NSP's Tony Tan delivers his fiery speech. (Yahoo!
photo/ Ewen Boey)
National Solidarity Party's (NSP)
Tony Tan has slammed
People's Action Party (PAP) Alvin Yeo for thinking of himself,
and not Singaporeans.
Speaking at the NSP rally on Sunday evening at the Jurong West
Stadium, he referred to a Parliament session on 25 May 2009, when
Yeo called for a tax cut for the top income bracket while Singapore
was still in the midst of a recession.
Tan also responded to accusations made by Yeo, that Choa Chu
Kang GRC was only their "second choice" after pulling out of
Moulmein-Kallang GRC to avoid a three-cornered fight.
"This is outdated politicking. The election should be a contest
of ideas on policies, not about outdated politicking," before
adding that "ordinary Singaporeans are Alvin Yeo's second
choice."
Tan shared his belief that votes for a candidate should be based
on the policies he supports, and voters should make sure the MP's
policy ideas are similar to theirs.
"What are your MP's policy positions? Is it for your interests
or their own?" said the CEO of a private school, adding that the
NSP is inviting the PAP to their rally on 3 May to debate policy
ideas.
Jeisilan Sivalingam, Tan's teammate in Choa Chu Kang, also
dismissed Yeo's criticism of NSP, saying that the party's policy is
very clear: "Singaporeans are number one, not foreigners."
He told the estimated 8,000-strong crowd that Singaporeans do
not have a better life despite a 14 per cent pay increment, as this
was over a period of 10 years, as compared to the PAP Ministers'
increment of 30 per cent over a year.
The crowd at NSP's rally in the Jurong West Stadium.
(Yahoo! photo/ Ewen Boey)
The turnout at the rally attracted residents from the
NSP-contested constituencies of Pioneer SMC, Choa Chu Kang GRC and
Jurong GRC.
This was a sharp contrast to the number of people present at the
same location for the
PAP rally last Friday, which stood at no more than 1,000.
Notably, party chief Goh Meng Seng and crowd favourite
Nicole Seah were absent from the proceedings on Sunday.
A couple Yahoo! Singapore spoke to, Mr and Mrs Wong,
said that they came all the way from the Marine Parade GRC, hoping
to catch Seah's speech, but were disappointed when she was absent
from the rally.
"We missed the rally in the east the last time, so we wanted to
come over to hear what the GE's youngest candidate had to say,"
said Mrs Wong.
Crowd cheering at the NSP rally. (Yahoo! photo/ Ewen
Boey)
Mohammad Ridzuan, 31, a technical officer and resident of
Pioneer SMC said, "I came for the PAP rally on Friday, and now I'm
here to see what the NSP can offer me and my family. Based on what
both sides have presented, I think I have a tough time
deciding."
Candidates from NSP's west and north-west wards -- namely Steve
Chia from Pioneer SMC, Christopher Neo and Noraini Yunus from
Jurong GRC, and Jeisilan Sivalingam from Choa Chu Kang GRC -- also
spoke on national issues such as wage policy, foreign workers and
Ministers' pay.
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