BE declared!

[globalcookie]

Heard on radio, Kenneth Jayaratnam said they will consider seriously about participating, and if so, HE Himself will be the candidate! Another TJS in the making. He was in West Coast GRC, now he want a slice of the cake?

SDP's spokesperson (not sure who) said this BE came as a surprise. They are not ready for this BE, so I rather they drop out.

The timing of this BE didn't come as a surprise. Why would it be? CNY is coming up. People gather, people talk, people not in Punggol East will tell their friends/families there, vote Opposition and have 2 Parties working for them, etc. The longer PAP drag this, the worst it gets for them. And having so many parties eyeing this turf, better chance of retaining to do it now (before CNY)

[richardg]

Originally Posted by WaveSurfer

Yups. From the perspective of a non-WP opposition party, they wouldn't want WP to steal all the limelight and people may soon see it that Opposition = WP. Even if PAP wins in the end, at least their candidate and party get to share some limelight and media attention.

Sad but this is how politics is...

WP already did themselves in by their performance so far , or lack thereof.

Also another WP wont add to their effectiveness.
We have already heard what they can say/voice including copied stuff without acknowledgement, haha.
Wld be better to hear an alternative alternative voice.

[globalcookie]

Reform Party & SDP eye Punggol East by-election contest
By Saifulbahri Ismail, Kimberly Spykerman | Posted: 09 January 2013 2032 hrs


SINGAPORE: Reform Party's Secretary-General Kenneth Jeyaretnam has said his party is "strongly considering" whether or not to contest the upcoming Punggol East by-election.

But Mr Jeyaretnam said he will be the candidate fielded if the party does decide to do so.

He added that he would re-locate to live in Punggol East if he is elected.

"Punggol East you know is a quarter the size of West Coast, and so despite the short amount of time available, we are very confident. Locally on the ground, the residents have the same issues as most constituencies," he said.

On the possibility of a six-cornered fight, Mr Jeyaretnam said it is healthy for Singapore that the people are given a choice on ideology and who they think will be most effective.

Chairman of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Mohamed Jufrie Mahmood said news of the by-election being called for Punggol East came as a surprise.

He said the SDP did not expect that the Prime Minister would decide on the by-election so soon.

Speaking to the media at the Punggol East ward on Wednesday evening, Mr Jufrie said even though the party is ready for a contest, it would have to accelerate its campaign.

He said the party would be announcing its candidate within the next few days.

Mr Jufrie added that as far as possible, the party would try to avoid a multi-cornered fight.

He said that his party hopes to persuade the Workers' Party to give the voters the option of electing another opposition party.

But he added that if that does not happen, the SDP is firm on contesting the by-election.

Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) Desmond Lim said the news of the by-election date came as no surprise, and that the party is "operationally-ready".

He said it would be better for Punggol East SMC to have a parliamentary representative as soon as possible, rather than a caretaker one.

Mr Lim confirmed that the SDA would be fielding a candidate but declined to reveal a name for now.

Mr Lim said: "Well, it's good to have more than two parties in the Parliament. Parliament needs to have a diversified voice, and this will prevent, in case, the two parties come into coalition, there will still be other opposition voices in Parliament."

- CNA/de/fa/sf

--------------------
Isn't that what this Kenneth said during GE, that he would move to West Coast, and now to Punggol? Also, is it really the "same issues as most constituencies"?

From what SDP said, it will end up being at least 3 corner fight. WP won't back off for sure. Not sure if SDA will be in, but hope not (tho it appears like chances are high they will)

really a ****ing joke..

oredi lost his deposit in GE2011
now still wan to come back.. wat gave him the confidence?

[WaveSurfer]

Originally Posted by ilovechilired

really a ****ing joke..

oredi lost his deposit in GE2011
now still wan to come back.. wat gave him the confidence?

Unlimited pool of money?

Originally Posted by globalcookie

The timing of this BE didn't come as a surprise. Why would it be? CNY is coming up. People gather, people talk, people not in Punggol East will tell their friends/families there, vote Opposition and have 2 Parties working for them, etc. The longer PAP drag this, the worst it gets for them. And having so many parties eyeing this turf, better chance of retaining to do it now (before CNY)

It's also called to provide a distraction from the AIM incident...

Originally Posted by WaveSurfer

Unlimited pool of money?

wow must be quite rich to be always contributing..
but the diluting of the votes sure makes the MIW happy

It's also called to provide a distraction from the AIM incident...

probably its to avoid having more cans of worms opening in the coming weeks

thus making their reputation even worse..

[chaos]

PAP names surgeon as candidate for Punggol East by-election

Singapore's ruling People's Action Party has named a 40-year-old colorectal surgeon as its candidate in the upcoming by-election in Punggol East that is expected to be a multi-cornered fight.

Dr Koh Poh Koon was introduced to the media by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean in a press briefing Thursday morning as someone who "has the commitment and energy to look after the residents of Punggol East ward".

Koh, who spent his early childhood in a farmhouse at Lorong Cheng Lim in

Punggol before his family moved to a four-room HDB flat in Toa Payoh, said Punggol has always occupied a special place in his heart.

"My family and I are proof of the success of Singapore's meritocratic system," said Koh, who is he son of a driver and a housewife. "I want to help create the same opportunities that will help Singaporeans achieve their greatest potential."

According to the PAP, Koh spent 14 years at the Department of Colorectal
Surgery in Singapore General Hospital before setting up his practice at
Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre.

The party also said Koh is actively involved in grassroots work, serving the community as a Resident's Committee Executive Member (RC) since 2002.

Political parties are expected to submit their candidates for nomination on Wednesday, 16 January, and the polls will be held on 26 January if more than one candidate qualifies to run.

Several opposition parties have also indicated they will be fielding their own candidates.

2 questions hopefully he can answer..

why didnt he come out and serve during GE2011? crap like TPL can contest, why not him?

didnt old kampong residents in ponggol hated the government for chasing them out of the place? why he didnt?

[globalcookie]

Originally Posted by chaos

Koh, who spent his early childhood in a farmhouse at Lorong Cheng Lim in Punggol before his family moved to a four-room HDB flat in Toa Payoh, said Punggol has always occupied a special place in his heart.

"My family and I are proof of the success of Singapore's meritocratic system," said Koh, who is he son of a driver and a housewife. "I want to help create the same opportunities that will help Singaporeans achieve their greatest potential."
...
The party also said Koh is actively involved in grassroots work, serving the community as a Resident's Committee Executive Member (RC) since 2002.

Punggol of the 80s and today is completely different. That 'special place' in the heart factor still there meh??? No signs of the old kampung feel.

If he really want to help create opportunities, he would have done so all these years and not needed to be a politician. We hear other politicians saying the same, so far, how much done except punishing us for the last many years since FW/FT swept us off??

He was involved in West Coast GRC area wasn't he (mentioned somewhere)? So why Punggol now? Opposite ends of Singapore!

Call me cynic or anything. I'm not in favour of PAP.

Originally Posted by ilovechilired

didnt old kampong residents in ponggol hated the government for chasing them out of the place? why he didnt?

The story we hear when I lived in Hougang in the 80s - 90s... not that they were chased out only. In the early 80s, the pig farmers were told to setup proper system to process animal waste. A lot of farmers spent huge sums on the system, only to be forced out. Many were driven to desperation and we hear the hearsays, several committed suicide in their farms. None reported but those old Hougang people will also have heard these stories.

If i'm not wrong, Qian Hu family were pig farmers in Punggol then... they were left desperate too. But the siblings pooled their remaining funds (somewhere around $20k then) and took a desperate live-or-die approach

But it remains as hearsay...

[AlvinLeong]

Now PAP also scared to intro silver spoon babies.... This one kampong boy with working class parents, worked his way up. Acting Minister Chan single parent, mother wash clothes brought him up.