like death sentence, one by one goes into his room to be told they are no longer needed, kiss bye bye to their multi million income.
PM starts informing MPs slated for retirement
19 may be stepping down to make way for new blood
By Li Xueying, Political Correspondent
Dr Lee Boon Yang, seen here with Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, will be retiring. -- PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR FOR THE STRAITS TIMES
Mr Yeo Cheow Tong, seen here shaking the hand of a constituent in Hong Kah GRC,will also be stepping down. -- ST FILE PHOTO
THE tea sessions to recruit new People's Action Party (PAP) candidates are winding down.
Now, the farewell teas have begun.
The Straits Times understands that in the past week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has met several serving PAP Members of Parliament (MPs) to inform them that they need to make way for new faces at the coming polls.
These brief, one-to-one meetings took place at Mr Lee's office in the Istana.
As the ruling party's secretary-general, Mr Lee also made it a point to thank each MP for his years of service.
Several veteran MPs contacted yesterday confirmed that the process has begun.
Pasir Ris Punggol GRC MP Ahmad Magad said he had 'heard the news' but has not himself been asked to meet Mr Lee yet. Dr Ahmad is serving his third term and is widely expected to retire this round.
Tampines GRC MP Ong Kian Min, also a third-term MP, would say only that the party was in the 'last stretch' of election preparations. 'Those of us who are third-term MPs are due for retirement,' he added.
Veteran grassroots MP Ang Mong Seng of Hong Kah GRC, a third-term MP, said: 'If there are MPs coming in, surely there will be others leaving.'
Since the 1980s, PAP leaders have tried to finesse their exit management of MPs so as to minimise the anguish for all involved.
During the 1991 polls, Mr Goh Chok Tong's first as prime minister, he made it a point to publicly praise and thank the nine retiring MPs.
After the last general election in 2006, which was Mr Lee's first as prime minister, a thank-you dinner for the 24 retiring MPs was held at Parliament House.
At each election, the PAP retires up to a third of its serving MPs. In 2006, 24 MPs stepped down; 23 in 2001, 18 in 1997 and 11 in 1991. This election, at least 24 new faces - including some tipped to form the core of the fourth-generation leadership - are expected to be fielded.
So far, two serving MPs have confirmed that they will be making way. They are former Cabinet ministers Lee Boon Yang and Yeo Cheow Tong.
Two other MPs died in office: Dr Ong Chit Chung in July 2008 and Senior Minister of State (Foreign Affairs) Balaji Sadasivan in September last year.
The new electoral map has, however, increased the number of MPs to be elected at the coming polls to 87, up from 84 in 2006. That means that besides Dr Lee and Mr Yeo, another 17 incumbent PAP MPs may have to step down.
MPs remain tight-lipped on who these might be but length of service is one indicator.
Among office-holders who are not Cabinet ministers, the longest-serving MPs are Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi and Minister of State (Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports) Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, who have each served six terms; and Senior Minister of State (Law and Home Affairs) Ho Peng Kee; Minister of State (Defence) Koo Tsai Kee and Deputy Speaker Matthias Yao, who have served four terms each.
The most experienced backbencher is fifth-termer Charles Chong, an MP since 1988. There is no one serving a fourth term, as 1991 saw only 11 new MPs fielded.
Next in line are the 11 third-term backbenchers from the 1997 crop. They are: Dr Ahmad, Mr Ong, Mr Ang, Mr Chan Soo Sen (Joo Chiat), Mr Inderjit Singh (Ang Mo Kio GRC), Dr Lily Neo (Jalan Besar GRC), Mr Ong Ah Heng (Nee Soon Central), Mr Seng Han Thong (Yio Chu Kang), Mr Sin Boon Ann (Tampines GRC), Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang) and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang (Aljunied GRC).
The new electoral map may also offer clues.
The subsuming of Yio Chu Kang into Ang Mo Kio GRC indicates that its grassroots MP, Mr Seng, may retire. The same applies to Nee Soon Central and Nee Soon East single-member constituencies (SMCs), helmed respectively by Mr Ong and Dr Ho. Both are now part of the new Nee Soon GRC.
In 2006, Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Dr Wang Kai Yuen retired after the electoral map drew their SMCs of Ayer Rajah and Bukit Timah into GRCs.
Still, first-term MPs are not exempt. In 2006, four left the scene.
Nothing is set in stone until Nomination Day.
Mr Chong said that during the meetings with MPs slated for retirement, PM Lee is known to add a caveat: that they may still be recalled if the need arises.
A case in point is Dr Ahmad.
He went for a farewell tea in 2006, sources said, but then was recalled for service when the PAP changed its line-up at the 11th hour before Nomination Day.
[email protected]
PM starts informing MPs slated for retirement
19 may be stepping down to make way for new blood
By Li Xueying, Political Correspondent
Dr Lee Boon Yang, seen here with Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, will be retiring. -- PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR FOR THE STRAITS TIMES
Mr Yeo Cheow Tong, seen here shaking the hand of a constituent in Hong Kah GRC,will also be stepping down. -- ST FILE PHOTO
THE tea sessions to recruit new People's Action Party (PAP) candidates are winding down.
Now, the farewell teas have begun.
The Straits Times understands that in the past week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has met several serving PAP Members of Parliament (MPs) to inform them that they need to make way for new faces at the coming polls.
These brief, one-to-one meetings took place at Mr Lee's office in the Istana.
As the ruling party's secretary-general, Mr Lee also made it a point to thank each MP for his years of service.
Several veteran MPs contacted yesterday confirmed that the process has begun.
Pasir Ris Punggol GRC MP Ahmad Magad said he had 'heard the news' but has not himself been asked to meet Mr Lee yet. Dr Ahmad is serving his third term and is widely expected to retire this round.
Tampines GRC MP Ong Kian Min, also a third-term MP, would say only that the party was in the 'last stretch' of election preparations. 'Those of us who are third-term MPs are due for retirement,' he added.
Veteran grassroots MP Ang Mong Seng of Hong Kah GRC, a third-term MP, said: 'If there are MPs coming in, surely there will be others leaving.'
Since the 1980s, PAP leaders have tried to finesse their exit management of MPs so as to minimise the anguish for all involved.
During the 1991 polls, Mr Goh Chok Tong's first as prime minister, he made it a point to publicly praise and thank the nine retiring MPs.
After the last general election in 2006, which was Mr Lee's first as prime minister, a thank-you dinner for the 24 retiring MPs was held at Parliament House.
At each election, the PAP retires up to a third of its serving MPs. In 2006, 24 MPs stepped down; 23 in 2001, 18 in 1997 and 11 in 1991. This election, at least 24 new faces - including some tipped to form the core of the fourth-generation leadership - are expected to be fielded.
So far, two serving MPs have confirmed that they will be making way. They are former Cabinet ministers Lee Boon Yang and Yeo Cheow Tong.
Two other MPs died in office: Dr Ong Chit Chung in July 2008 and Senior Minister of State (Foreign Affairs) Balaji Sadasivan in September last year.
The new electoral map has, however, increased the number of MPs to be elected at the coming polls to 87, up from 84 in 2006. That means that besides Dr Lee and Mr Yeo, another 17 incumbent PAP MPs may have to step down.
MPs remain tight-lipped on who these might be but length of service is one indicator.
Among office-holders who are not Cabinet ministers, the longest-serving MPs are Speaker of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi and Minister of State (Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports) Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, who have each served six terms; and Senior Minister of State (Law and Home Affairs) Ho Peng Kee; Minister of State (Defence) Koo Tsai Kee and Deputy Speaker Matthias Yao, who have served four terms each.
The most experienced backbencher is fifth-termer Charles Chong, an MP since 1988. There is no one serving a fourth term, as 1991 saw only 11 new MPs fielded.
Next in line are the 11 third-term backbenchers from the 1997 crop. They are: Dr Ahmad, Mr Ong, Mr Ang, Mr Chan Soo Sen (Joo Chiat), Mr Inderjit Singh (Ang Mo Kio GRC), Dr Lily Neo (Jalan Besar GRC), Mr Ong Ah Heng (Nee Soon Central), Mr Seng Han Thong (Yio Chu Kang), Mr Sin Boon Ann (Tampines GRC), Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang) and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang (Aljunied GRC).
The new electoral map may also offer clues.
The subsuming of Yio Chu Kang into Ang Mo Kio GRC indicates that its grassroots MP, Mr Seng, may retire. The same applies to Nee Soon Central and Nee Soon East single-member constituencies (SMCs), helmed respectively by Mr Ong and Dr Ho. Both are now part of the new Nee Soon GRC.
In 2006, Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Dr Wang Kai Yuen retired after the electoral map drew their SMCs of Ayer Rajah and Bukit Timah into GRCs.
Still, first-term MPs are not exempt. In 2006, four left the scene.
Nothing is set in stone until Nomination Day.
Mr Chong said that during the meetings with MPs slated for retirement, PM Lee is known to add a caveat: that they may still be recalled if the need arises.
A case in point is Dr Ahmad.
He went for a farewell tea in 2006, sources said, but then was recalled for service when the PAP changed its line-up at the 11th hour before Nomination Day.
[email protected]
