Paul Thambyah - A lost opportunity

Singaporeans like any other voter anywhere in the World will vote for the candidate that they think can deliver. The nuances that bring in the marginal votes are related to religion, race, ideology , affiliations. etc.

So any opposition candidate that hopes to get a seat must firstly have some credentials that can be validated by the voter. Secondly no adverse history and past conduct or it will a yoke around the candidate's neck and weigh him down. If the opposition political candidate starts off at a disadvantage, the attentions is switched to the PAP and the assessment begins. All the PAP candidate has to do is not be controversial and treat the voter with respect and the vote is in the bag.

Paul Thambyah has not only excellent credentials, his parents are also well known and well respected for the work that they have done and their humility. Paul has excelled in his vocation and has won multiple awards for being an excellent lecturer. He has also served with Mindef on overseas missions. However more importantly he has the balls to speak his mind at an opposition rally at the risk of being marginalised and ostracised by his employers. He also holds the distinction of being the first person linked to the government related body to speak at an opposition rally. He did this in 2011.

In 2012, Paul Thambyah was promoted to full Professor and granted tenure.

In essence in a straight fight in an SMC it will hard to overcome the solid credentials and the personal attributes of Professor Thambyah who is familiar with the voters since 2011. As this contest is in an SMC, there are no potential baggage nor poor credentials of fellow party members to drag this star down. And lastly as this is a by election, and a government in place, the voters need not worry about anything else but to vote in the best candidate and not necessarily a PAP.

Even a not well educated voter in Bukit Batok will see Thamyah for what he is and a full professor at that.

The PAP is notorious for various nefarious tactics when it comes to securing a vote. I cannot see how they can overcome Paul Thambyah.

Sadly it was not to be.

PT is a fresh face with no past baggage. Even if his qualifications are not understood due to lack of media coverage, he comes across as steady, mild-mannered, and reasonable. The kind of guy who can strike a chord with the average swing voter.

That's why I supported PT to be fielded for this BE. Unfortunately, as you said it, that did not come about. That's why I lost interest in this BE and loathe to comment further.

I wrote this after I got confirmation that PT was prepared to be considered as a candidate.

Low information voter

Low information voters, also known as LIVs or misinformation voters, are people who may vote, but who are generally poorly informed about politics. The phrase is mainly used in the United States, and has become popular since the mid-1990s.

The ideological views of most low-information voters tend to be more moderate than those of high-information voters. Low-information voters are less likely to vote, and when they do they generally vote for a candidate they find personally appealing. They tend to be swing voters, and they tend to vote split-ticket more than well-informed voters do. Researchers attribute this to low-information voters not having developed clear cut ideological preferences.

frenchbriefs said:

Low information voter

Low information voters, also known as LIVs or misinformation voters, are people who may vote, but who are generally poorly informed about politics. The phrase is mainly used in the United States, and has become popular since the mid-1990s.

The ideological views of most low-information voters tend to be more moderate than those of high-information voters. Low-information voters are less likely to vote, and when they do they generally vote for a candidate they find personally appealing. They tend to be swing voters, and they tend to vote split-ticket more than well-informed voters do. Researchers attribute this to low-information voters not having developed clear cut ideological preferences.

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The kind who would be more inclined to vote PT

this is why i believe people should vote according to ideology and not according to candidate.vote ideology and ur country would be a paradise like swiss land or scandinavian nations......candidates are irrelevant,at the end of the day u want the party that fits ur ideology and do what u deem is right.

scroobal said:

I wrote this after I got confirmation that PT was prepared to be considered as a candidate.

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sir, how to reverse ??? Aung Juan Soon Chee already hard at work at BB

fighting for votes .

Best for PT to be seen with Aung Juan Soon Chee at all BB walkabout.

Buy 1 get 2 strategy

Agree with you. Even the less sophisticated will vote PT. As far they are concerned he is a Doctor, with NUS, the premier University of Singapore and a full professor. As far they are concerned he will get full marks.

Thick Face Black Heart said:

The kind who would be more inclined to vote PT

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Name me one good Indian politician in Singapore's history past and present other than S. Thamby Rajaratnam who did not turn out to be a fucking bastard? Don't include JBJ. He was a noble fool.

scroobal said:

I wrote this after I got confirmation that PT was prepared to be considered as a candidate.

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spot on! but csj die die wanted to contest.

imo, sdp needs pt more than latter needs sdp. he is better off starting his own party which is likely to entice those who are more than qualifed but avoid linkages with csj.

Thick Face Black Heart said:

The kind who would be more inclined to vote PT

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the same dumbasses who would also vote for Donald Trump,like tonychat......these are the morons that have no clue about politics and ideological systems but base their votes on the candidates they find personally appealing.

Chee By elections

PT has never suffered from illusions of grandeur nor has he even attempted to be someone else.

shiokalingam said:

sir, how to reverse ??? Aung Juan Soon Chee already hard at work at BB

fighting for votes .

Best for PT to be seen with Aung Juan Soon Chee at all BB walkabout.

Buy 1 get 2 strategy

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Narong Wongwan said:

Chee By elections

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With due respect, SDP is Dr Chee's party. I want Dr Chee to win but his past are not to his advantage. In a BE, PM and the whole PAP propaganda machinery will be running singularly against him. What they need to do is make reminders, and let the voters mind swing. PM will open the book on integrity!

scroobal said:

PT has never suffered from illusions of grandeur nor has he even attempted to be someone else.

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Ok Ok u win

lets hope Aung JSC will do a last minute

Punggol East stunt and let PT take over

BB .

Paul may be the opposition version of Tharman who is well respected by the voters.

Debonerman said:

Name me one good Indian politician in Singapore's history past and present other than S. Thamby Rajaratnam who did not turn out to be a fucking bastard? Don't include JBJ. He was a noble fool.

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scroobal said:

Paul may be the opposition version of Tharman who is well respected by the voters.

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Tharman ought to be assigned the job of conducting in-PAP-house charm courses on how to fuck Sinkies in their arses and have them gratefully mew thank you.

1

stay tuned for SDP update on BB



SDP pulls out of Punggol East by-election in surprise turn of events

Published

Jan 15, 2013, 4:20 pm SGT

Tessa Wong

In a surprise turn of events, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) announced on Tuesday that it will not be contesting the Punggol East by-election.

Secretary-general Chee Soon Juan made the announcement at a press conference at the party headquarters, one day before Nomination Day.

As recently as Monday night, Dr Chee had indicated the party would contest when he told reporters that the SDP had decided on which candidate to field.

An SDP member also collected a political donation certificate earlier on Tuesday. Party activists have also been distributing flyers in Punggol East every night since the writ of election was issued last Wednesday.

The SDP had also tabled a proposal to the Workers' Party (WP) to field a unity candidate, which the WP rebuffed. SDP had then said over the weekend it would proceed "full steam ahead" with its plan to contest.

Dr Chee said at the press conference that he was heeding the call from the public to respect opposition unity.

scroobal said:

I wrote this after I got confirmation that PT was prepared to be considered as a candidate.

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Yes, I agree that Paul would have been a very strong candidate for the Bukit Batok knowing his excellent credentials and for one not having poor track records.

This just goes to show that so-called "leaders" cannot really give up their own interest and think of the party's interest instead. I could not support Chee purely because he was going for the support of "foreigners" instead getting local voters to fight. He should have just shown our local voters that he was worthy of their support and that he had his own abilities and could be responsible as well. Going to the US university to tackle Goh was the last straw for me. Not that I think much of GCT, but do not show our own dirty linens abroad.
No doubt he seems to have changed somewhat, but I still have the lingering thoughts.