I took my name out of the ballot for NCMP post: WP's Png
SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party's candidate for Hougang, Mr Png Eng Huat, said he had decided not to be considered for the Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) post after last year's General Election (GE).
In an exclusive interview with Channel NewsAsia on Monday, Mr Png revealed he was against the NCMP scheme.
At a rally on Sunday night, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean had asked the Workers' Party why it didn't send Mr Png to parliament as an NCMP when it had a chance to do so.
Mr Png said: "I actually took my name out of the ballot for the NCMP post. Because I have a personal stand against the NCMP scheme, so that's why my name wasn't in the ballot. So I don't think DPM knows all of these."
Mr Png was part of the Workers' Party team for East Coast GRC in last year's GE.
The Elections Department had offered three NCMP seats to the best losing opposition candidates in last year's GE.
One of the seats was offered to the Workers' Party's East Coast GRC team, which was taken up by Mr Gerald Giam.
Mr Png also commented on DPM Teo's suggestion that the Workers' Party had taken the Hougang residents for granted.
Mr Teo had said that the manner in which the Workers' Party handled Mr Yaw Shin Leong's expulsion from the party, which had led to the by-election, was the issue.
Mr Png said Mr Teo has not visited nor talked to the residents as intensely as he had.
Mr Png also pointed out the issue of Mr Yaw's expulsion was brought up by residents a few times during his home visits.
- CNA/ck
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1202665/1/.html