Wong Kan Seng responds to NSP attack on track record
By Karamjit Kaur
DEPUTY Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng yesterday gave a point-for-point response to the attacks on his track record by the National Solidarity Party (NSP).
The minister, who has fought only in the 1984 election, said it was not his doing if he has had no challengers since.
Ultimately, he said, he was account-able only to the people and to the prime minister of the day; the premiers to whom he has so far reported have found him fit to head three ministries at different points of his career.
Mr Wong, speaking to reporters yesterday after visiting Bishan North, was responding to NSP candidates Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss and Goh Meng Seng, who, at an NSP rally last Saturday, described him as someone who had benefited from the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system despite a less-than-perfect record.
They charged that as chairman of the National Population Committee in 2005, Mr Wong presided over a fall in the total fertility rate from 1.24 to its current all-time low of 1.16. In that time, foreigners have swelled to form a third of the population here, they added.
Mrs Chong-Aruldoss and Mr Goh also reminded the rally crowds that the escape of terrorist leader Mas Selamat Kastari happened on Mr Wong's watch as Home Affairs Minister.
Mr Wong said: 'The fact that no opposition came to contest in every election for which I was fielded cannot be my doing. Clearly, it cannot be my fault.'
The fault lies with the opposition, which has been unable to marshal candidates for the fight, said the minister, who now heads a five-member People's Action Party (PAP) team in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC against the Singapore People's Party.
On Singapore's low fertility rate, Mr Wong said the trend has also surfaced in developing societies such as Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, and the Government here will continue to encourage young people to start families.
As for the growing number of foreigners, he cast the conundrum before the Government this way: To allow foreign workers to come in to do the jobs and fill up vacancies which employers have created or not to allow them in, which means Singaporeans lose their jobs if businesses pull out because of a lack of manpower.
Mr Wong said: 'It's a serious question, not just a throwaway line at a rally.'
On security, he said that after Mas Selamat escaped, a probe was launched and recommendations made to forestall a repeat of the incident.
He said it was 'a bit short-sighted' to look at just this case when the Home Affairs Ministry had achievements as well, such as its being the first to uncover Jemaah Islamiah activity in the region.
Looking back on his 17 years as Home Affairs Minister, a post he relinquished in November last year, he said: 'I can proudly say, as far as the safety of Singaporeans and the confidence of the people and foreigners here are concerned, they feel Singapore is very safe. They feel we're on top of the situation and we're able to deal with crime, drugs and terrorism.'
Separately, Trade and Industry Minister and West Coast GRC PAP team leader Lim Hng Kiang also found himself having to defend his team against an attack by rival Reform Party, which charged that the incumbents lacked a mandate, given that they had not fought an election since 1997.
Mr Lim dismissed the charge as 'pure nonsense'; he argued that the PAP team there probably enjoyed higher levels of support than the party's national average; that was why opposition parties had not made bids there in the past two elections.
By Karamjit Kaur
DEPUTY Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng yesterday gave a point-for-point response to the attacks on his track record by the National Solidarity Party (NSP).
The minister, who has fought only in the 1984 election, said it was not his doing if he has had no challengers since.
Ultimately, he said, he was account-able only to the people and to the prime minister of the day; the premiers to whom he has so far reported have found him fit to head three ministries at different points of his career.
Mr Wong, speaking to reporters yesterday after visiting Bishan North, was responding to NSP candidates Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss and Goh Meng Seng, who, at an NSP rally last Saturday, described him as someone who had benefited from the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system despite a less-than-perfect record.
They charged that as chairman of the National Population Committee in 2005, Mr Wong presided over a fall in the total fertility rate from 1.24 to its current all-time low of 1.16. In that time, foreigners have swelled to form a third of the population here, they added.
Mrs Chong-Aruldoss and Mr Goh also reminded the rally crowds that the escape of terrorist leader Mas Selamat Kastari happened on Mr Wong's watch as Home Affairs Minister.
Mr Wong said: 'The fact that no opposition came to contest in every election for which I was fielded cannot be my doing. Clearly, it cannot be my fault.'
The fault lies with the opposition, which has been unable to marshal candidates for the fight, said the minister, who now heads a five-member People's Action Party (PAP) team in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC against the Singapore People's Party.
On Singapore's low fertility rate, Mr Wong said the trend has also surfaced in developing societies such as Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, and the Government here will continue to encourage young people to start families.
As for the growing number of foreigners, he cast the conundrum before the Government this way: To allow foreign workers to come in to do the jobs and fill up vacancies which employers have created or not to allow them in, which means Singaporeans lose their jobs if businesses pull out because of a lack of manpower.
Mr Wong said: 'It's a serious question, not just a throwaway line at a rally.'
On security, he said that after Mas Selamat escaped, a probe was launched and recommendations made to forestall a repeat of the incident.
He said it was 'a bit short-sighted' to look at just this case when the Home Affairs Ministry had achievements as well, such as its being the first to uncover Jemaah Islamiah activity in the region.
Looking back on his 17 years as Home Affairs Minister, a post he relinquished in November last year, he said: 'I can proudly say, as far as the safety of Singaporeans and the confidence of the people and foreigners here are concerned, they feel Singapore is very safe. They feel we're on top of the situation and we're able to deal with crime, drugs and terrorism.'
Separately, Trade and Industry Minister and West Coast GRC PAP team leader Lim Hng Kiang also found himself having to defend his team against an attack by rival Reform Party, which charged that the incumbents lacked a mandate, given that they had not fought an election since 1997.
Mr Lim dismissed the charge as 'pure nonsense'; he argued that the PAP team there probably enjoyed higher levels of support than the party's national average; that was why opposition parties had not made bids there in the past two elections.
