PAP vs WP in Aljunied and Hougang
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PAP's Eric Low READY FOR BATTLE in Hougang.
There's been a lot of coverage on PAP Hougang contender Eric Low in both the papers and on the news.
Complaints include: (interviewed in the news)
1. difficulty in applying for permits to stage dinners
2. Getting a proper stage for his public addresses at these functions.
3. 'bureaucratic' administration by the Hougang Town Council which is run by WP.
In addition, TODAY interviewed some people who steadfastly declared that they will give their vote to Eric Low.
A recent chingay celebration in Aljunied and Hougang saw Mr Low distribute over 3,500 ang baos to residents. He was joined by Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo during the 4-hour celebration, MP for Aljunied GRC.
Last elections saw Eric Low shave off 3% off the 58% winning margin set in 1997. Will it be an odds-on victory this time? -
Originally posted by BillyBong:
Nothing much lah...its like tit for tat also.
[b]PAP's Eric Low READY FOR BATTLE in Hougang.
There's been a lot of coverage on PAP Hougang contender Eric Low in both the papers and on the news.
Complaints include: (interviewed in the news)
1. difficulty in applying for permits to stage dinners
2. Getting a proper stage for his public addresses at these functions.
3. 'bureaucratic' administration by the Hougang Town Council which is run by WP.
In addition, TODAY interviewed some people who steadfastly declared that they will give their vote to Eric Low.
A recent chingay celebration in Aljunied and Hougang saw Mr Low distribute over 3,500 ang baos to residents. He was joined by Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo during the 4-hour celebration, MP for Aljunied GRC.
Last elections saw Eric Low shave off 3% off the 58% winning margin set in 1997. Will it be an odds-on victory this time?
[/b]
I mean the opposition parties also have a LOT of difficulties rallying, staging dinners, and public addresses, etc in PAP regions also mah...
And the ang-baos inside is rice only...in Today's newspaper...just a pre-election propanganda gimmick.
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If I am not wrong, LTK ever allowed constituents who had fallen on hard times to defer their SC/CC payments. Maybe this will work in his favour.
Is WP DEFINITELY contesting ALJ GRC this time? It is going to be interesting if they do, considering the make-up of this ward. -
Yippee, I get to vote.
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whats the make up??Originally posted by iveco:If I am not wrong, LTK ever allowed constituents who had fallen on hard times to defer their SC/CC payments. Maybe this will work in his favour.
Is WP DEFINITELY contesting ALJ GRC this time? It is going to be interesting if they do, considering the make-up of this ward.
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Meaning you are from Kovan area and not S'goon Gdn?Originally posted by ditzy:Yippee, I get to vote. -
in my opinion, the WP some of manifastos may back fired in this election. the manifasto really have nothing to do with ordinary people in the hougang ward. Its about bread and butter issue and swing votes.
But other wards like nee soon east or central may have swing votes to show displeasure with unemployment problem, high cost of living and high ministerial salaries.
there are many individuals who see MP meet the session, asking for immediate help and sure to get sore eyes whenever they hear the millions that MP and ministers get paid and they have to go begging for food to feed themselves and their children. The gov have the money to give, but they just don;t want to help. The gov hold the purse so tight, but dare to pay themselves so high. -
Ang bao rice only? are u sure? it may be an insult to some recipent.Originally posted by nightzip:And the ang-baos inside is rice only...in Today's newspaper...just a pre-election propanganda gimmick. -
Now I know why PAP are so particular about losing seats in YIS town. The reason is that residents there are less well-off, am I right?Originally posted by AF2005:in my opinion, the WP some of manifastos may back fired in this election. the manifasto really have nothing to do with ordinary people in the hougang ward. Its about bread and butter issue and swing votes.
But other wards like nee soon east or central may have swing votes to show displeasure with unemployment problem, high cost of living and high ministerial salaries.
there are many individuals who see MP meet the session, asking for immediate help and sure to get sore eyes whenever they hear the millions that MP and ministers get paid and they have to go begging for food to feed themselves and their children. The gov have the money to give, but they just don;t want to help. The gov hold the purse so tight, but dare to pay themselves so high. -
i do not believe the problems faced by PAP's Eric Low in Hougang are true to all the other PAP Constituencies.
Do not forget that both the opposition leaders were "endorsed" by the PAP during the run-up to the last elections by none other then LKY + GCT. The PAP wanted 2 fall-guys and EL happened to be one of them at the wrong place at the wrong time! -
Do you really believe the conspiracy theory that the Ruling party intentionally wanted 2 opposition members in parliament to create the false inpression that open democracy exists in SG?Originally posted by claudetnt:i do not believe the problems faced by PAP's Eric Low in Hougang are true to all the other PAP Constituencies.
Do not forget that both the opposition leaders were "endorsed" by the PAP during the run-up to the last elections by none other then LKY + GCT. The PAP wanted 2 fall-guys and EL happened to be one of them at the wrong place at the wrong time!
Are you suggesting the residents in the said constituencies were taken for a ride and that the votes were skewed in the opposition's favour?
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yes, and also a lot of coffeshops that can encourage negative influence. PAP have lost once in nee soon central even to an unimpressive WP guy based on swing votes. It even involves delaying when or not to build the existing yishun polyclinic.Originally posted by iveco:Now I know why PAP are so particular about losing seats in YIS town. The reason is that residents there are less well-off, am I right?
Nee soon central is unstable in swing vows than nee soon east. Not sure why, WP choose to fight to in nee soon east rather than weaker nee soon central. Maybe WP feels embarrassed to face the NS central residents there after the defeat only in one term. -
Would you all agree that the coming elections is more unpredictable than the previous ones?
I am thinking one of the GRCs might actually fall into opposition hands this time round. -
Nee Soon Ctr was ever a SDP ward from 1991 to 1997. It is only natural that the party would seek to snatch it back. Hence WP had to settle for Ho Peng Kee's Nee Soon East, which was removed from SBW GRC.Originally posted by AF2005:yes, and also a lot of coffeshops that can encourage negative influence. PAP have lost once in nee soon central even to an unimpressive WP guy based on swing votes. It even involves delaying when or not to build the existing yishun polyclinic.
Nee soon central is unstable in swing vows than nee soon east. Not sure why, WP choose to fight to in nee soon east rather than weaker nee soon central. Maybe WP feels embarrassed to face the NS central residents there after the defeat only in one term. -
there is a great need for at least 1-2 GRC to go to the opposition. we need more check and balances in parliment. not a bunch of the current puppets who sit in the chamber and put up a show only to justify their million dollar salaries. at the end of the day lots of wayang. we must be a laughing stock on the global democracy stage.Originally posted by charlize:Would you all agree that the coming elections is more unpredictable than the previous ones?
I am thinking one of the GRCs might actually fall into opposition hands this time round. -
1-2 is not enough to stop a bill from being passed we need about 5 and that is the min... aim for 9 if we miss we get 5Originally posted by tohyi:there is a great need for at least 1-2 GRC to go to the opposition. we need more check and balances in parliment. not a bunch of the current puppets who sit in the chamber and put up a show only to justify their million dollar salaries. at the end of the day lots of wayang. we must be a laughing stock on the global democracy stage. -
I share your opinion
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BillyBong:
"Are you suggesting the residents in the said constituencies were taken for a ride and that the votes were skewed in the opposition's favour?"
Not at all. The voters in the 2 opposition wards did not feel the "heat" as much as at the other opposition wards. Secondly, PAP did not go all out the capture these wards and if you care to check the records even some PAP supporters were stunned and disappointed at that time. -
As i recall, there was limited coverage of the media in both of these wards; this can be attributed to attempts to lower the opposition's profile and campaign efforts in these single-seat wards during elections.Originally posted by claudetnt:BillyBong:
"Are you suggesting the residents in the said constituencies were taken for a ride and that the votes were skewed in the opposition's favour?"
Not at all. The voters in the 2 opposition wards did not feel the "heat" as much as at the other opposition wards. Secondly, PAP did not go all out the capture these wards and if you care to check the records even some PAP supporters were stunned and disappointed at that time.
However, who can forget the antics of Seetoh during his pro-PAP campaign? Effort and determination to take Potong Pasir was there. He simply wasn't good enough despite all the goodies and freebies being handed out by his party.
Chaim deserves credit where it's due. -
BillyBong:
Not only Chiam but also Low TK (workers party) deserves credit. -
Minister George Yeo hopes for minimal changes to Aljunied GRC team
By May Wong, Channel NewsAsia
Foreign Minister George Yeo said he hoped there would be minimal changes to his existing Aljunied GRC team so he could work with them again at the upcoming General Election.
Mr Yeo spoke to reporters after opening a new 4-storey market at Block 105, Hougang Avenue 1 on Sunday.
He spoke to various stall-holders as he toured the S$9 million market.
On the Budget statement, Mr Yeo said it was a constant effort on the government's part to take care of Singaporeans.
He said: "I don't think we can say, oh well, elections are coming, so we sweeten the ground, and people are happy. I don't think Singaporeans are so simple-minded. They'll observe what the government has been doing over the years, measure us against what we have promised in the past."
"Have they kept their word? Have they been true to their principles? It's on this basis that they say look, can they take us into the future? So that's the approach that we take. In an election year, you make sure that the budget is a buoyant one."
And on whether Singaporeans could expect new faces to be fielded in Aljunied GRC, Mr Yeo said he was happy with his existing team.
He said: "I hope there'll be minimal changes, I'll be quite happy to go into battle with this same team because we have developed a strong bond of friendship and we've been able to work very well together."
He said he and his team had been working the Aljunied ground for the last 4 years or so and there had been visible improvements.
But Mr Yeo said ultimately it was for the people to decide and he and his team were ready to fight and win every vote.
The Workers' Party has said it plans to contest in Aljunied GRC.
Mr Yeo said: "They've been here and there sporadically, dropping their namecards and telling people that they're around but I notice in the last few months, they spend less time here. I think they've been looking at other constituencies as well. But I expect them to come. Because they came here the last time, but unfortunately they didn't fill in their forms properly so this time round, they'll come back."
The new Hougang Market started operations in December last year after a S$9 million facelift.
It includes new amenities like lifts, escalators and wider walkways, which Minister Yeo says are critical to accommodate Singapore's aging population.
When asked about the mood of residents after meeting some of them at the new Hougang market, Mr Yeo had this to say: "People are very warm and enthusiastic. I think partly because the economy is better, not to say that everyone is doing well. There are shops not doing so well, even in this hawker centre, a bit more way out, sometimes, there're problems here and there, we cannot expect everyone to be happy."
"But on the whole, the economy compared to last year or about 2 years ago is doing much better and I think this trend should continue at least this year. But it depends a lot on the American economy and whether things remain buoyant in those big markets." - CNA/ch