Ang Mo Kio GRC to be bravely contested?

last SG · 2006-01-16T22:03:25+00:00

I agree with robertteh. As snow leopard has said, ours is exam meritocracy, not talent meritocracy. Comparing US vibrancy with our vibrancy, we are still far...

BillyBong SG

Hitting front page news today, the WP seems to be striking all the right cords with their slow but measured publicity and their recent launch of the party manifesto.

As mentioned, the primary aim is not to win the GRC but rather to offer a choice to its people and perhaps provide PM LHL with the perfect opportunity to lobby for a strong mandate from his own constituency.

A bold and brave move by Low TK. Perhaps it has come at a right time to 'rock the complacent boat' of the Ruling party? Even a 35% minority support for WP would send ripples throughout SG.

http://www.todayonline.com/pdf_main.asp?pubdate=20060116

dragg SG

i hope they get good results even in defeat.

Salman SG

On what kinda mandate is WP standing for in AMK?

Atobe SG

The beginning of your bigotry effort to goad those in support of the Opposition - with a simple LOW CEREBRAL ONE LINE REMARK ?

charlize SG

The WP has got nothing to lose and everything to gain by contesting.

It will be very interesting to know the final result should the contest happen. Laughing

ndmmxiaomayi SG

I hope it will be contested. This area is very boring. They don’t even do “advertising” because LHL is in AMK GRC.

TooFree SG

I hope they(WP) contests with their hearts and souls for the people and not what I make it out to be. Neutral

Salman SG

Not true, they need to spend much needed funds to contest AMK. They also risk parading their people in public to be ridiculed if they are no good.

BillyBong SG

It's an open secret that WP gets their funds from internal as well as external sources.

What's important is how they have to use those funds efficiently and effectively.

For AMK which has not seen election since the formation of GRCs, the onus will probably be on the Ruling party and LHL to impress the constituents . In short, more campaign efforts will lean heavily on the PAP rather than WP to re-affirm their 'invincibility' status.

AS for WP, nothing has been finalised yet.

Atobe SG

Originally posted by Salman:
Not true, they need to spend much needed funds to contest AMK. They also risk parading their people in public to be ridiculed if they are no good.

Do they need to risk parading their people in public to be ridiculed - IF they are no good ?

What IF THEY ARE GOOD ?

It is pathetic how you have become so dim and hopeless in your vision of a more VIBRANT SINGAPORE.

claudetnt SG

Atobe:

i totally agree with you. Anyway, even if WP manages to secure about 30% of the votes that itself is considered a victory of sort!

its good exposure to the WP candidates and hopefully other opposition parties will take heed and challenge the other PAP leaders elsewhere.

also, its time for the people to help out the opposition parties in one way or another otherwise all these will come to naught.

Fatum SG

Instead of contesting AMK, why not put forth the best candidate they can get, and get him or her to contest Tanjong Pagar instead ? ....

Salman SG

A 30% win would in fact be disastrous. That means a more than 2 to 1 win for PAP. I actually expect WP to do better than that. Anything less than 40% would have been a waste of time.

I agree with you on the exposure part though. They start from almost zero and this can only be a training ground for their candidates.

My questions still remains, what will WP campaign on in AMK?
An alternative voice for the sake of it again? I'm sure they need more than that if they want to do decent.

LinYu SG

I can't agree with the above suggestions.

1. Contest only if you think the chances of winning is high given the limited resources (Sun Zi)

2. Only a win is a victory and all else is a loss.

3. Attack a fort(AMK GRC) as a last resort as even a win may eat up all the resource. (Sun Zi)

Very Happy My 2 cents worth

Salman SG

I think Sun Tzu may not apply here cos its not a life and death struggle like war for WP. They won’t die by losing.

Kenashi SG

like that, I think sun zi might as well raise the white flag n surrender to PAP
Laughing

Salman SG

yes indeed. WP might as well fold up according to the wisdoms of Sun Tzu.

After all these years, I think WP has no done well as an opposition given the sole seat they hold. How are they different from PAP? Lets hope they do better this time. But if they keep doing what they do, they might as well go home and sleep.

BillyBong SG

If every alternative party fights on the basis of a 'sure win' or 'sure lose', which party will realistically bother to contest?

Seeing as how the Ruling party consistently redefines electorial guidelines to suit themselves, how will any serious challenger contest based on a 'sure-win' senario?

The margin of failure can also be deemed as a significant indicator as to whether or not the WP has successfully made inroads into unchartered regions, whether it dares to commit a strong team and force LHL to 'show hand'.

Several GRCs have been deliberately bypassed as they were previously perceived as 'fortresses', among them Tanjong Pagar, Marine Parade, East Coast and AMK. By admitting to this preception, isn't the opposition already throwing in the towel? Aren't they openly admitting defeat before the battle has started? Isn't that a 'sure loss' in Sun Zi Bi Fa?

Granted that teams should contest areas where they at least have a fighting chance. Single seat wards in Joo Chiat and Nee Soon East will likely be hotly contested as a result.

WP has already committed to Sembawang and Aljuned. I think it's good to break taboo by sounding out the PM's own AMK GRC as possible fair game.

After all, the best way to respond to political intimidation is to call their bluff.

Fatum SG

don't throw eggs at a stone wall ... WP should concentrate their heavy artillery on a more "winnable" GRC .... remember how thin the margin was in Cheng San ? if they had played their cards right then, and not give the other side any opening with that police report thingy, Cheng San probably would have fell then ...

if the WP's looking towards active representation in the parliament, rather than making mere political statements alone, then they should focus their GRC attack plan elsewhere, on one that's winnable, don't you think ?

BillyBong SG

It's obvious they have already prepared their 'heavy artillary' for the mentioned GRCs they are contesting. AMK is probably a long shot.

Anyway, nothing has been finalised. It's just a consideration. But it's good exposure for them if they put up a team.

As for Cheng San, had Tang Liang Hong not fired off unnecessary rhetoric and 'defamed' LKY, Cheng San might well have been WP ground today.

Its a new WP (post JBJ-era), new leader and most importantly, new faces. Let them have a clean slate to start with.