Target is SM Goh, says NSP leader
By Jeremy Au Yong & Andrea Ong
Nicole Seah meets supporters at the first National Solidarity Party rally at Geylang last night. The 24-year-old advertising executive stole the show and had the crowd chanting her name. -- ST PHOTO: TED CHEN
http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20110428/ST_IMAGES_P1BLURBS29-1AT.jpg
AN ANTICIPATED attack on the PAP's youngest candidate Tin Pei Ling did not materialise. Instead, the National Solidarity Party (NSP) went after Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in its first rally of the election campaign.
NSP chief Goh Meng Seng said the party had decided to contest Marine Parade GRC not because Ms Tin was being fielded there. The NSP man made plain that the party's beef was with SM Goh.
In his speech, he accused the Senior Minister of eroding Singaporeans' 'social morals' with the sort of policies he put in place while prime minister.
He also said that SM Goh had turned the country into one which values gross domestic product growth above all else.
'He tried to turn this country into a company... When it becomes a company, what will happen? The company will have to make money. The company will have to pay the salary of the CEO at a profit margin, and that is what we are having right now. The focus of this Government is no longer you or me.'
His rally speech was the first clear indication of the party's strategy in Marine Parade. Some had billed the contest as a battle between the youngest candidates from both parties - the NSP's Nicole Seah and the PAP's Ms Tin - but Ms Tin received only occasional mention during the three-hour rally in an open field in Geylang East.
Mr Goh singled out the move by SMGoh to increase the size of the GRCs and to use Housing Board upgrading as an election carrot as two primary culprits corrupting Singapore's social morals.
'The GRC system, from three person, four person, five person, up to six person, the most kiasu (afraid of losing in Hokkien) prime minister we have... When our minorities, Malays and Indians, are only 25 or 30 per cent, why should I have six-man GRCs? It is purely politicking. And this politicking has made us lose the morals of our society. And not everybody has stood up against it.'
He added on the subject of the Housing Board upgrading carrot: 'What does it mean? You want something from me, you have to vote for me. That is against social morals. This is the key, because you have no social justice, you have no sense of social equality and fairness.'
The NSP chief, who was the sixth speaker out of 11 last night, returned with one final attack at the end.
'Do not be afraid to retire (SM) Goh Chok Tong early, because he says 'One minister, two terms enough'. How many terms has he been minister?'
Last night, Ms Seah again stole the show, with most of those who turned up cheering the loudest for her. The 24-year-old advertising executive was the only one of the speakers who had the crowd chanting her name.
By Jeremy Au Yong & Andrea Ong
Nicole Seah meets supporters at the first National Solidarity Party rally at Geylang last night. The 24-year-old advertising executive stole the show and had the crowd chanting her name. -- ST PHOTO: TED CHEN
http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20110428/ST_IMAGES_P1BLURBS29-1AT.jpg
AN ANTICIPATED attack on the PAP's youngest candidate Tin Pei Ling did not materialise. Instead, the National Solidarity Party (NSP) went after Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in its first rally of the election campaign.
NSP chief Goh Meng Seng said the party had decided to contest Marine Parade GRC not because Ms Tin was being fielded there. The NSP man made plain that the party's beef was with SM Goh.
In his speech, he accused the Senior Minister of eroding Singaporeans' 'social morals' with the sort of policies he put in place while prime minister.
He also said that SM Goh had turned the country into one which values gross domestic product growth above all else.
'He tried to turn this country into a company... When it becomes a company, what will happen? The company will have to make money. The company will have to pay the salary of the CEO at a profit margin, and that is what we are having right now. The focus of this Government is no longer you or me.'
His rally speech was the first clear indication of the party's strategy in Marine Parade. Some had billed the contest as a battle between the youngest candidates from both parties - the NSP's Nicole Seah and the PAP's Ms Tin - but Ms Tin received only occasional mention during the three-hour rally in an open field in Geylang East.
Mr Goh singled out the move by SMGoh to increase the size of the GRCs and to use Housing Board upgrading as an election carrot as two primary culprits corrupting Singapore's social morals.
'The GRC system, from three person, four person, five person, up to six person, the most kiasu (afraid of losing in Hokkien) prime minister we have... When our minorities, Malays and Indians, are only 25 or 30 per cent, why should I have six-man GRCs? It is purely politicking. And this politicking has made us lose the morals of our society. And not everybody has stood up against it.'
He added on the subject of the Housing Board upgrading carrot: 'What does it mean? You want something from me, you have to vote for me. That is against social morals. This is the key, because you have no social justice, you have no sense of social equality and fairness.'
The NSP chief, who was the sixth speaker out of 11 last night, returned with one final attack at the end.
'Do not be afraid to retire (SM) Goh Chok Tong early, because he says 'One minister, two terms enough'. How many terms has he been minister?'
Last night, Ms Seah again stole the show, with most of those who turned up cheering the loudest for her. The 24-year-old advertising executive was the only one of the speakers who had the crowd chanting her name.
