Yahoo! Newsroom – 14 hours
ago
We don’t get involved in party politics.
Such was the People's
Association's response to media queries about its decision to
appoint veteran grassroots leader Anthony Loh, 73, to take over
ex-minister George
Yeo as an adviser tograssroots
organisations in opposition-held Aljunied.
Loh, who has worked the ground in Bedok
Reservoir-Punggol and Kampong Kembangan over the past 22 years, is
currently honorary chairman of the Bedok Reservoir-Punggol
Citizens' Consultative Committee.
Responding to queries, PA told Yahoo!
Singapore that Loh was chosen "for his close familiarity
with the community, built out of years of service as a grassroots
leader. He is eminently suited to lead and guide the GROs in their
role and to better serve the residents of Bedok
Reservoir-Punggol."
When asked if Loh might be a potential PAP candidate in
the future, PA said the issue "was not even a consideration in
appointing Loh because PA does not get involved in party
politics”.
The appointment, which was announced on Tuesday, is
rare because Loh will be advising grassroots organizations in an
opposition-held ward after the Workers' Party team led by Low Thia
Kiang ousted George Yeo's People’s
Action Party (PAP) team in the May elections last
year.
In the past, grassroots advisers were either elected
MPs or potential candidates from the ruling PAP who will be fielded
in upcoming elections.
With Yeo stepping down, the remaining members of his
Aljunied team -- Lim
Hwee Hua, Zainul
Abidin Rasheed, Cynthia
Phua andOng
Ye Kung -- remain as grassroots advisers for Aljunied.
The Workers' Party have yet to comment on the
appointment.
Last September, PA
came under the media spotlight after a dinner invitation
sent to Aljunied GRC MP Chen Show Mao from the Workers’ Party (WP)
to attend a grassroots Hungry Ghosts’ Festival event by Aljunied
residents was withdrawn.
He was told that approval of the event venue would be
withdrawn by the PA is he was invited. After that incident, PA
revised its policy and relaxed restrictions on event guest
lists.
