Objection raised but rivals stay cordial
Handshakes and hugs as PAP and SDP team members meet
By Tessa Wong , Judith Tan and Aaron Low
The PAP's Dr Vivian Balakrishnan with his arm around the SDP's Ang Yong Guan yesterday at the nomination centre, Greenridge Secondary School. Dr Ang was Dr Balakrishnan's course commander when the minister was doing his national service in 1986. --ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
THEIR electoral fight got off to an ugly start in the lead-up to Nomination Day over questions about an alleged gay agenda.
Yesterday, there was another dispute when the People's Action Party (PAP) and Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) teams for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC met.
During the half hour in which objections to nomination papers could still be lodged, the SDP team objected to the candidacy of PAP member Sim Ann, who was the principal private secretary (designate) to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew when she resigned to go into politics.
They asked if she was still serving her notice and therefore ineligible to stand in an election.
When the objection was overruled by the returning officer, the SDP was dissatisfied and asked for an explanation.
SDP team leader Vincent Wijeysingha said in his nomination speech to cheers from the party's supporters that his team were 'the only, at the moment, rightfully nominated candidates' and called upon the Elections Department (ELD) for a clarification within an hour.
Both the ELD and Ms Sim later clarified that she is no longer in the civil service. The SDP accepted the explanation.
The incident came just days after both teams went head-to-head when the PAP team led by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, pointed out a video showing Dr Wijeysingha participating in a gay discussion forum, and asked if he and the SDP wanted to pursue the gay cause in politics.
SDP chief Chee Soon Juan replied that the party had no gay agenda, and called upon the PAP to abstain from 'smear tactics'.
Yesterday morning started cordially enough.
When the two teams met at the nomination centre, Greenridge Secondary School, Dr Balakrishnan and Dr Wijeysingha smiled and shook hands as their supporters clapped.
SDP's Dr Ang Yong Guan, a psychiatrist, also hugged Dr Balakrishnan. Dr Ang was his course commander when the minister was doing his national service in 1986.
Before the warm greetings, Dr Wijeysingha had told reporters he would embrace Dr Balakrishnan 'like a brother'.
Later in the day, at separate press conferences, the two parties were determined to put the video issue behind them.
Dr Balakrishnan declined to speak further on the issue. 'I don't think I want to go into that. I posed a question. It is answered. That's that,' he said.
Dr Wijeysingha, who said he has nothing more to add on the issue, left it to Dr Chee to state that the SDP also wants to move on.
It is not clear if the video controversy will influence the 91,607 voters in the GRC, of which more than a third live in landed property.
It will be Dr Balakrishnan's first electoral fight, as Holland-Bukit Timah saw walkovers in the 2001 and 2006 elections. It is also his first time leading a GRC team.
The minister is joined by incumbent MPs Christopher de Souza and Liang Eng Hwa, as well as newcomer Ms Sim.
The SDP's Dr Wijeysingha is a civil society activist who heads migrant workers' rights group Transient Workers Count Too.
His team is regarded as the SDP's 'A' team as it includes former government scholarship holder and civil servant Tan Jee Say; psychiatrist and former army colonel Dr Ang; and private school teacher Michelle Lee, who is a former civil servant.
The SDP team has said it intends to hold Dr Balakrishnan accountable for his ministry's overspending on last year's Youth Olympic Games.
At a press conference to introduce the party manifesto, Dr Chee said the SDP wanted to propose solutions to the three key issues that he said will take centrestage in this election: the rising cost of living, the influx of foreign workers, and rising public housing prices.
The manifesto calls for the introduction of a minimum wage and the abolishment of the goods and services tax for essential items.
It also wants to introduce legislation to narrow the wage gap between men and women, and reduce the duration of national service from two years to one year.
Asked about the trend of former civil servants such as Mr Tan and Dr Ang joining the opposition, Dr Balakrishnan said: 'I think this is part of the natural evolution of the political scene. As people become more educated and as people have more varied careers, you should expect that more people may want to throw their hat with the opposition.'
But he added: 'The challenge for the PAP is we need to show that even after over 50 years of government, we are still in touch with the ground, that we are still effective problem solvers, that we are still creative master planners and architects of the future.'
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Handshakes and hugs as PAP and SDP team members meet
By Tessa Wong , Judith Tan and Aaron Low
The PAP's Dr Vivian Balakrishnan with his arm around the SDP's Ang Yong Guan yesterday at the nomination centre, Greenridge Secondary School. Dr Ang was Dr Balakrishnan's course commander when the minister was doing his national service in 1986. --ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
THEIR electoral fight got off to an ugly start in the lead-up to Nomination Day over questions about an alleged gay agenda.
Yesterday, there was another dispute when the People's Action Party (PAP) and Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) teams for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC met.
During the half hour in which objections to nomination papers could still be lodged, the SDP team objected to the candidacy of PAP member Sim Ann, who was the principal private secretary (designate) to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew when she resigned to go into politics.
They asked if she was still serving her notice and therefore ineligible to stand in an election.
When the objection was overruled by the returning officer, the SDP was dissatisfied and asked for an explanation.
SDP team leader Vincent Wijeysingha said in his nomination speech to cheers from the party's supporters that his team were 'the only, at the moment, rightfully nominated candidates' and called upon the Elections Department (ELD) for a clarification within an hour.
Both the ELD and Ms Sim later clarified that she is no longer in the civil service. The SDP accepted the explanation.
The incident came just days after both teams went head-to-head when the PAP team led by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, pointed out a video showing Dr Wijeysingha participating in a gay discussion forum, and asked if he and the SDP wanted to pursue the gay cause in politics.
SDP chief Chee Soon Juan replied that the party had no gay agenda, and called upon the PAP to abstain from 'smear tactics'.
Yesterday morning started cordially enough.
When the two teams met at the nomination centre, Greenridge Secondary School, Dr Balakrishnan and Dr Wijeysingha smiled and shook hands as their supporters clapped.
SDP's Dr Ang Yong Guan, a psychiatrist, also hugged Dr Balakrishnan. Dr Ang was his course commander when the minister was doing his national service in 1986.
Before the warm greetings, Dr Wijeysingha had told reporters he would embrace Dr Balakrishnan 'like a brother'.
Later in the day, at separate press conferences, the two parties were determined to put the video issue behind them.
Dr Balakrishnan declined to speak further on the issue. 'I don't think I want to go into that. I posed a question. It is answered. That's that,' he said.
Dr Wijeysingha, who said he has nothing more to add on the issue, left it to Dr Chee to state that the SDP also wants to move on.
It is not clear if the video controversy will influence the 91,607 voters in the GRC, of which more than a third live in landed property.
It will be Dr Balakrishnan's first electoral fight, as Holland-Bukit Timah saw walkovers in the 2001 and 2006 elections. It is also his first time leading a GRC team.
The minister is joined by incumbent MPs Christopher de Souza and Liang Eng Hwa, as well as newcomer Ms Sim.
The SDP's Dr Wijeysingha is a civil society activist who heads migrant workers' rights group Transient Workers Count Too.
His team is regarded as the SDP's 'A' team as it includes former government scholarship holder and civil servant Tan Jee Say; psychiatrist and former army colonel Dr Ang; and private school teacher Michelle Lee, who is a former civil servant.
The SDP team has said it intends to hold Dr Balakrishnan accountable for his ministry's overspending on last year's Youth Olympic Games.
At a press conference to introduce the party manifesto, Dr Chee said the SDP wanted to propose solutions to the three key issues that he said will take centrestage in this election: the rising cost of living, the influx of foreign workers, and rising public housing prices.
The manifesto calls for the introduction of a minimum wage and the abolishment of the goods and services tax for essential items.
It also wants to introduce legislation to narrow the wage gap between men and women, and reduce the duration of national service from two years to one year.
Asked about the trend of former civil servants such as Mr Tan and Dr Ang joining the opposition, Dr Balakrishnan said: 'I think this is part of the natural evolution of the political scene. As people become more educated and as people have more varied careers, you should expect that more people may want to throw their hat with the opposition.'
But he added: 'The challenge for the PAP is we need to show that even after over 50 years of government, we are still in touch with the ground, that we are still effective problem solvers, that we are still creative master planners and architects of the future.'
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Last edited:
