Hougang can get best of both worlds: DPM
Teo
Teo Chee Hean says residents can vote PAP and be served by WP
By Ho AI Li
China Correspondent
Beijing: Hougang residents can get the “best of both worlds” if
they vote in the People’s Action Party (PAP), suggested Deputy
Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, as they will get two MPs for the
price of one.
Turning an argument much touted by the opposition against
it, he said they would be served by both the PAP’s man and Workers’
Party (WP) chef Low Thia Khiang, Hougang’s former MP of 20
years.
For years, opposition politicians have urged residents to
vote them in, saying they would get “two MPs”, as the PAP’s
candidates usually stayed on in the constituencies as grassroots
advisers.
Now, Mr Teo was saying that Hougang’s 23,368 voters can
do the same when they go to the polls on May 26.
“In a sense, they can have the best of both worlds too,”
he said in an interview with the Singapore media at the end of a
five-day visit here.
“They can have a good MP with integrity and commitment to
serve them, and I am sure Mr Low… will continue to be associated
with Hougang whether or not Workers’ Party is there.”
Besides, he added, Hougang residents are also free to
vote for any candidate because they are no longer have an
obligation to Mr Low, who is already in Parliament.
He noted that Mr Low, who was Hougang’s MP from 1991 to
last year, returned to the ward to mingle with residents even after
handing it over to Mr Yaw Shin Leong.
Said Mr Teo: “In fact, it’s an interesting situation. In
a sense, voters in Hougang have shown their loyalty to him (Mr Low)
and discharged their responsibilities to him by voting in the
person he has entrusted Hougang to, but this person has now
left.”
On Thursday, a day after the Writ of Election was issued,
the two parties introduced their candidates – PAP Mr Desmond Choo
and WP ‘s Mr Png Eng Huat,
The quick turn of events promoted Hougang resident
Vellama Marie Muthu to withdraw a bid to get the courts to order
the Prime Minister to hold a by-election within three months.
Yesterday, her lawyer M. Ravi wrote to the
Attorney-General’s Chambers to withdraw the application, citing
“dramatic developments of the last 48 hours”.
In his interview, Mr Teo also stressed that the
by-election was a local contest – a point made by DPM Tharman
Shanmugaratnam on Thurday.
“It’s a by-election, it’s not a national election, it’s
not a general election,” he said. “Of course, national issues will
enter into the minds of voters when they vote. But essentially what
it comes down to when you vote, you will vote for the person who
will be there for you.”
Last year’s general election had seem the WP campaigning
on the need for opposition voices in the legislature. But Mr Teo
said this did not matter at this poll.
“Mr Low is already in Parliament. The WP has already
got…five MPs and several NCMPs. So the question of whether there’s
opposition in Parliament is also not at stake,” he said. WP has two
Non-Constituency MPs in the House.
Mr Teo also drew a distinction between this by-election
and that in 1992, when then Mr Goh Chok Tong called for a
re-contest of Marine Parade GRC to bring new blood into
Government.
“The last by-election that we had was an unusual
by-election because it was in the PM’s ward. Of course there was
also an emphasis on national issues, because the PM’s seat was at
stake,“ said Mr Teo, who was himself inducted into politics during
the 1992 polls. “In this case, the Government is not at stake.”
Asked if he would help Mr Choo, Mr Teo, who is the anchor
minister for the neighbouring Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, replied: “If
Desmond feels it’s usefully for me to go, I’m more than happy to go
there and show my support for him.”
He added that both wards could work together to serve
residents if Mr Choo is elected. “Whether or not he will be voted
in, I think he’s really the underdog,” said Mr Teo. “Hougang
residents have always had the penchant for voting in underdogs too.
Who knows?”
The Straits Times, Saturday, May 12,2012
Really? Can we say the same for the GE2016 at all the other
wards?
