GE: PAP announces election lineup

Clivebenss SG

By S Ramesh | Posted: 19 April 2011 1850 hrs

SINGAPORE: The People's Action Party has given its slate of candidates for the 12 single member constituencies and 15 group representation constituencies on the party website.

This is an unprecedented move before Nomination Day for the party, though the central executive committee members have emphasised that changes before Nomination Day cannot be ruled out.

The PAP website said the Ang Mo Kio GRC will be helmed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and will include Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, Mr Inderjit Singh, Mr Seng Han Thong and new faces Dr Intan Azura and Mr Ang Hin Kee.

The other six member GRC is Pasir Ris Punggol, which will be led by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean. The team will include Senior Parliamentary Secretary Teo Ser Luck, Ms Penny Low, and three new faces, Dr Janil Puthucheary, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Zainal Sapari.

Next are the five-member GRCs.

Marine Parade GRC is to be led by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong with the team comprising Dr Fatimah Lateef, Mr Seah Kian Peng and new candidates Brigadier General Tan Chuan Jin and Ms Tin Pei Ling, the youngest PAP candidate at 27 years old.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has confirmed that he will lead Tanjong Pagar GRC. His team is to be made up of Ms Indranee Rajah, Mr Baey Yam Keng, Dr Lily Neo and new face Major General Chan Chun Sing.

At Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng is joined by Education Minister Ng Eng Hen and incumbents Josephine Teo, Zainudin Nordin and Hri Kumar.

West Coast GRC is to be helmed by Trade and Industry Minister, Lim Hng Kiang. His team will be made up of Senior Minister of State S Iswaran, Mr Arthur Fong and new candidates Foo Mee Har and Lawrence Wong.

Jurong GRC is helmed by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam with veteran labour unionist Halimah Yacob and three new faces - Desmond Lee, Ang Wei Neng and David Ong.

At Aljunied GRC, the team is made up of two Ministers - Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Mrs Lim Hwee Hua - together with Senior Minister of State, Zainul Abidin Rasheed, incumbent Cynthia Phua and new labour unionist Ong Ye Kung.

Tampines GRC is helmed by National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan. He is joined by Minister of State Masagos Zulkifli, incumbent Irene Ng and new candidates Heng Swee Keat and Steve Tan.

East Coast GRC is led by Labour Chief Lim Swee Say and has Transport Minister Raymond Lim and incumbents Lee Yi Shyan, Dr Maliki Osman and Jessica Tan on the team.

At Sembawang GRC, the team comprises Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan and team mates Hawazi Daipi, Ellen Lee and two new faces, Vikram Nair and Ong Teng Koon.

Nee Soon GRC is helmed by Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and is made up of Mrs Lee Bee Wah, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Dr Muhammad Faishal and new candidate, unionist Patrick Tay.

Chua Chu Kang GRC is led by Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong together with Zaqy Mohamed, Alvin Yeo, and new faces Low Yen Ling and Alex Yam.

There are two four-member GRCs for the coming election. The Moulmein-Kallang GRC team is made up of Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, incumbents Denise Phua and new face, lawyer Edwin Tong.

Another four member GRC is Holland-Bukit Timah, which is made up of Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, incumbents Christopher De Souza, Liang Eng Hwa and new candidate, Sim Ann.

There are 12 single member divisions.

At Sengkang West, it is Dr Lam Pin Min while Hougang is likely to be contested by new candidate, Desmond Choo. At Bukit Panjang, veteran Dr Teo Ho Pin is likely to be fielded.

Pioneer is likely to be contested by another PAP veteran, Mr Cedric Foo, while Senior Minister of State Grace Fu will stand in Yuhua.

Radin Mas will see Mr Sam Tan contest for the PAP while Minister of State and trade unionist Heng Chee How is standing in Whampoa.

Feedback Unit Chief Dr Amy Khor will contest in Hong Kah North while Joo Chiat is being defended by veteran Charles Chong.

Mountbatten which has been carved out of Marine Parade GRC has Lim Biow Chuan as its PAP candidate while Sitoh Yi Pin will contest in Potong Pasir for the third time.

-CNA

Clivebenss SG

one of the 24 new candidates offloaded?

I-like-flings(m) SG

i just hope for 1 or 2 GRC and 6 SMC win for the opposition..... enough to let PAP shit green shit liao....

ditzy SG

I just want to see opposition take one GRC, and potong pasir go back to PAP, ho seh liao!

Junyang700 SG

Hope the opposition can take down at least 2 GRCs. =)

ditzy SG

Can, just carve bedok area out of aljunied, I gurantee you one down already. But PAP knows that, so sorry, never gonna happen.

Junyang700 SG

Bedok people support PAP a lot?

ditzy SG

Bedok people support PAP a lot?

If you noticed, aljunied GRC, also cover a certain part of aljunied, where PAP support is extremely strong one. But if you take bedok out, the serangoon and hougang areas will neutralise it. But we all know that, so no matter how many times the boundaries are drawn, no one will ask why bedok don't go to tampines or marine parade?

Junyang700 SG

I see....

Anson Tay SG

I hope PAP win all (include Hougang n Potong Pasir) except Nee Soon GRC to prove that all Singaporean still hate Ms Lee Bee Wah!!

Rogelim SG

To Anson Tay, I hope that you will think twice before making your decision. Ask questions like why PAP polices have resulted in today's pains for the Y gen like cost of living way coupled with salary stagnation. Rich getting richer vs poor getting poorer - facts based on UN GINI research. unaffordable housing, et al. Is this what you want for our future other than getting Bee Wah out? Should we not ask PAP to ecplain why all these suffereings faced by many Singaporeans?

Clivebenss SG

GE: PAP candidates prepare for possible contest in all wards
By Imelda Saad | Posted: 22 April 2011 2139 hrs

SINGAPORE: Seven office holders in government have never faced an electoral battle.

But this could change if the opposition manages to field candidates in all 27 constituencies at the coming polls.

One quarter (21 members) of Singapore's most recent Parliament has never faced an electoral contest. They include four ministers, two of whom were introduced in the 2001 election and one brought in at the last election in 2006.

Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen were introduced in the 2001 election while Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Mr Lui Tuck Yew was elected as Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC in the 2006 election.

Among the four, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Mr Lim Swee Say is the most seasoned politician. He had walkovers in three elections.

And in the 2006 election, half of the 25 new faces had walkovers.

Some have asked if new PAP candidates, standing in Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), have an easy route into Parliament.

Over the years, the opposition has continued to oppose the system, saying it is one which benefits the People's Action Party (PAP).

Introduced in 1988, GRCs are multi-member constituencies to ensure minority representation in Parliament.

The GRC system is also seen as a way to induct high-calibre new candidates, given Singapore's limited talent pool.

Associate Professor Hussin Mutalib, a political analyst at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said: "There has not been a single GRC lost; there has not been a single candidate lost within the GRC system. We want them to win first. So, once they win the election through their own work and contribution and articulation of policies and so on, by their own right, gradually they will build up and become their own leaders."

Candidates who have gone through a contest like Denise Phua described it as a "baptism of fire".

She said: "It was a steep learning curve. I had to get a good knowledge of the activist I was working with, people I served and really getting a grip of the local and national issues and making sure my predecessor, whatever knowledge and wisdom he has, I get to learn from him. But all in, I had a very good experience. I'm glad I went through it. Having gone through it, this time round, I'm even better prepared."

Still, she said that going through a contest is not what defines a politician.

"Going through an election is important and is a good development of a politician but if a politician focuses on that - just winning elections, making the competition look bad, posturing too much - then I think over time the voters and the residents will know and that must not be the end."

She said winning an election is a means to serve the people and the causes one is interested in and feels strongly about.

"So to me, that is the end....Going through an election is important but let's not get overboard on focusing so much on just the election and sounding good or looking good," said Ms Phua, adviser to Jalan Besar GRC Grassroots Organisations.

When asked about how he feels to be possibly facing his first contest since entering politics 14 years ago, Mr Lim Swee Say told Channel NewsAsia that contest or not, he approaches each election the same way - fully prepared.

Mr Lim has been announced as part of the PAP team contesting East Coast GRC.

Observers have said that even though the percentage of votes going to the opposition may increase this coming election, it may not necessarily translate to elected seats in Parliament.

Having said that, though, they added that the Constitution has been amended to allow for at least nine opposition members in the House, but they include Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs). The post of NCMP is given to opposition members who pulled in the highest number of votes among losers.

One thing all agree on is that the prospect of a contest for all constituencies is a good development for Singapore.

"Many of the times in the past, many candidates did not have a chance to face the baptism of fire not because they did not want to but because they had not enough candidates to contest. And most Singaporeans, I know, would like to be able to exercise a vote and to choose who they want to represent them," said Ms Phua.

- CNA

likeyou SG

PAP is being used to winning almost all except 2 seats.

Any possible more seat lost will be a hugh setback for them. They might not be able to take it....too confort too long. Time to really do ground work more often and not see only figures.

tranquilice SG

PAP is being used to winning almost all except 2 seats.

Any possible more seat lost will be a hugh setback for them. They might not be able to take it....too confort too long. Time to really do ground work more often and not see only figures.

PAP losing a few seats out of 87 is a huge setback? Then if one day they lose two third majority, what happens?

Nelstar SG

PAP losing a few seats out of 87 is a huge setback? Then if one day they lose two third majority, what happens?

They become Opposition.

likeyou SG

PAP losing a few seats out of 87 is a huge setback? Then if one day they lose two third majority, what happens?

They get panic and cold feet.

ditzy SG

Hanor, now imagine opposition is the incumbent, and PAP is your alternative voice. Makes you wonder what you'll do the next round of elections.

likeyou SG

Hanor, now imagine opposition is the incumbent, and PAP is your alternative voice. Makes you wonder what you'll do the next round of elections.

hahaha...next round of ge...will be vote pap in, vote opp out. Too many opp making noises in the parliament...until the world leaders/ministers laughing at us....