Although those like ex-army chief Chan Chun Sing and former
Monetary Authority of Singapore managing director Heng Swee Keat
have proven themselves in their respective professions and are
clearly excellent candidates who can hold their own, the same
cannot be said for some of the others.
The PAP leadership may think that the criticism levelled against
its youngest new candidate, Ms Tin Pei Ling, 27, is unfair. Indeed,
some of the remarks were uncalled for. But we need to dig deeper to
understand why many Singaporeans are criticising her candidacy.
Ms Tin could not rebut criticism on her own and had to be
defended repeatedly by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and several
other heavyweight ministers and MPs.
If she is as good as the party leadership says she is, she
should perhaps be fielded in a single-member constituency.
If she can hold her own against an unknown opposition candidate
in a straight fight, she will gain the respect of all
Singaporeans.
If young Singaporeans do indeed desire such a young and
inexperienced candidate as Ms Tin to represent them in Parliament,
she should be able to defeat an older and equally inexperienced
opposition candidate.
For Ms Tin to sneak into Parliament on the shoulders of Mr Goh
or any other heavyweight minister would make a mockery of the
parliamentary system the PAP has constructed.
Tan Siong Kuan
Actually, it works both ways.
The MIW can sneak in TPL. SDP can sneak in CSJ. Except that most
of the times, MIW wins.
