<TABLE id=msgUN cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>
Coffeeshop Chit Chat - LHL: Debates are not important in GE</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF noWrap align=right width="1%">From: </TD><TD class=msgFname noWrap width="68%">snablogspot <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Apr-24 8:17 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT noWrap align=right width="1%" height=20>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname noWrap width="68%">ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 23) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>48611.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt id=msgtxt_1>Knowing that that they are fast losing out to the opposition, now he says debates and arguments are not important.
http://www.todayonline.com/SingaporeVotes/EDC110425-0000181/GE-not-about-winning-arguments--PM-Lee
___________GE not about winning arguments: PM Lee [/SIZE]
by Neo Chai Chin
Updated 10:53 AM Apr 25, 2011
SINGAPORE - As the words fly furiously between the People's Action Party (PAP) and the Opposition in the run-up to Polling Day, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday reminded voters that this General Election is not about winning the argument, but about securing the future of Singapore.
"It is a matter of choosing and choosing wisely; and then, having chosen, working with the leaders you have chosen to make it work for Singapore," the Prime Minister said at the 30th anniversary celebration of Chong Boon Market at Ang Mo Kio Ave 10.
It is the nature of contest at the elections to have "a lot of arguments, debates, firing on both sides" but Singaporeans must remember that what is at stake when they go to the polls is not "who wins the argument", said Mr Lee.
He added: "This is over who can do better for Singapore, for Singaporeans, who can look after your future better and make this a place with more opportunities, more secure lives with a more prosperous economy and a more stable society for you, for your children."
Mr Lee stressed that the elections are not about "trying to do something a little bit clever here and ... there".
Citing the experience of his constituents, Mr Lee noted how 95 per cent of residents at eight blocks around the Chong Boon Market and Food Centre at Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 recently voted in favour of lift upgrading. It is "one small way" of making a difference to residents that, nonetheless, is the "result of many years of work", he said.
Said Mr Lee: "Not just of scrambling during election time, but many years of consistent work year after year, building up good grassroots network, building up effective government departments, building up Ministers and Members of Parliament who know what the ground needs, who will understand what programmes will be helpful to people, and will be able to implement these programmes and make them available to Singaporeans."
Speaking to reporters after the event, Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate Inderjit Singh urged Singaporeans to examine in detail the manifestos that various parties have presented so far. "Some of the ideas look compelling, but I think we better go through (in) depth to understand what's the implication for some of these things," he said.
Asked about the possible contest by Reform Party at Ang Mo Kio, Mr Singh said the PAP team there would treat any Opposition team seriously, and appeal to voters to look at the PAP's track record. Market stallholders and residents he spoke to yesterday had not seen any Opposition activity in the constituency, he noted.
Yesterday, new Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate Ang Hin Kee was the bearer of good news as he announced to residents a couple of improvements to the public transport system: SBS Transit service 265 will make an additional stop at Ang Mo Kio bus interchange from next month, and installation of platform screen doors at Ang Mo Kio MRT station will begin in June.
Work on the screen doors will begin ahead of schedule, said Mr Ang. The Land Transport Authority told TODAY that installation of the Ang Mo Kio screen doors was scheduled to begin in July, but due to experience gained from the installation of doors at other stations, "we could bring forward the date slightly". An LTA spokesperson added that this was planned for even before the accident earlier this month involving a Thai teenager whose legs had to be amputated.
Installation will take four to six months, and the screen doors at Ang Mo Kio will be completed by the end of this year.
Mr Ang said the change to service 265 was prompted by Cheng San-Seletar and Jalan Kayu residents' feedback. Currently, the service turns from Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 into Ave 8, bypassing the interchange.
The route change would take place at the end of May. Ang Mo Kio resident Mdm Loh Yuzhen, 53, welcomed service 265's additional stop. "We often go to the interchange to buy daily necessities, and sometimes they are heavy."
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http://www.todayonline.com/SingaporeVotes/EDC110425-0000181/GE-not-about-winning-arguments--PM-Lee
___________GE not about winning arguments: PM Lee [/SIZE]
by Neo Chai Chin
Updated 10:53 AM Apr 25, 2011
SINGAPORE - As the words fly furiously between the People's Action Party (PAP) and the Opposition in the run-up to Polling Day, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday reminded voters that this General Election is not about winning the argument, but about securing the future of Singapore.
"It is a matter of choosing and choosing wisely; and then, having chosen, working with the leaders you have chosen to make it work for Singapore," the Prime Minister said at the 30th anniversary celebration of Chong Boon Market at Ang Mo Kio Ave 10.
It is the nature of contest at the elections to have "a lot of arguments, debates, firing on both sides" but Singaporeans must remember that what is at stake when they go to the polls is not "who wins the argument", said Mr Lee.
He added: "This is over who can do better for Singapore, for Singaporeans, who can look after your future better and make this a place with more opportunities, more secure lives with a more prosperous economy and a more stable society for you, for your children."
Mr Lee stressed that the elections are not about "trying to do something a little bit clever here and ... there".
Citing the experience of his constituents, Mr Lee noted how 95 per cent of residents at eight blocks around the Chong Boon Market and Food Centre at Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 recently voted in favour of lift upgrading. It is "one small way" of making a difference to residents that, nonetheless, is the "result of many years of work", he said.
Said Mr Lee: "Not just of scrambling during election time, but many years of consistent work year after year, building up good grassroots network, building up effective government departments, building up Ministers and Members of Parliament who know what the ground needs, who will understand what programmes will be helpful to people, and will be able to implement these programmes and make them available to Singaporeans."
Speaking to reporters after the event, Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate Inderjit Singh urged Singaporeans to examine in detail the manifestos that various parties have presented so far. "Some of the ideas look compelling, but I think we better go through (in) depth to understand what's the implication for some of these things," he said.
Asked about the possible contest by Reform Party at Ang Mo Kio, Mr Singh said the PAP team there would treat any Opposition team seriously, and appeal to voters to look at the PAP's track record. Market stallholders and residents he spoke to yesterday had not seen any Opposition activity in the constituency, he noted.
Yesterday, new Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate Ang Hin Kee was the bearer of good news as he announced to residents a couple of improvements to the public transport system: SBS Transit service 265 will make an additional stop at Ang Mo Kio bus interchange from next month, and installation of platform screen doors at Ang Mo Kio MRT station will begin in June.
Work on the screen doors will begin ahead of schedule, said Mr Ang. The Land Transport Authority told TODAY that installation of the Ang Mo Kio screen doors was scheduled to begin in July, but due to experience gained from the installation of doors at other stations, "we could bring forward the date slightly". An LTA spokesperson added that this was planned for even before the accident earlier this month involving a Thai teenager whose legs had to be amputated.
Installation will take four to six months, and the screen doors at Ang Mo Kio will be completed by the end of this year.
Mr Ang said the change to service 265 was prompted by Cheng San-Seletar and Jalan Kayu residents' feedback. Currently, the service turns from Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 into Ave 8, bypassing the interchange.
The route change would take place at the end of May. Ang Mo Kio resident Mdm Loh Yuzhen, 53, welcomed service 265's additional stop. "We often go to the interchange to buy daily necessities, and sometimes they are heavy."
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