Why is SDP not included in NUSSPA forum?

[metalslug]

http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4279-why-is-sdp-not-included-in-nusspa-forum

Why is SDP not included in NUSSPA forum?
Sunday, 24 October 2010
Singapore Democrats

24 October 2010

Jasmine Toh

President
NUSSPA

Dear Ms Toh,

I am given to understand that the National University of Singapore Students' Political Association (NUSSPA) has organised a forum entitled “Economic Growth: At What Cost?” where you have invited speakers from the People's Action Party (Ms Indranee Rajah), Workers' Party (Mr Yaw Shin Leong), Reform Party (Mr Tony Tan) and Nominated MP Associate Professor Paulin Tay Straughan.

It is unfortunate that the Singapore Democratic Party has not received an invitation from you to speak at the event. We would like to be represented at the forum.

You may know that the Singapore Democrats have been at the forefront of speaking about the economic situation in Singapore. In fact we have laid out our Economic Alternative Programme for the country here.

We have even dedicated an entire section to discussion the growth-at-all-cost model in our Programme. I am sure you will agree that our concerns are highly appropriate for the topic that you have chosen for your forum discussion.

We have also been the party that has actively reached out to youths in Singapore. In fact, we visited campuses at NUS, NTU and SMU last year in. Our Chairman, Mr Gandhi Ambalam, and Honorary Secretary of our youth wing, Mr Jarrod Luo, had written to NUSSPA in 2009 asking for an opportunity to address your fellow students (see here). However, to date NUSSPA has not invited the SDP to speak at any of its event.

I believe that we are the only political party to have so actively and keenly tried to reach out to our university students. Given this fact, I am certain that you are able to appreciate our disappointment of not being invited to speak at this forum.

We hope that NUSSPA will be even-handed in dealing with political parties in Singapore and not discriminate against certain parties and viewpoints. Your members will be done a disservice if an active party like the Singapore Democrats are not allowed to address your fellow students, especially when other opposition parties are invited.

We hope that you will reconsider your decision and extend an invitation to the SDP to address your students.

Please note that this letter will be posted on our website (yoursdp.org) as the subject matter is of public interest. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

John Tan
Assistant Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party

 

[ivebert]

Goh Meng Seng's NSP also not invited

Should he resign?

 

[cleareyes]

Goh Meng Seng's NSP also not invited

Should he resign?

Chee also not invited, Chiam is not invited

So should they both resign?

 

[Dreamer1]

John Tan,PM Lee is dead scared of SDP,not unlike the day when JBJ won the by election in Anson.

LKY spent one whole day grumbling to his pal then,Devan Nair,JBJ is going to throw me out,JBJ is going to throw PAP out,he was reported by Devan Nair to have been mumbling that whole day.

Both Devan and JBJ are now in wherever they are supposed to be,LKY is going to meet them soon.

 

[metalslug]

http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4283-sdp-asks-nuspa-to-organise-event-for-opposition

SDP asks NUSPA to organise event for opposition
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Singapore Democrats

We reported here that Mr John Tan had written to the National University of Singapore Students' Political Association (NUSPA) asking why the Singapore Democrats have not been invited to speak at the student organisation's forum when other opposition parties were.

Ms Jasmine Toh, President of NUSPA, replied that the speakers were invited in their personal capacities. In response, Mr Tan said that he hoped NUSPA is not prevented from inviting the SDP to speak at its forums and asks NUSPA to organise an event for the opposition to speak to its students.

24 October 2010

Dear Mr Tan,

We thank you for your keen interest in our forum-based event, entitled “Economic Growth: At What Cost?” Indeed, while our guest speakers are members of various political parties, they and our moderator were invited to share their views and opinions in their personal capacity, and not as representatives of their political parties/organisation. Our intention was to create an avenue for discussion of issues relevant to the theme, rather than a platform for inter-party debate.

Nonetheless, we understand your disappointment that none of your party members received an invitation. We do however extend our warmest welcome to current NUS students and staff who are members of SDP to attend the forum. They may attend in their capacity as currently matriculated students/staff of NUS. We sincerely look forward to having them with us.

Warmest Regards,

Jasmine Toh (Ms.)
President
36th Management Committee
NUS Students' Political Association

24 October 2010

Ms Jasmine Toh
President
NUSSPA

Dear Ms Toh,

While you say that the forum speakers are invited in their personal capacities, you have their political parties clearly displayed in your poster. There is nothing on your advertisement that says that the speakers have not been invited as representatives of their respective parties.

In fact anyone reading your poster would conclude that the forum is a debate/discussion on economic growth in Singapore from the standpoint of the various political parties represented on the panel.

We have been told by various sources close to NUS officialdom that the Singapore Democrats should not be invited to speak at its events. We can only suspect that the establishment wishes to portray selected political viewpoints that exclude the SDP's. We hope that this is not NUSPA's position.

I believe it is still not too late, in the interest of a fuller and more complete discussion, to invite one of our representatives, in whatever capacity you wish, to speak at the forum.

May I also take this opportunity to reiterate my party's intent to reach out to your fellow NUS students and would be grateful if you could organise an event where our members can discuss politics and political issues with the student body. In the past we have repeatedly asked NUSPA to facilitate such events but have to date met with a blank wall.

Thank you.

John Tan
Assistant Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party

 

[byleftcan]

Because NUS scared Danny the Pedobear come and touch the kids the wrong way.

 

[Angelo]

Becos only PAP dogs and Fake oppositions are invited to take part in this wayang show?

 

[cass888]

Goh Meng Seng's NSP also not invited

Should he resign?

They didn't invite NSP because if they did, they would be represented by RADM (minus 6 ranks) MS Goh. IF they were sure someone more sensible and intelligent like Sebastian Teo (a respected Business School Alumnus) would turn up, they may have invited NSP.

 

[laksaboy]

For anyone who has studied at NUS and did not live under a rock, it's no secret that NUSSPA has always been hardcore pro-PAP. It's members were also lackeys and running dogs, and were mostly from the Law Faculty(before it moved to the Bukit Timah campus) and the Political Science department.

All their so-called 'debates' and organized events are a sham.