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Tuesday, 03 November 2009

Singapore Democrats

Mr Zul Othman of the Today newspaper has emailed the Singapore Democrats to do a follow-up story to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's annnouncement that PAP has identified potential candidates for the next GE. Below is the SDP's response. Mr Zul's questions follow.

 

Government should release new boundaries first

The Singapore Democrats will be fielding a team of candidates of both new and familiar faces in the next general elections. The names and gender of the candidates will be announced at the appropriate juncture on this website.

The number of candidates available to the opposition has always been a casualty of the climate of fear in Singapore. Given the autocratic nature of the political system Singaporeans have been fearful of joining the opposition.

So the question of the increased number of NCMP seats or single-seats is not as relevant as the fear factor inasfar as the ability of the opposition to attract candidates is concerned.      

As to where and how many seats the SDP will be fielding, and whether in GRCs and/or SMCs, these questions will depend on the re-drawn boundaries and the number of GRCs and SMCs available in the next GE.

As such the SDP calls on the Government to release the electoral map without further delay. In the past the PAP has done this at the last minute. In one of the recent elections, the new boundaries were made known the day before elections was called.

This is a shameful practice which no confident ruling party would do and which no democratic system would accept. The PAP needs to stop all these shenanigans and reveal the boundaries immediately.

Chee Soon Juan
Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party


Questions from Mr Zul Othman:

1) PAP has identified potential candidates - what about the SDP?
2) Do you have fresh faces? How many?
3) Will they be contesting more seats than in the last GE, as PM said?
4) And if so, is it because of more potential candidates or, as PM suggested, the lure of more NCMP seats, single member wards and smaller GRCs?
5) Will the SDP be targeting more single member wards or the GRCs?
6) Any potential candidates you'd care to name? Would it be alright for us to contact them?
7) Will the SDP be fielding more women this time around?
8) How far down the recruitment chain are you?

Zul Othman
Senior Reporter
Today

 

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Comments (16)
  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 2:03 AM | compassion republican - Conservative Paper
    Hello, nice try pal, we know you are a Right Wing Guy. Don't come and fishing information here. You belong to the Consevative newspapers we don't re-call you been friendly to the opposition cause? 1) PAP has identified potential candidates - what about the SDP? 1) Foreknowledge information is critial to wining, no comment. 2) Do you have fresh faces? How many? 2) Foreknowledge information is critial, we keep our cards to our chest, no comment. 3) Will they be contesting more seats than in the last GE, as PM said? 3) Nobody will ever reveal their Game Plan, again nice try pal.4) And if so, is it because of more potential candidates or, as PM suggested, the lure of more NCMP seats, single member wards and smaller GRCs?
    4) No comment, trade secret. 5) Will the SDP be targeting more single member wards or the GRCs? 5) No comment, trade secret. 6) Any potential candidates you'd care to name? Would it be alright for us to contact them? 6) Are you going to do a "Profiling Files" about the his history, personal weakness, family members??? no comment, only in the last minute surprised. 7) Will the SDP be fielding more women this time around? 7) No comment, top secret. 8) How far down the recruitment chain are you? 8) No comment, top secret. Okay, buddy how about you fish information from the Ruling Party and let us know, do come back with the drawing a the new boundaries
  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 2:22 AM | Seelan Palay
    "In the past the PAP has done this at the last minute. In one of the recent elections, the new boundaries were made known the day before elections was called."

    Absolutely deplorable behavior by the PAP. Why should they resort to such pathetic measures if they are so confident about themselves?
  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 10:16 AM | compassion republican - we are smarter than that
    Hello, did anyone read the Conservative Paper 1 Opposition Party 0. (here are the scorecards) a) Mr Chiam See Tong photo look very old like someone already in retirement. b) Coming out from the horse mouth, the Opposition parties had admit "they can't attract talented candidates. c) Opposition parties believe Ruling Party had a bigger pool to choose from you are getting the best talent to run the country. d) This prove the public had been right all the time, Ruling Party is a better team. e) Creating confusion & infighting Mr Chiam gone Ruling Party will win Potong Pasir back. Nice, this is "Containment Policy" keep him there.
  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 10:27 AM | compassion republican - New Media versus Old Media
    Hello, The traditional right wing media is more one-sided, at times demonize Chee as a gangster, confrontist, give a bad boy image to the public. Of course the Ring Wing paper may "Patronize you" with some praise to get you in. Later you are in for a nasty surprised. (This time Opposition had to create a "total black-out news" to the old media) Creating a real hunger from the public going underground for any news from the "New Media" from opposition website. Where news are "fair & balance" playing to your strength and adavantage. Obama won the election partly with the New Media & donation funds. Don't be silly, traditional media is not there to help your cause.
  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 10:36 AM | BryanT - Innocuous publicity better than none
    At first glance look, this looks like a representative of the MSM trying to fish for information on SDP's preparation process and strategy for the election. The purpose may be malignant, although I doubt so.

    Let's take it from another perspective – TODAY is offering SDP an opportunity to provide information about itself to the public. SDP may not want to share certain information for strategic reasons. But surely SDP can think of something interesting about its election plans that is newsworthy enough for TODAY to want to include in the article.

    CSJ can highlight its readiness to contest the elections and the coordination with other opposition parties to synergise plans. It can talk about the good mix of potential candidates (eg. racial, professional background, etc) based on the purported gathering strength of party membership. And I really think it would be a good move to allow them to interview a “confirmed” candidate (eg. John). Eventually a few reasonable soundbites, even innocuous ones, from him in the article would add to SDP's presence.

    Instead, CSJ resorted to ranting about climate of fear, autocratic political system, election boundaries, etc. We know that these remonstrations will not be published. Besides, they are not the theme of the article. There is futile to waste “ammunition” on a reporter.

    My advice to SDP is to [b]seize such opportunities in future and refrain from providing dour remarks such as those in the reply[/b]. Otherwise it will just be left to continue complaining that the MSM does not cover the party adequately.
  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 1:18 PM | btan
    No matter what SDP writes, rest assure MSM will twist it to make them look bad.

    Fortunately, what SDP wrote is published in The Online Citizen already (and probably soon in Temasek Review) and these two online news sites has high political traffic than today online and ST. So readers will be able to see for themselves.

    Only sheeps will be continued to be misinformed by the MSMs.

  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 1:25 PM | | seebeng - PAP needs advice
    [color=purple]Instead, CSJ resorted to ranting about climate of fear, autocratic political system, election boundaries, etc. We know that these remonstrations will not be published. Besides, they are not the theme of the article. There is futile to waste “ammunition” on a reporter.[/color]


    Why can’t “these remonstrations” be published. Is it not the role of newspapers, if there are really any in Singapore, to tell their readers the concerns expressed by a political party? Let the people, after reading the comments from the SDP, decide or judge for themselves whether there is any truth in its “allegations”.


    And why don't you keep your unsolicited advice to yourself. What you've said here is nothing more than just parroting the autocratic PAP's worn out ranting about how the opposition should conduct itself in an autocratic regime.

    First, for elections to be of any meaning, there must be an independent, impartial elections commission to make the election process free and fair.

    Second, the "media" should be released from the clutches of the autocratic regime to let the people be informed of what's happening. But the reality is that the "media" is just a tool, a mouthpiece of the PAP regime.

    According to Lee Kuan Yew, the role of the "media" is to let the people know of government polices in a simple to understand manner, and to make them accept that the policies are for the good of the people.

    LKY doesn’t want the “media” to confuse the readers with alternative views and programmes. This LKY defined role is meticulously adhered to by the PAP mouthpiece that calls itself MSM.

    If you still insist on offering advices, why don't you offer them to the PAP to make sure the media is free and pluralistic?

    For a start, why can't the media, including radio and television, organise forums and discussion sessions involving all the political party leaders? Why can't opposition leaders be allowed to speak to our students, including those in the tertiary institutions?






  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 1:59 PM | Seelan Palay - re: Good publicity for the need of a basic democra
    [quote=BryanT]Instead, CSJ resorted to ranting about climate of fear, autocratic political system, election boundaries, etc. We know that these remonstrations will not be published. Besides, they are not the theme of the article. There is futile to waste “ammunition” on a reporter.

    My advice to SDP is to seize such opportunities in future and refrain from providing dour remarks such as those in the reply. Otherwise it will just be left to continue complaining that the MSM does not cover the party adequately.
    [/quote]

    Again, BryanT brings seems to be criticizing simply for the sake of criticizing. If he can't find something to base his criticism on, he will create it out of thin air.

    SDP has raised a crucial issue that is very relevant and helpful to all the opposition parties in Singapore.

    I'm glad that after JBJ, at least there is CSJ to tell it like it is.
  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 4:15 PM | btan
    PAP knows that the redrawing of boundaries in the last minute is helping them win votes. As such, it would be foolish to think they will not do so in the next election.

    While the opposition can covers a bit more ground to cater to this event, at the end of the day, the efforts of working the grounds may be wasted if the party is not contesting in that ward.

    However, there is one strategy to counter PAP's tricks.

    If all the opposition party form up to an alliance, similar to Malaysia's Pakatan Rakyat, and present to the voters with a common brand, then you don't have to worry about efforts going to waste. Imagine every opposition candidate work the grounds using the brand name of ABC alliance, rather than their individual party, then the voters will remember that ABC alliance is the opposition and vote accordingly.

    This way, even if let's say SDP is not contesting in a ward that they had the grounds worked on previously, but has another member of the opposition party contesting there, that candidate will still benefit from the ground work done by SDP. This is also vice versa for other parties who worked the ground but ended up SDP contesting there.

    A common brand is the key to defeating the redrawing-boundary trick.

    Not only that, you will unite all opposition votes as now voters will not pick and choose which opposition party to vote for. It will also give the impression of greater credibility of opposition parties in the eyes of many fence sitter.

    Please read the following article to see the ground sentiments of opposition voters.

    http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/11/03/can-the-singapore-opposition-work-together/

  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 4:32 PM | powerranger - re: Conservative Paper
    [quote=compassion republican]Hello, nice try pal, we know you are a Right Wing Guy. Don't come and fishing information here. You belong to the Consevative newspapers [/quote]

    don't think the ruling party is conservative or right-wing.
  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 7:57 PM | quantum
    BryanT = PAP
  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 10:28 PM | waterfirex
    More nonsense from BryanTroll, our resident armchair general.

    How does he feel qualified to dispense advice sitting behind the keyboard, I continue to wonder. What is his experience in dealing with the mainstream media? Is this the credibility he exhorts?

    It is plain to a reasonably alert observer why an opposition party like SDP would never want to disclose any information. The journalist could be [b]fishing for information[/b]. Who can trust that our bottom-scraping press would not provide intelligence to the PAP and spend the time leading to elections devising a propaganda campaign to smear SDP all over again.

    Talk about candidates so much for what? The electoral system is not even free, fair or independent. We only reinforce its legitimacy by ignoring this issue. If any serious opposition party could have it their way, I'm sure they would boycott the sorry excuse we have for an election.
  • Wed 04 Nov 2009 11:26 PM | NissanViP - I fully agree with btan post.
    This is true, form ONE “BRAND” will help to compose all-out-of "war" and strength to strength against LKY - PAP.
    Capture the heart and the mind of Singaporean once and for all. The change is what every Singaporean has in mind.

    Indirectly Singaporean has given a “go-ahead” to deal with PAP.

    I do not have any objection to have Dr.CSJ to take the lead since he is the most vocal and objective in his approaches and argument.

    So far, I did not see any indication that Dr.CSJ is fighting for wealth and power.

    He has proven by working very hard in exposing LKY “evil deed” administration, and willing to sacrifice his future and family not just for Singapore but to our future and next generation too.

    Who else beside him (CSJ) and the late JBJ can perform such a dangerous “Stunt” job?

    The only thing I’m asking for the new government is, we must have independent organization/agency to monitor the new government administration activity, in other word, and the new government must have accountability in their performance.

    For now, give this man “CSJ” a chance for once, [b]if he fail, we will kick him ass out from government seat whether he is President/PM/Minister or whatever position he is holding.[/b]
  • Thu 05 Nov 2009 7:56 AM | juzONEsingh
    dei waterfirexxx, Bryant is not PAP lah, dei... can tell one.. aint smart enuf for de Govt, if i can say..


    anyway, yeah, would be good if bryant can join our ranks and use his chim logic to debate with the Gov.. c how they reply to his cum-slurping chim logic...

    bryant, go, argue wif da govt.. do us proud
  • Thu 05 Nov 2009 3:52 PM | BryanT
    Thanks for the "compliment", jOs.

    Before arguing with "da govt", all of us should practise on a smaller scale first and hone our skills well, because the people in "da govt" are too smart for us.

    Maybe that's why we are all still here, slurping around.

    PS. please don't play a pun on the word "hone". I know you can't resist.
  • Fri 06 Nov 2009 1:21 PM | | seebeng - Speak for yourself BryanT
    [color=purple]Before arguing with "da govt", all of us should practise on a smaller scale first and hone our skills well, because the people in "da govt" are too smart for us.[/color]

    Just speak for yourself, BryanT. I’m not surprised that to you, based on your comments here, dictator Lee's errand boys "are too smart".

    These highest paid eunuchs in emperor Lee's court seem to be exhibiting their "skills" in front of students only. What a cowardly act.

    They are not only cowards but also incompetent and that's why they had to hide behind their propaganda rag that always prettifies them ad nauseam.
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