Vacating Potong Pasir a sacrifice to strengthen opposition
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Aug 11, 2010 - Straits Times
Chiam: Vacating Potong Pasir a personal sacrifice to strengthen opposition
I REFER to Mr Michael Tan's letter last Saturday ('Chiam should have spared a thought for loyal voters').
I must balance the interest of Singapore and the interest of the residents of Potong Pasir.
To have a strong democracy, Singapore must have enough opposition in Parliament to balance the strength of the People's Action Party. Singapore has had only two opposition MPs for far too long, without the prospect of a successful opposition bid in capturing a group representation constituency (GRC).
I have decided to make a sacrifice by coming out of my comfort zone to capture a GRC in order to expand the strength of the opposition. I have not abandoned the residents of Potong Pasir. Their interest is always with me and so, for this reason, I have chosen my wife to take my place and represent me in Potong Pasir. She has been helping me all these years in parliamentary and constituency work.
I chose her because she is able and trustworthy, and not because she is my wife. Unlike Mr Low Thia Khiang (the other opposition MP, for Hougang), who is much younger than me, I have completed six elections. It is time for me to move forward to help the opposition grow. I seek your understanding and support for my decision, which was not an easy one to reach. In time, I hope Mrs Chiam will be able to earn the residents' trust to serve them.
I thank all residents for their unwavering support all these years and for my choice of the new candidate.
Chiam See Tong
MP for Potong Pasir -
I am surprised that he wants to take a team to challenge the toa payoh-braddel GRC, its quite a move, but I see it more as tactical rather than wanting to win it.
I am more keen to see tampines-pasir ris GRC being contested than anything else. As for aljunied GRC, its a lost cause.
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he's a good man.. but somehow i worry for him...
during the NDP, he looked very frail..
in fact, many people looked frail as heck.. Lao Lee who looked worse than a bleached zombie was unstable and the security guy needed to ensure he didn't fall to his death...
and the prez didn't walk to inspect the guard of honour but rode on his vehicle instead...
perhaps, they all should retire, leave it to the next generation...
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Originally posted by ditzy:
I am surprised that he wants to take a team to challenge the toa payoh-braddel GRC, its quite a move, but I see it more as tactical rather than wanting to win it.
I am more keen to see tampines-pasir ris GRC being contested than anything else. As for aljunied GRC, its a lost cause.
There's no tampines-pasir ris GRC???
Only got Tampines GRC and Punggol-Pasir Ris GRC. -
Originally posted by Junyang700:
There's no tampines-pasir ris GRC???
Only got Tampines GRC and Punggol-Pasir Ris GRC.ok ok, I'm not so sure about that area, whichever MBT is in lah.
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Originally posted by ditzy:
ok ok, I'm not so sure about that area, whichever MBT is in lah.
LOL....
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Actually I think Chiam did the right thing.
His health is at stake and if he continues to be in the SMC, residents may feel uneasy voting for him. On the other hand, his wife has been there with him for the past years, and they know her well.
As for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, he uses his credibility to see if he can win a GRC. If he wins, he helps nuture the next generation. If he fails, he makes a honourable retirement. -
Not sure if Aljunied GRC can be won over by that slight more number of voters again or not. I previously belong to Aljunied GRC, don't know why just a few weeks ago, I realise they had changed my area to Pasir Ris-Punggol
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chiam......GOTO NEW ZEALAND....THERE U WILL GET ALL YER STRENGTH BACK N RETURN TO SPORE TO FIGHT LIKE A YUNG LION AGAIN!
U KNOW IT MORE THAN ANYONE!
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Originally posted by ditzy:
ok ok, I'm not so sure about that area, whichever MBT is in lah.
MBT - Tampines GRC -
i also think chiam can contest tampines. cos he beat mah bow tan in 1984, who knows he might do it again.
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i saw mbt, i shake my head
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wait till you see chiam talk...he will lose votes for sure. He seems to have some slur in his speech now.
And who the hell's lina chiam? She was a staff nurse, that's all. In fact, I believe PP has been losing residents all these years, due mainly also to young singaporeans moving out to start their own families. And there are more PRs there than ever.
I forecast a loss of PP to the PAP....and it be gone forever. ha ha ha (evil laughter)
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i forsee 赔了夫人�折兵
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Even if he lose, he will still be regarded as a hero in sg history.
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Originally posted by SevenEleven:
i forsee 赔了夫人�折兵
High risk high return..... die fighting better .... -
hardly a hero. Maybe only in PP circles. He has stood for six elections but only managed one SMC all these years. And after so long, he can only trust his wife to succeed him.
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LKY after being Prime Minister for so many years also pass his position to his son what so Chiam pass his position to his wife is just following LKY example
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that's the last thing we want right? A family running the country.
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Originally posted by dechang:
Even if he lose, he will still be regarded as a hero in sg history.
given his current state of health he's unlikely to win even potong pasir. so might as well make a grand exit from politics gunning wong kan seng, that makes him more respectable.he's been a lone opposition member in potong pasir for way too long. serving another term won't do the opposition any good. it'll just prove he's still alive.
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Originally posted by Rock^Star:
hardly a hero. Maybe only in PP circles. He has stood for six elections but only managed one SMC all these years. And after so long, he can only trust his wife to succeed him.
sadly, he's a nice guy.. but being stabbed in the back by a certain attention whore scarred him badly.. -
Originally posted by sir_peanuts:
given his current state of health he's unlikely to win even potong pasir. so might as well make a grand exit from politics gunning wong kan seng, that makes him more respectable.he's been a lone opposition member in potong pasir for way too long. serving another term won't do the opposition any good. it'll just prove he's still alive.
If all the opposition part members does that, won't it make the opposition even weaker?
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he should have move to stand in other wards for election long ago....rather than wait till now.
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So who is the PAP candidate going to contest potong pasir, or there isn't one?