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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - SM Goh: Comments on MP Fatimah unfair!</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
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</NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate noWrap align=right width="30%">Mar-27 2:58 am </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 24) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft width="1%" rowSpan=4> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>10320.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>March 27, 2009
SM GOH CHOK TONG IN SHENZHEN
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Comment on MP Fatimah 'unfair and inaccurate'
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->SHENZHEN: Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said yesterday that a Straits Times article accusing a first-term Malay MP of not being able to connect with Chinese temples in her ward was 'unfair and inaccurate'.
The March 21 article, which looked at the performance of 24 new MPs, had quoted an unnamed party cadre's observations of Dr Fatimah Lateef, an MP in Marine Parade GRC.
Dr Lateef, 43, who is in charge of the Geylang Serai area, 'had some trouble connecting with the Chinese temples in her ward over issues such as the granting of permits for the holding of events like gods' birthday celebrations'.
'This could be to the detriment of her standing with residents who are Buddhists or Taoists,' the cadre said.
Mr Goh, a long-time MP of Marine Parade GRC, said that as the minister supervising the new MPs in his constituency, he has 'kept a close watch' on Dr Fatimah and the other MPs, and had attended many of her functions.
The comment in the ST article was 'not accurate because Fatimah does have very good relations with these people', Mr Goh told reporters at the end of his official visit to Guangdong province.
He said he 'disliked the inaccuracy' as the comment suggested that a 'minority community MP, a Malay MP, could not reach out to the Chinese temples and people'. It also implied that 'maybe Dr Fatimah, as a Muslim, did not want to reach out to these people', he added.
The suggestion that a minority MP could be biased against others who do not share the same religion was 'a very serious one', Mr Goh said.
Geylang Serai has more than 100 clan associations, temples and civic organisations. The Senior Minister explained that when land-use permits were not granted for activities, it could be because the Housing Board or the land office did not give permission.
'Sometimes, there are competing requests for a piece of land for functions, only one party could be given (a permit), so those who were not given one would tell the party cadres, and the party cadres might give the wrong information to the journalist,' he said.
Mr Goh said he had to react 'because the implication...is very bad for the PAP. But fortunately, it is not true, so better put it right'.
Grassroots leaders who have worked closely with Dr Fatimah had written to the ST's Forum page soon after the article to say that the comment was 'totally unfounded and untrue'.
Mr Goh also said he did not like that ST did not name the cadre.
'The party cadre might be wrong, might be right, but you should name him, because if a person is not prepared to be named, then always take the comment with a huge grain of salt,' he said.
The newspaper should correct the 'misperception of what Dr Fatimah has been doing', SM Goh said, adding that ST should have verified the remark with other grassroots leaders or with him. 'As the minister in charge of the new MPs, I would have told them this is nonsense,' he said.
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SM GOH CHOK TONG IN SHENZHEN
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Comment on MP Fatimah 'unfair and inaccurate'
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->SHENZHEN: Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said yesterday that a Straits Times article accusing a first-term Malay MP of not being able to connect with Chinese temples in her ward was 'unfair and inaccurate'.
The March 21 article, which looked at the performance of 24 new MPs, had quoted an unnamed party cadre's observations of Dr Fatimah Lateef, an MP in Marine Parade GRC.
Dr Lateef, 43, who is in charge of the Geylang Serai area, 'had some trouble connecting with the Chinese temples in her ward over issues such as the granting of permits for the holding of events like gods' birthday celebrations'.
'This could be to the detriment of her standing with residents who are Buddhists or Taoists,' the cadre said.
Mr Goh, a long-time MP of Marine Parade GRC, said that as the minister supervising the new MPs in his constituency, he has 'kept a close watch' on Dr Fatimah and the other MPs, and had attended many of her functions.
The comment in the ST article was 'not accurate because Fatimah does have very good relations with these people', Mr Goh told reporters at the end of his official visit to Guangdong province.
He said he 'disliked the inaccuracy' as the comment suggested that a 'minority community MP, a Malay MP, could not reach out to the Chinese temples and people'. It also implied that 'maybe Dr Fatimah, as a Muslim, did not want to reach out to these people', he added.
The suggestion that a minority MP could be biased against others who do not share the same religion was 'a very serious one', Mr Goh said.
Geylang Serai has more than 100 clan associations, temples and civic organisations. The Senior Minister explained that when land-use permits were not granted for activities, it could be because the Housing Board or the land office did not give permission.
'Sometimes, there are competing requests for a piece of land for functions, only one party could be given (a permit), so those who were not given one would tell the party cadres, and the party cadres might give the wrong information to the journalist,' he said.
Mr Goh said he had to react 'because the implication...is very bad for the PAP. But fortunately, it is not true, so better put it right'.
Grassroots leaders who have worked closely with Dr Fatimah had written to the ST's Forum page soon after the article to say that the comment was 'totally unfounded and untrue'.
Mr Goh also said he did not like that ST did not name the cadre.
'The party cadre might be wrong, might be right, but you should name him, because if a person is not prepared to be named, then always take the comment with a huge grain of salt,' he said.
The newspaper should correct the 'misperception of what Dr Fatimah has been doing', SM Goh said, adding that ST should have verified the remark with other grassroots leaders or with him. 'As the minister in charge of the new MPs, I would have told them this is nonsense,' he said.
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