"But what is this election about? Is it about the interests and ambitions of political parties and individual interest to create a legacy and make a history? That is what voters should ask themselves.
"This election is about the future. So when you cast a vote you are not casting a vote for the political party's future, you are casting for your future. So when you exercise your vote, think carefully which political party will do well for you, which MP will work hard for you and enable to achieve what you want to do. That is really the main question.
"You should choose the group that is strong and the people who can deliver for you. You deserve to elect the best for you."
Later Wednesday, MP Low Thia Khiang, who had previously said the opposition must capture a GRC to ensure continuity and renewal, responded to DPM Wong's remarks.
The Workers' Party chief said: "Renewal is important, too, not only to the PAP but to the opposition as well, if an opposition party wants to continue to play a role, if Singaporeans want an opposition party to play a role, to be able to give them a choice during election and to help to safeguard the future of Singapore."
When asked if he would personally lead a team to contest a GRC, Mr Low declined comment.
- CNA/ir
By S Ramesh/Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid | Posted: 23 March 2011 1638 hrs
SINGAPORE: The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) on Wednesday introduced its first new woman candidate for the coming General Election.
45-year-old Ms Foo Mee Har is the global head of premium banking for Standard Chartered Bank.
Also introduced at the session was the son of a former Cabinet Minister. 35-year-old Desmond Lee Ti-Seng, an associate director in the Legal & Regulations Department of Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited, is the son of former Cabinet Minister Mr Lee Yock Suan.
The third PAP candidate introduced on Wednesday was 38-year-old Steve Tan Peng Hoe, currently the executive secretary of Young NTUC, the labour movement's official youth wing.
Ms Foo joined the Stanchart in 1994 and has since held a number of senior roles across businesses and functions.
Ms Foo joined the PAP in 2010 and has been helping out at the Cashew division in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. She has taken part in various community events and Meet-the-People Sessions.
"I have been doing quite a lot of block visits in different areas, looking at people's homes. Obviously there are plenty of happy Singaporeans....and (there are also) people who need our help," she said at the introduction session.
Ms Foo has also been inducted into the PAP executive committee as assistant secretary to the Women's Wing.
For Mr Steve Tan, he has been exposed to helping workers in different ways in his 10 years with the labour movement. These include managing scholarships and education grants, administering insurance claims for workers and issuing transport vouchers and other assistance schemes.
He said: "I come from a generation which straddles the Singapore as it was developing and the Singapore that we see today....definitely plugged into the psyche of the workers today and Singaporeans today. We have lived meritocracy through our own lives."
Steve is currently a grassroots volunteer at Tampines East. He is the third PAP candidate from the labour movement to be introduced so far. The other two are Mr Desmond Choo and Mr Ong Ye Kung.
Mr Desmond Lee Ti-Seng started his career as a Justices' Law Clerk of the Supreme Court, providing legal research support.
Before leaving the government service, Desmond worked in the Legal Policy Division of the Ministry of Law as deputy director, where he was involved in the development of legal policies and the review and amendment of various pieces of legislation such as the Criminal Procedure Code.
Desmond said: "When I told him (his father Lee Yock Suan) I was approached by the PAP and invited to drink tea, his advice was, 'think very carefully. Are you able to serve? Do you have the heart for the people and this is serious stuff, 100 percent of your time'. I thought it was very sound advice. The road to reach here was a long and rigorous one and that gave me a lot of time to reflect and think."
The latest batch brings to six so far the number of PAP's new faces made known to the electorate.
Speaking at Wednesday's introduction session, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said the renewal process of PAP has been systematic and structured.
This is done by finding people who will be able to serve the wider interest of Singaporeans, said Mr Wong, who is also the PAP's First Assistant Secretary General.
Mr Wong said that he hopes the opposition, like the PAP, will introduce their election candidates early.
He said this will help the electorate know what the candidates can offer.
The PAP has said it will be fielding more than 20 new candidates in the coming General Election.
Mr Wong said the process of renewal is important as new blood can contribute new ideas and energy to the party.
It also connects the party to societal changes and aspirations on the ground.
"That is the difference between us and many countries....we plan, we think ahead, we want to make sure that there is always a team of people available and around (and) with experience who can take Singapore to the next lap," said Mr Wong.
Deputy Prime Minister Wong reminded Singaporeans that provisions have now been made in Parliament to have up to nine opposition members as Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs) so that the voice of the opposition continues to be heard in the House.
He said: "In our parliamentary system, we have tried to ensure that all kinds of voices are heard including the opposition voice. Even if they fail to get into Parliament, we have the NCMP system and the NMP (Nominated MP) system so that opposition and alternate voices can be heard. In the coming election we have also changed the law so that if less than nine opposition candidates are elected, there will at least be nine opposition MPs in Parliament. I don't think any other countries have done that."
Mr Wong also urged voters to weigh the intentions of the opposition to capture a Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
Both opposition MPs Low Thia Khiang and Chiam See Tong have of late spoken of the need for their parties to make a breakthrough by winning a GRC in the coming General Election.
Mr Wong said: "What voters should take into account is to see which political party, which candidate can really do well for them, which is a stronger team, stronger candidate that will bring them forward in the future.
"If you ask why the opposition want to win a constituency, I think the intention is quite clear. Some of them say, 'we want to do that for renewal', others say they want to be the first one to break through into a GRC and win the GRC.
"But what is this election about? Is it about the interests and ambitions of political parties and individual interest to create a legacy and make a history? That is what voters should ask themselves.
"This election is about the future. So when you cast a vote you are not casting a vote for the political party's future, you are casting for your future. So when you exercise your vote, think carefully which political party will do well for you, which MP will work hard for you and enable to achieve what you want to do. That is really the main question.
"You should choose the group that is strong and the people who can deliver for you. You deserve to elect the best for you."
Later Wednesday, MP Low Thia Khiang, who had previously said the opposition must capture a GRC to ensure continuity and renewal, responded to DPM Wong's remarks.
The Workers' Party chief said: "Renewal is important, too, not only to the PAP but to the opposition as well, if an opposition party wants to continue to play a role, if Singaporeans want an opposition party to play a role, to be able to give them a choice during election and to help to safeguard the future of Singapore."
When asked if he would personally lead a team to contest a GRC, Mr Low declined comment.
- CNA/ir
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Opposition out in full force
Opposition out in full force
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/03/opposition-out-in-full-force/
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/03/opposition-out-in-full-force/
GE: PAP introduces first batch of new election candidates
SINGAPORE: The People's Action Party has introduced its first batch of new candidates for the coming General Election due by February 2012.
At the introduction session, PAP's Second Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said that in total, the PAP intends to introduce more than 20 new candidates from diverse backgrounds. Most of them are under 40 years old.
The three new candidates introduced on Monday are Mr Desmond Choo, Dr Janil Puthucheary and Mr Ong Ye Kung.
42-year-old Ong Ye Kung is an assistant secretary-general at NTUC. He is also the chairman of Employment and Employability Institute, executive secretary of National Transport Workers Union and of Singapore Manual Mercantile Workers' Union.
He oversees workers' upgrading and job placement projects in NTUC, and champions the welfare of workers in the unions under his purview.
Mr Ong was also the former CEO of the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and was involved in the negotiations of the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement.
Mr Ong said: "That was very hard work but I keep thinking to myself, we are a little red dot, they are a world superpower, why do they want to negotiate something like that with us? But at the end of the day we managed to seal a deal, a good deal to secure the economic future for Singapore for many years.
"We, as a small dot must always be fighting for international space, even the seemingly impossible, negotiating with a superpower with grit and determination, working together as a team, making sure we are capable, the impossible can be achieved."
Mr Ong is currently working with Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo and his team at the Aljunied GRC, which saw the most-keenly fought battle in the 2006 General Election.
39-year-old Dr Janil Puthucheary is a senior consultant in the Children's Intensive Care Unit at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital.
He is also the medical director for faculty development and an assistant professor at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School.
Since January 2009, Dr Puthucheary has been helping at the Meet-the-People Sessions as well as several other grassroots activities in Radin Mas, Bedok and now Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC.
A former Malaysian, he became a Singapore citizen in 2008.
"Apart from our families, there are many other reasons why we chose to make Singapore our home. Major factors were the multi-culturalism and meritocracy. I am very grateful for what we have here; it is very rare and very precious and I am very excited to be involved in it," said Dr Puthucheary.
33-year-old Desmond Choo is a deputy director with the NTUC Youth Development Unit. He is also the executive secretary of the Union of Security Employees and serves with the Singapore Port Workers Union.
Before his appointment as the second adviser to Hougang Grassroots Organisations in February this year, he had worked extensively in the Marsiling and Tampines East constituencies.
Mr Choo has started programmes to help needy residents in Hougang. He said: "I have plans to help the underprivileged, especially those who stay in units that are fairly run down. I have seen a lot of old folks still using squatting toilets when they are 80 years old. That, I've got to change....put in place the schemes, as long as I will be there to see through those stuff.
"Till today what has gotten me through this process is that no one should be left behind, regardless of their financial situation; no one kid should be denied a good education because his family has no financial needs. And we must always be prepared to look out for people who may be plunged into sudden financial difficulties. There will always be cracks in the system; no one policy is perfect."
Mr Choo is widely tipped to face incumbent opposition MP Low Thia Khiang in Hougang in the coming election.
For Dr Puthucheary and Mr Ong, both their fathers were in the opposition in Singapore's political history. But that did not stop the PAP from courting them.
DPM Teo said: "There may be some people who may be a little more left and some people a little more right. But it's a broad range of views and we are quite willing to consider any ideas, suggestions, proposals, provided they work and stand the test of whether or not they bring better lives for Singaporeans. We are not ideological, we are logical. We are focused on what will benefit the people and how that benefit will extend to the long term."
Mr Teo also said that for every General Election, the party tries to have a combination of experienced as well as new candidates who are more youthful and have more energy.
"The other key reason why we bring in young candidates is because we need to make sure we renew parliament and we renew the leadership of the country. And for parliament, we want to have a fresh slate of candidates, and for the government, we want to make sure that we put in place the core team of the fourth generation," he said.
In each General Election, the PAP introduces about 24 new faces and political watchers say a similar number is expected this time round too.
More new candidates are expected to be introduced in the coming days.
Many of the likely candidates have been of late making their rounds during community events.
Singapore's new Parliament will have 87 wards, up from the current 84.
- CNA/ir
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Singapore hit by “freak” floods again and again
Barely a week after Upper Thomson Road, Boon Lay and Ang Mo Kio were hit by flash floods, some parts of Singapore are submerged today in knee-high flood water due to another heavy downpour which occurs “only once in fifty years”, in the words of PAP Minister for Environment Mr Yaacob Ibrahim.
Floodwaters were seen along Paterson Road, near Wheelock Place in Orchard Road, the scene of the worst flooding in 26 years two weeks ago, as well as in Tai Seng Road, Kampong Ampat Road and MacPherson area.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) warned of heavy showers with thunder between 1 pm and 2.30 pm on Thursday but there was no warning of possible flood.
Not surprisingly, Mr Yaacob was nowhere to be found, heard or seen let alone present at the sites of the flooding but according to his earlier statement, he and his ministry are “still learning from the experience”.
Mr Yaacob is the most expensive Environmental minister in the entire world. He earns about $2 million dollars a year, or more than 4 times the annual salary of U.S. President Barack Obama. It is ironic that Singaporeans are actually paying millions of dollar a year for Mr Yaacob to “learn” instead of coming up with solutions.
How many more floods do Singaporeans need to put up with before Mr Yaacob finally learn from the experience, only God knows.
Floodwaters were seen along Paterson Road, near Wheelock Place in Orchard Road, the scene of the worst flooding in 26 years two weeks ago, as well as in Tai Seng Road, Kampong Ampat Road and MacPherson area.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) warned of heavy showers with thunder between 1 pm and 2.30 pm on Thursday but there was no warning of possible flood.
Not surprisingly, Mr Yaacob was nowhere to be found, heard or seen let alone present at the sites of the flooding but according to his earlier statement, he and his ministry are “still learning from the experience”.
Mr Yaacob is the most expensive Environmental minister in the entire world. He earns about $2 million dollars a year, or more than 4 times the annual salary of U.S. President Barack Obama. It is ironic that Singaporeans are actually paying millions of dollar a year for Mr Yaacob to “learn” instead of coming up with solutions.
How many more floods do Singaporeans need to put up with before Mr Yaacob finally learn from the experience, only God knows.
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