Minister Mentor (MM) Lee Kuan Yew indicated he would contest in the Tanjong Pagar group representation constituency this coming General Election (GE), putting to rest any question on whether the so-called father of modern Singapore, who turns 88 in September, would do so given his age.
In his video released on the ruling People's Action Party's website on Sunday, MM Lee said, "I'm happy to be still representing Tanjong Pagar."
MM Lee, the founding member and first secretary-general of the PAP, first won his Tanjong Pagar seat in May 1955, and he has retained it ever since. He is now in his 11th term since Singapore's independence.
A total of 18 Members of Parliament will be retiring this GE, including Senior Minister S Jayakumar and Minister Lim Boon Heng, who have served as Members of Parliament (MPs) since 1980.
"I've seen Tanjong Pagar transform in three generations. It's no longer a scruffy area," he said in the video in which he also recalled how his son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong used to follow him during his campaigning.
"It's now as good a constituency as any in Singapore," he said.
Senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Gillian Koh said it is no surprise that MM Lee is contesting in the GE. "It would be a surprise if he were not running," she said.
"His conviction about Singapore, passion for Singapore still remains very strong as we can see in the volume he put up recently, Hard Truths."
In the book, published by Singapore Press Holdings and launched in January, MM Lee shared his insights into various issues ranging from the future of Singapore's political system, immigration, the rise of China and climate change.
Dr Koh noted that MM Lee is also renewing his team in Tanjong Pagar and grooming younger leaders.
With MM Lee contesting, "the older voters may be happy, they may feel a strong sense of comfort that he's still there," said Dr Koh.
"He has his support and he's still strong in Tanjong Pagar. So the key thing is to see who will come to challenge him," she added.
The five-man team for Tanjong Pagar GRC consists of Members of Parliament Indranee Rajah (Tanglin-Cairnhill), Dr Lily Neo (Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng), Baey Yam Keng (Queenstown) and new candidate Major-General Chan Chun Sing (Buona Vista).
Videos of other PAP candidates can be found in the microsites for the 27 constituencies under the PAP website. The PAP's GE website went live at noon on Sunday, timed to coincide with the launch of the party's manifesto.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/sing...jong-pagar-grc-again-20110418-020947-666.html
