Singapore Democratic Party member James Gomez seeks closure
on the 2006 “Gomez-gate” scandal. (Yahoo!)
Let the voters decide if I’m credible.
That is the rallying cry of controversial opposition
politician Dr James Gomez, who was at the centre of a
major scandal during the 2006 General Election.
Now as the next GE — due to be held by February 2012 — nears,
the 45-year-old academic says he’s ready to move on from the
“Gomez-gate” scandal and contest again for people’s votes.
In an exclusive interview with Yahoo! SEA last month, Dr
Gomez, who announced his return to local politics in
November under the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP)
banner, shared his side of the infamous 2006 debacle.
He said, “My thoughts are very simple. Although I am a minority
candidate, it should not, for me as a Singaporean, be an
issue for me to file a minority certificate. That is my
position.”
During the 2006 GE, Dr Gomez — who was then part
of the Workers’ Party team led by Ms Sylvia Lim
– was caught on camera lying about submitting an application
form to contest the Aljunied Group Representative
Constituency (GRC) as a minority-race candidate.
Although he claimed to have submitted the form at the Elections
Department (ELD) at Prinsep Street, CCTV footage
later revealed he did not submit the form and left it
a bag he was carrying all along.
While some believed he was trying to discredit the
ELD, leaders of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) seized on
the moment, repeatedly calling Gomez a “liar” during
the campaigning period. (In the 2001 general
election, Gomez’s team was also disqualified from the
Aljunied constituency because the team accidentally omitted
the name of the GRC in the form.)
Asked why he chose to keep the form in his bag while
claiming he had submitted it, Gomez said, “I don’t wish to comment
on the issue because otherwise I will not be able to talk on the
problems faced by Singaporeans as well as other
policy-matters.”
While he chose not to talk about his decision then, the
controversy received widespread coverage in the mainstream
press in 2006.
Gomez, however, acknowledged the news made an impact
not only on voters back in 2006 but also to other Singaporeans who
might still question his credibility. In the end, Gomez’s
Aljunied GRC team achieved 44 per cent of the total valid
votes, against the PAP’s 56 per cent.
“It was an issue of negative campaigning which was classic
PAP,” said Gomez, who is now also the executive director for
Singaporeans for
Democracy, a Singapore-based political non-governmental
organisation (NGO).
“The negative campaigning exercised through the mainstream
media had some impact on voters. That is clear and which is
why there is the residual question, the residual effect.”
Still, he said he preferred to move on from the saga. He added,
“The matter has been closed and there’s nothing more to be
said.”
When pressed if he is still a credible candidate for
the upcoming elections, he said, “The voters will decide, the party
will decide.”
Currently shuttling back and forth beween Singapore
and Melbourne, where he is the associate dean of the arts faculty
at Monash University, Gomez said that he is from a
“politically aware family”.
Citing his father, a former unionist leader, as his main
influence, Gomez’s first foray into the political arena started
when he joined the WP in 2001.
Referring to his return to
local politics last November, he says he plans
to contest the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in
the upcoming GE but under a different party banner.
While he acknowledged that his decision to return
to politics was “not easy”, he chose to represent the SDP
because of its “political consistency” and “its variety of outreach
tools such as door-to-door visits and new media”.
When asked if he is still in tune with the needs and
sentiments of Singaporeans after spending much of his
time overseas, Gomez said he has “extensive networks
which updates him on the (Holland-Bukit Timah) area’s
situation”.
“People understand that I am internationally employed.
Therefore, they understand the job is based overseas. They are
appreciative that I commute and still continue to take an
interest,” he said.
Asked about the one single issue which Singaporeans are
most concerned about, Gomez highlighted Singapore’s
immigration and foreign talent policy. He also called on voters to
evaluate SDP’s “Singapore First Policy” which moves towards a
more transparent migration system.
The call for transparency, he said, is key to allow a more
insightful approach in immigration and workforce planning.
When asked if the policy would have detrimental effects on
Singapore’s “open” economy, Gomez refuted this and said
that it was “more of looking after Singaporeans”.
“There is nothing nationalistic or negative about the policy
because we want to look after our people. We hear their sufferings
and we want to respond to that.”
Gomez also acknowledged some political observers’ claims
that the opposition is too splintered and instead should unite
to challenge the ruling party. But he believes unity will only
happen when there is public pressure from the public.
“They are not going to come together naturally. Without public
pressure, the opposition will not unite. And that will only happen
when the public grows too frustrated with the affairs of the
opposition.”
Although he personally believe that opposition unity is
important, Gomez added that the public seems fairly satisfied with
how the different opposition parties have organized themselves.
The question now is, will voters give Gomez a clean
slate in the next GE?
Source:
http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2011/01/03/let-voters-decide-if-im-credible-james-gomez/