Friday 29 April 2011
Emotions run high at SPP rally
SPP candidates stand in a row after an inspiring rally (L-R: Jimmy Lee, Mohd Hamim Aliyas, Benjamin Pwee, Chiam …
The Singapore People's Party's (SPP) rally on Friday turned out to be a dramatic night for both attendees and candidates.
The 1,200-strong crowd who attended the rally at an open field in Jurong West Avenue 3 heard SPP candidates running for Hong Kah North SMC, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC and Potong Pasir SMC speak passionately on various issues.
The emotional moments started from the arrival of SPP secretary-general Chiam See Tong and Lina Chiam in the middle of Bishan-Toa Payoh candidate Jimmy Lee's speech. His arrival got the crowd chanting 'Chiam See Tong'.
Mrs Chiam then delivered her maiden speech, beginning by acknowledging that she was possibly more well-known as "Mrs Chiam See Tong", but asserting later on her individual identity and conviction to stand and serve.
"My name is Mrs Lina Chiam, not Mrs Chiam See Tong. I am my own person, and I will do things my own way," she declared to resounding cheers and applause from spectators.
Mrs Chiam shared some of the trials Mr Chiam faced as an opposition MP. This included an incident where Mr Chiam planted a tree that was given to him as a gift, but it was uprooted and killed with acid by unknown enemies—a story that even her fellow SPP candidates themselves were unaware of.
Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC candidate Benjamin Pwee, for instance, told Yahoo! Singapore candidly that he was "completely touched by the Chiams", while his teammate Jimmy Lee was inspired by the stories shared tonight.
"I now have renewed strength for the coming week," Lee said.
Pwee stepped up to the podium after candidate Wilfred Leung to cheers of his name and loud applause, speaking passionately about the need for voters to overcome their fear of voting for the opposition.
He shared that he had battled fear for the longest time, eventually telling himself that "if (he was) going to step out, it has to be for the people."
Addressing comments made previously that voting for the opposition was akin to making a ship sink, he responded, "Which opposition candidate will put everything on the line to bring this ship down?"
The most poignant moment of the night came when Mr Chiam took to the stand to speak -- members of the audience reserved their loudest applause for him.
He addressed the crowd candidly and humbly, saying, "You give me more applause than I deserve."
Emphasising that in his view, opposition is the essence of democracy, Mr Chiam elaborated on his belief that the government needs transparency and accountability.
He paused at certain junctures, however, and at one point a resident called out to him, saying, "Mr Chiam, you don't have to speak. We will vote for you!" while others applauded to show their encouragement for him.
Mr Chiam also said at one point: "Every one of us can take part in politics. I can assure you that nothing will happen to you; I am a living example you can follow."
To that, he added: "I am not actually a brave man. But I love Singapore and I love Singaporeans", explaining why he is contesting in another election.
After the rally ended, some attendees were so moved by his speech that upon shaking Mr Chiam's hand, a man in his 60s started to cry, saying, "I feel so happy for you that I am crying. I hope you win."
Others who shook his hand added more words of encouragement, including one who said: "We need more people like you."
Residents from near and far attended the rally -- some from as far as Woodlands -- regardless of whether or not they will end up deciding between the SPP and the PAP.
Crane operator Nizam, 26, for instance, attended the rally because he was interested in an alternative voice, even though he is a Choa Chu Kang GRC resident, and would not have the opportunity to vote for the SPP.
"I came down to see Mr Chiam, because I wanted to see him in person, to hear him speak. He's a great man," he said.
"He's a legend," added Hanizah Zaini, 27, a customer service officer. "It's amazing that he is still here (and standing for election again), against all odds."
The question of whether or not this will serve to sway the residents who are deciding between the SPP and the PAP, however, seems to remain unanswered.
Hong Kah North SMC resident Linda Tan, 30, remains ambivalent despite the events of the night, having attended the rally to translate what was said to her parents, whom she lived with.
"They (the candidates) brought up a few things, but I will need time to digest what has been said here, as well as to listen to what the PAP candidate has to say," she said.
This article is published by Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd., 60 Anson Road #13-01 Mapletree Anson, Singapore, 079914.
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'We're going after the tiger in the mountain'
Workers' Party (WP) secretary-general Low Thia Khiang says his decision to move out from Hougang was made "quite long ago".
Speaking at a press conference after Nomination Day, Low revealed that he was even more determined to move to Aljunied after the gerrymandering of the People's Action Party (PAP), where changes were made to the electoral boundaries and some of their 29,000 supporters were moved to Ang Mo Kio and Pasir Ris-Punggol GRCs.
Low, who will join party chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Pritam Singh and Mohd Faisal to form what is dubbed by many as the "A plus" team, will take on PAP's George Yeo, Lim Hwee Hua, Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Cynthia Phua and Ong Ye Kung.
He added that the decision to contest in Aljunied is a calculated risk and it is a risk they are taking "for Singapore".
Using a Mandarin proverb, Low said, "You know that there's a tiger in the mountain, and yet you still move there. So now we are taking this challenge and believe that voters will make the right choice."
WP's 'star catch' Chen added, "Winning a GRC is an important goal for the development of Singapore's political system and we are saying it in our actions."
The WP 'A+' team for Aljunied. (Yahoo! photo/Chia)
While admitting that it may be more logical for him to stay in Hougang, where he has 20 years of grassroots experience, Low acknowledged that the stakes are high but felt it that the time was right for WP to make the move.
"Hougang residents understand that I need to do this. The ground is sweet and in fact many people I know are waiting for me to cross over," he said.
Replacing Low at Hougang is party organising secretary Yaw Shin Leong.
Yaw, who led WP's 2006 "suicide squad" against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Ang Mo Kio GRC, dismissed claims that contesting against PAP candidate Desmond Choo was the reason for his deployment to the SMC.
The 35-year-old, who has been helping at Hougang's grassroots activities after joining the WP in 2001, said, "I don't think age is an issue. What is important is that you have the passion to serve the residents."
Yaw Shin Leong will replace Low Thia Khiang at Hougang SMC. (Yahoo! photo/Chia)
Yaw added that he has confidence in Hougang's voters and reiterated that they are "the WP's secret weapon."
Low, also spoke highly of Yaw's connections on the ground. Yaw has been accompanying him on house visits in his ward for the past three years and, making him a familiar face in the estate.
"By now, every resident in the Hougang constituency would have Shin Leong's namecard," said Low.
Analysts told Yahoo! Singapore that they are not overly surprised by Low's decision to contest in Aljunied GRC.
Independent scholar Derek da Cunha explained, "He cannot ask Singaporeans to move out of their comfort zone and vote for credible opposition members if he himself does not move out of his own comfort zone, of Hougang."
"Now that he has led by example, he has the moral standing to make the appeal to Singaporeans to vote for his team. That will carry some weight with voters."
Senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Terence Chong described it as a "make or break time for the WP".
"The stakes are high and one can fully understand Low's decision. He is explicitly asking Singaporeans to decide if they want more Opposition voices in Parliament or not," said Dr Chong.
He continued, "If the WP has a poor showing this GE it will not be because of lack of hard work or credible candidates but that the people prefer PAP dominance of Parliament. If so, so be it."
National University of Singapore professor Tan Ern Ser added, "I reckon he is 'putting his money where his mouth is'. The move is also important symbolically. It shows he is serious about wanting to win a GRC. I reckon he thinks the WP has the best chance of winning that GRC."
Prof Tan also predicted some factors that may contribute to voters' inclination to vote WP: dissatisfaction with PAP over the hot-button issues; desire to have checks and balances and alternative views from a stronger opposition presence in Parliament.
In a separate press conference, PM Lee commented on Low's decision to contest in Aljunied.
He said that it was Low's tactic to win a GRC. "I don't doubt he's entitled to want to win a GRC and he's trying to make an argument so that it sounds good and people will vote for him to win a GRC."
- additional reporting by Alicia Wong
Who is Low Thia Khiang????
Low Thia Khiang (Traditional Chinese: 劉程強, Simplified Chinese: 刘程强, Pinyin: Liú Chéngqiáng; born 1956) is a politician and businessman from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Workers' Party, and since 1991 has been a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the constituency of Hougang.
Low is currently one of only two elected opposition MPs in Singapore's Parliament (the other being Chiam See Tong of the Singapore People's Party).
Background
Low was educated at Lik Teck Primary School and Chung Cheng High School (Main), before going on to study at Nanyang University where he majored in Chinese Language & Literature, and Government & Public Administration. In 1981, he completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Chinese Studies at the National University of Singapore. In 1982, he completed a Diploma in Education. He worked as a teacher for a few years, before starting his own business.[1]
Political career
Low joined the Workers' Party in 1982, and was subsequently appointed its Organising Secretary. At the 1984 general election, he was the election agent for the party's then Secretary-General, J.B. Jeyaretnam, in his successful campaign to win the parliamentary constituency of Anson.
In 1988, Low represented the Workers' Party in a televised debate with the PAP government on proposals to create an elected Presidency for Singapore, where he engaged Ong Teng Cheong and Lee Hsien Loong (who would later become the President and Prime Minister of Singapore respectively). In the general election later that year, Low, together with Gopalan Nair and Lim Lye Soon, contested the Group Representation Constituency of Tiong Bahru and finished second with 42.2% of the vote.
In 1991, Low, as the Workers' Party's Assistant Secretary-General, won the Hougang constituency and entered Parliament.
In 1992, Low was appointed by Singapore's then Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong, to be a member of the Cost Review Committee. After a year of intensive study, Low decided to produce his own independent report as he had a different perspective from the other members of the committee.
Low was re-elected as the MP for Hougang at the 1997 general election.
In 2001, he became the Secretary-General of the Workers' Party, replacing J.B. Jeyaretnam.
At the 2006 general elections, Low won his fourth straight term for the Hougang constituency. He received 13,987 of the votes cast, a 62.74 per cent victory margin which is an increase of 7.74% from the last general election in November 2001. His opponent, Eric Low, from the ruling party, People's Action Party, received 8,306 votes.[2]
Since 1997, Low and Chiam See Tong have been the only two elected opposition members in Singapore's 84-seat Parliament.
Current posts
Secretary-General, Workers' Party of Singapore
Chairman, Hougang Constituency Committee (HGCC)
Chairman, Hougang Town Council (HGTC)
Electoral results in HougangGeneral Election 2006: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 13,989 62.7 +7.7
PAP Eric Low Siak Meng 8,308 37.3 -7.7
Majority 5,681 25.4 +15.4
Turnout 22,574 95.0 -0.4
WP hold Swing +7.7
General Election 2001: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 12,070 55.0 -3.0
PAP Eric Low Siak Meng 9,882 45.0 +3.0
Majority 2,188 10.0 -6.0
Turnout 22,247 95.4 -0.8
WP hold Swing -3.0
General Election 1997: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 13,458 58.0 +5.2
PAP Heng Chee How 9,736 42.0 -5.2
Majority 3,722 16.0 +10.4
Turnout 23,505 96.2 +0.4
WP hold Swing +5.2
General Election 1991: Hougang
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
WP Low Thia Khiang 10,621 52.8 +11.8
PAP Tang Guan Seng 9,487 47.2 -11.8
Majority 1,134 5.6 +23.6
Turnout 20,566 95.8 -0.4
WP gain from PAP Swing +11.8
Personal life
Low is married with two sons and a daughter.
The Chiams' love story
Mrs and Mrs Chiam See Tong prove that love and politics can go hand-in-hand.
The couple, who have been married for 36 years, is each other's pillar of support through thick and thin.
Chiam See Tong marks 25 years as opposition MP
SINGAPORE: Opposition Member of Parliament Chiam See Tong has called on all opposition parties to contest as many group representation and single member constituencies as possible in the next General Election.
He was speaking at a dinner in his ward in Potong Pasir on Saturday to mark his 25 years as MP. But he did not comment on his future political plans.
Residents in Potong Pasir have helped to change the face of politics in Singapore, he said.
Mr Chiam, who has been Potong Pasir MP since 1984, thanked the residents for their support.
"Another thing I am certain is that it is possible for an ordinary person like me to stand for election and get elected and re-elected, provided one conscientiously looks after his constituency, does his parliamentary work and is imbued with professionalism, honesty and integrity," he said.
"By my example, I think this is my greatest contribution to promoting democracy in Singapore. Let Potong Pasir be a powerbase and a beacon for more opposition victories," he added.
Leaders of the opposition parties in Singapore also turned up at the event to honour the achievements of the 74-year-old MP. They included Mr Low Thia Khiang from the Workers' Party and Dr Chee Soon Juan who was once Mr Chiam's protege.
Mr Chiam has signalled his intention to contest a Group Representation Constituency or GRC in the next General Election. There has been talk within his party circles he could field a new candidate to defend his Potong Pasir seat.
But there are also concerns about Mr Chiam's health as he had a stroke last year. Hence Singaporeans may have to wait till the next Nomination Day to find out what exactly Mr Chiam has up his sleeves.
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 12 December 2009 2247 hrs
Chiam See Tong??? Who is this old man ????
Chiam See Tong
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Chiam.
Chiam See Tong (Chinese: 詹时中; pinyin: Zhān Shízhōng; born 12 March 1935) is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament (MP). Since 1984, he has represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament,[1][2] where he is currently one of only two elected opposition MPs.
In 2008, Chiam suffered a stroke [2]. In 2011, Chiam said "there's still remnants of the stroke which I suffered". [3]
Chiam was a member of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) up to 1996, when he left the party to join the Singapore People's Party (SPP). He subsequently spearheaded the formation of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), and was its Chairman and de facto leader from 2001 to 2011. However in March 2011 he announced that he was withdrawing the SPP from the SDA grouping, and would contest the next general election under the SPP banner
Political careerChiam first entered politics in 1976 when he contested as an independent candidate in Cairnhill constituency, where he lost to the then-Minister for Communications and National Development, Lim Kim San. In the 1979 by-election, Chiam contested the Potong Pasir seat for the first time, again as an independent. He got 33% of the votes against the then-Defence Minister Howe Yoon Chong.[2]
Chiam founded the Singapore Democratic Party in 1980, and was the party's Secretary-General (leader) until 1993. He contested the Potong Pasir seat again in 1980 and lost to Howe again, but his vote share increased to 41%. In 1984, Chiam contested the seat against Mah Bow Tan, and won with 60.3% of the votes, on a swing of 19 percent against the PAP.[2]
In his subsequent five elections, Chiam continued to fend off challengers from the ruling People's Action Party. His winning margin reached a peak of 69.6% in the 1991 polls but has since fallen below 60% in most recent elections.[2]
When Chiam was first elected to Parliament in 1984, he was only the second opposition politician ever to be elected to Singapore's Parliament after J.B. Jeyaretnam of the Workers' Party, in 1981. After Jeyaretnam was expelled from Parliament in 1986, Chiam was Singapore's sole elected opposition MP until 1991.
At the 1991 general elections, two other SDP members, Ling How Doong and Cheo Chai Chen, were also elected to Parliament. Low Thia Khiang of the Worker's Party was also elected, making a total of four opposition MPs, with Chiam effectively the leader of the opposition.
In 1992, Chiam recruited Dr Chee Soon Juan, a psychology lecturer at the National University of Singapore, to be an SDP candidate for a by-election in the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency. Although the SDP was unsuccessful in the by-election, the recruitment of Chee as a candidate generated considerable public interest. However differences between Chiam and Chee soon emerged. Chee was sacked from his job as a university lecturer in 1993, and publicly claimed that he had been the victim of a political vendetta by the governing People's Action Party (PAP). Chiam wanted to censure Chee for these comments, but the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) backed Chee. Chiam then resigned as Secretary-General of the party, and was replaced by Chee. The CEC attempted to expel Chiam from the party after he publicly criticised them, but he won a court case to prevent them from doing so on procedural grounds. However the CEC appointed Ling How Doong to replace Chiam as the party's parliamentary leader.
Chiam and Ling were involved in an incident in Parliament in 1996 when Chiam whispered something into Ling's ear during a debate, to which Ling loudly responded "Don't talk cock!" (a Singlish phrase meaning "that's nonsense"). Ling was formally censured by Parliament for using unparliamentary language in the chamber as a result.
Chiam left the SDP at the end of 1996 and accepted an invitation to join the Singapore People's Party (which was formed by a breakaway faction of the SDP in 1994) and became its Chairman. Standing for his new party, he was re-elected as MP for Potong Pasir in the 1997 General Election.[2] The negative publicity generated by the disputes with Chiam affected the SDP's electoral prospects, and both Ling and Cheo lost their seats, leaving Chiam and Low Thia Khiang as the only two elected opposition MPs. Chiam and Low have remained the only two opposition MPs elected at all subsequent general elections to date. In the 2001 General Election, Chiam won Potong Pasir for the fifth time. In the 2006 General Election, he won 55.82% of the votes to claim his sixth term, defeating the PAP's Sitoh Yih Pin. He had secured 8,245 votes against 6,527 for Sitoh. For many, this was a surprise victory for Chiam, as the PAP had offered an S$80 million upgrading package for the residents of Potong Pasir and had brought in Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong to help the PAP's campaign in the constituency.
In early 2008, Chiam suffered a mild stroke[2] which led to the suspension of his 'Meet-the-People' sessions.
In 2009, Chiam celebrated his 25th year as MP Potong Pasir.[4] That year, he also announced that he did not plan to stand as a candidate for Potong Pasir at the next general election (due to be held on May 2011), and would instead be a candidate in a Group Representation Constituency (GRC).[5]
In 2010, Chiam tried to bring the Reform Party into the SDA. He reportedly accepted the conditions the Reform Party set out for joining the alliance, however the terms of entry were opposed by other members of the SDA's Council who blocked the move. In 2010 and early-2011, it was also reported that some members of the SDA's Council felt that Chiam was unable to properly fulfil his role of Chairman of the alliance, after he had cut back his political activities following his stroke in 2008. On 28 February 2011, the SDA's Council voted to relieve Chiam of his role as Chairman, however the Council stressed that they still hoped to field Chiam as a candidate at the next general election. But two days later, on 2 March 2011, Chiam announced that the Singapore People's Party was withdrawing from the SDA, and that he would stand under the banner of the SPP instead of the SDA at the next general election.[6][7]
For the Singapore General Election 2011, Lina Loh Woon Lee (sometimes referred to as Lina Chiam), the wife of Chiam See Tong became an SPP candidate in the Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency, Chiam See Tong's former constituency. Chiam See Tong became a candidate with other SPP candidates in a Group Representation Constituency. This candidacy is a first for Lina Loh Woon Lee although she had campaigned with her husband over the years in many general elections in Singapore. In 2011, she holds the 2nd Vice Chairman post in the SPP.
Life outside politics
Chiam was educated at Anglo-Chinese School, before going on to study at the University of Canterbury and Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. After completing a Bachelor of Science degree, he worked as a teacher at Mahmud Secondary School in Malaysia from 1962 to 1963, and at Cedar Girls' Secondary School in Singapore from 1964 to 1972.
Chiam qualified as a barrister at the Inner Temple in London in 1974. He then joined Philip Wong and Company as a lawyer, before starting his own law firm, Chiam and Company, in 1976.
Chiam retired from his law practice in 2002 to become a full-time politician.
He is married to Lina Loh Woon Lee. The couple have one daughter.
Parliamentary Committee MembershipChiam has been a member of Parliament since 22 December 1984.
Committee of Privileges
6th Parliament, 2nd Session
7th Parliament, 1st Session
7th Parliament, 2nd Session
7th Parliament, 3rd Session
9th Parliament, 1st Session
9th Parliament, 2nd Session
10th Parliament, 1st Session
Estimates Committee
8th Parliament, 1st Session
Select Committee on the Bankruptcy Bill
8th Parliament, 2nd Session
Select Committee on the Companies (Amendment) Bill
8th Parliament, 1st Session
Select Committee on the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 21) Bill
7th Parliament, 1st Session
Select Committee on the Drug Trafficking (Confiscation of Benefits) Bill
8th Parliament, 1st Session
Select Committee on the Goods and Services Tax Bill
8th Parliament, 1st Session
Select Committee on the Interpretation (Amendment) Bill
9th Parliament, 1st Session
Select Committee on the Land Transportation Policy
7th Parliament, 1st Session
Select Committee on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill
7th Parliament, 1st Session
Select Committee on the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill and Constitution of the Republic
6th Parliament, 2nd Session
Select Committee to Verify the Healthcare Subsidy of Government Polyclinics and Public Hospitals
8th Parliament, 2nd Session
Special Select Committee on Nominations for Appointment as nominated Members of Parliament
7th Parliament, 2nd Session
8th Parliament, 1st Session
Standing Orders Committee
6th Parliament, 1st Session
8th Parliament, 2nd Session
EducationDate Qualification Institution
1955 GCE 'A' Levels Anglo-Chinese School
1961 Bachelor of Science University of Canterbury & Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
1967 Certificate in Education Teachers' Training College
1974 Barrister-at-Law Inner Temple, United Kingdom
Career
Date Workplace
1962 to 1963 Mahmud Secondary School, Raub Pahang, Malaysia
1964 to 1972 Cedar Girls' Secondary School
1974 to 1976 Philip Wong & Co (Advocates & Solicitors)
1976 Advocate & Solicitor, Chiam & Co
2002 (Advocates & Solicitors) (Retired)
Who is likely to win in GE 2011?
Political author Derek da Cunha and Prof Eugene Tan tell us their predictions on the possible scenarios after Polling Day for GE 2011.
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