Singapore Democrats
A PAP MP was seen at a block party that the Singapore Democrats held for residents of Ghim Moh estate last week. The MP was seen in the carpark looking on at our gathering.
The same MP, residents told us, had hastily arranged his own gathering for residents shortly after our invitations went out to the residents.
By all accounts our block party was a huge success (see report here), attracting almost fifty residents who had come to mingle and talk with our members. But the get-together was nearly derailed.
The residents had informed us that PAP-controlled Residents’ Committee (RC) members had been going around discouraging residents from attending our party. This is yet another example of how the RCs which are supposed to be non-partisan are being used by the PAP for its own interests.
It is sad that while RC members were discouraging residents coming to our block party, the PAP itself was copying the SDP by going about organising its own party.
This is not the first that we find the ruling party imitating us. We have been told by residents of Marsiling estate in the Sembawang GRC that Mr Khaw Boon Wan was giving out groceries to needy families. This happened after we had gone to these households and given out basic necessitates and rendering medical assistance to them.
Like they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. One SDP member quipped: “We hereby authorise the PAP to copy our programmes. Hopefully the PM will thank us in his next National Day Rally speech.”
Even before getting into Parliament the Singapore Democrats are already setting the trend for the PAP to follow. We take pride in our innovativeness and people-oriented approach.
More importantly, we also note that the large number of residents who attended our block party and the range of social problems they raised with us suggest that constituency management and community spirit have been neglected by the GRC’s MPs. This is the root problem of all that ails our society: The PAP forgets that it is the people who matter.