By Imelda Saad | Posted: 19 April 2011 2152 hrs
SINGAPORE: Residents
of the newly-formed Nee Soon GRC received a mailer recently, an entry
form for a contest that says "connect with us" and win an iPad.
On the back, residents are asked to name the five "familiar faces" seen on neesoon.org or colour the logo on the website.
The faces are, of course, the ruling People's Action Party team likely to stand in Nee Soon and the logo, the PAP's.
This latest outreach effort has led some to question if it contravenes election rules.
Associate
Professor Hussin Mutalib, a political analyst from the National
University of Singapore, said: "The law is new and this political
adventurism in campaigning and packaging it in a kind of business-like
goodie approach, it goes into the grey area of realism and ethics.
"If
you are going to be very realistic and you realise, this is the way to
woo the crowd, especially the younger IT savvy generation, then there is
nothing wrong with it."
Dr Hussin added that while the site can help raise awareness among residents, it will not necessarily translate to votes.
The
website is fronted by the PAP's potential team for Nee Soon. Click on
the potential candidate's picture and it brings you to their Facebook
page. The website also highlights events held at the various divisions
within the constituency. According to some of the potential MPs for the
GRC, each constituency has a new media team handling their online
campaign.
When contacted, one of the PAP candidates for Nee Soon
GRC, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, said the website was launched about two weeks back
during a grassroots event, PCF Celebration.
Dr Lim described the
initiative as an "outreach programme" for residents to know what is
happening in their ward and the candidates better. He said it is a
contest to get the public to visit the website and the team is not
giving out freebies to entice voters to vote for the party or
candidates.
The Elections Department said the Parliamentary
Elections Act comes into effect once the writ is issued, meaning parties
can campaign only after nomination closes. The law though does not
clearly spell out if this particular initiative constitutes Internet
election advertising.
-CNA
Wow! Election now even got lucky draw.
Desperate time.
i tot got ipad 2 liao?
Originally posted by Clivebenss:Wow! Election now even got lucky draw.
Desperate time.
call for Desperate measure
I wonder if they will put better goodies for lucky draws in Hougang or Potong Pasir?
wow so cheap stake
I want samsung tab.
who pay for it first?? PAP or the tax payer?
I suspect they want the email database of the residents, so they can do marketing in future. Or perhaps they trying to sell their website address. Strangely the website is under the umbrella of PAP. So does it mean after the election, they will continue to maintain and update it? Or they will leave it to the Peoples Association to maintain it? One IPAD to win the heart of Yishun people...That's a good strategy.
Using the network of Grassroot leader resources to help them canvass for votes. Is it a fair process?
You know those grassroots leaders in your neighbourhood like to come up with those activities like mini pasar malam, dinner cum charity lah blah blah blah, then the special guest is always that area the MP right? So you usually have to pay a bit to participate, or donate to charity right? Yeah, the money come from there loh.
chance to win ipad, vote for them? omg.... -_-"..
I ask you, one entire GRC, and only one ipad up for grabs, what are the chances?
I'm surprised that our PAP never say anything. In HongKong, he would have been in trouble
0.0001%
Desperado spotted!
After viewing the website its more like showing off their house to house visit.
Can add in other features for us to air our opinion or some suggestion to improve the estate anot?
Can I ask if I vote PAP will my salary pay get increase? Will my boss treat me better? If I vote for opposition the 2 things will also not happen right. So what should i do with my vote? Void it can anot?
Got grand prize = 50% less on your next house purchase?
Vote Out Lee Bee Wah !!
use our taxpayer's money to snare voters ah? knn......
Ha Ha...someone made a police report on it...
F/20110420/2040
The above is my police report number made online few minutes ago.
The brief inside my report is as follows.
In respect of Parliamentary Election Act Chapter 218 Sections 58 & 60, on Corrupt Practices I strongly suspect that a serious violation against the above listed laws had been breeched by People's Action Party in the interest of wining this election announced for 7.Maly.2011 polls.
I came to know about this crime via news reported by Media Corp, that PAP's website offer an Apple iPad worth near S$1000 as gift for participating in their online campaign in violation against above mentioned laws. The web site of this Nee Soon GRC Campaign of PAP is http://www.neesoon.org the reporter who reported this news is Imelda Saad of Media Corp.
Would the Police please inform Election Department as the relevant Authority to Disqualify the PAP Nee Soon GRC team, that Election Department also need to investigate and take necessary action, besides the police. Oppositions may enter this case before an Election Judge in accordance with Chapter 218 sections 90, 92 & 93.
For your necessary actions please.
CORRUPT PRACTICESPersonation
57. —(1) Every person who —(a) at an election applies for a ballot paper or to record his vote at a DRE voting machine in the name of some other person, whether that name be that of a person living or dead, or of a fictitious person; or
(b) having voted once at any such election, applies at the same election for a ballot paper or to record his vote at a DRE voting machine in his own name,
shall be guilty of the offence of personation. [19/2001](2) The offence of personation under this section shall be an arrestable offence within the meaning of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 (Act 15 of 2010).
Treating
58. —(1) A person shall be guilty of treating if he corruptly, by himself or by any other person, either before, during or after an election, directly or indirectly gives or provides, or pays wholly or in part the expense of giving, any meat, drink, refreshment, cigarette, entertainment or other provision or thing or any money or ticket or other means or device to enable the procuring of any such meat, drink, refreshment, cigarette, entertainment or other provision or thing, to or for any person —(a) for the purpose of corruptly influencing that person or any other person to vote or refrain from voting;
(b) for the purpose of inducing that person to attend or remain at any election meeting;
(c) on account of any such person or any other person having voted or refrained from voting or being about to vote or refrain from voting at the election; or
(d) on account of any such person having attended an election meeting.
(2) A person shall also be guilty of treating if he corruptly accepts or takes any such meat, drink, refreshment, cigarette, entertainment or other provision or thing or any such money or ticket or who adopts any other means or device to enable the procuring of such meat, drink, refreshment, cigarette, entertainment or other provision or thing.Undue influence
59. Every person who —(a) directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, makes use of or threatens to make use of any force, violence or restraint, or inflicts or threatens to inflict, by himself or by any other person, any temporal or spiritual injury, damage, harm or loss upon or against any person in order to induce or compel that person to vote or refrain from voting, or on account of that person having voted or refrained from voting at any election; or
(b) by abduction, duress or any fraudulent device or contrivance, impedes or prevents the free exercise of the franchise of any elector or voter, or thereby compels, induces or prevails upon any elector or voter either to vote or refrain from voting at any election,
shall be guilty of the offence of undue influence.Bribery
60. The following persons shall be deemed guilty of the offence of bribery:(a) every person who, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, gives, lends, or agrees to give or lend, or offers, promises, or promises to procure or to endeavour to procure, any money or valuable consideration to or for any elector or voter, or to or for any person on behalf of any elector or voter or to or for any other person, in order to induce any elector or voter to vote or refrain from voting, or corruptly does any such act on account of that elector or voter having voted or refrained from voting at any election under this Act;
(b) every person who, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, gives or procures, or agrees to give or procure, or offers, promises, or promises to procure or to endeavour to procure, any office, place or employment to or for any elector or voter or to or for any person on behalf of any elector or voter, or to or for any other person, in order to induce that elector or voter to vote or refrain from voting, or corruptly does any such act on account of that elector or voter having voted or refrained from voting at any election under this Act;
(c) every person who, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, makes any such gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement referred to in paragraph ( a) or (b) to or for any person in order to induce that person to procure or endeavour to procure the return of any person as a Member of Parliament, or the vote of any elector or voter at any election under this Act;
(d) every person who, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, makes any such gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement to or for any person who is assisting or has promised to assist a candidate at an election to induce that person to refrain from assisting that candidate;
(e) every person who upon or in consequence of any such gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement procures or engages, promises or endeavours to procure, the return of any person as a Member of Parliament, or the vote of any elector or voter at an election under this Act;
(f) every person who —
(i) advances or pays or causes to be paid any money to or to the use of any other person with the intent that the money or any part thereof shall be expended in bribery at any election under this Act; or
(ii) knowingly pays or causes to be paid any money to any person in discharge or repayment of any money wholly or in part expended in bribery at any such election;
(g) every elector or voter who, before or during any election under this Act, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, receives, agrees, or contracts for any money, gift, loan, or valuable consideration, office, place or employment, for himself or for any other person, for voting or agreeing to vote or for refraining or agreeing to refrain from voting at any such election;
(h) every person who, after any election under this Act, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, receives any money or valuable consideration on account of any person having voted or refrained from voting or having induced any other person to vote or to refrain from voting at any such election;
(i) every person who, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, on account of and as payment for voting or for having voted or for agreeing or having agreed to vote for any candidate or group of candidates, at an election, or on account of and as payment for his having assisted or agreed to assist any candidate or group of candidates, at an election, applies to that candidate or to any candidate in that group, or to his agent or agents, for the gift or loan of any money or valuable consideration, or for the promise of the gift or loan of any money or valuable consideration or for any office, place or employment or for the promise of any office, place or employment;
(j) every person who, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, in order to induce any other person to agree to be nominated as a candidate or to refrain from becoming a candidate or to withdraw if he has become a candidate, gives or procures any office, place or employment or agrees to give or procure or offers or promises to procure or to endeavour to procure any office, place or employment to or for that other person, or gives or lends, or agrees to give or lend, or offers, or promises to procure or to endeavour to procure any money or valuable consideration to or for any person or to or for that other person, or to or for any person on behalf of that other person. [10/88]
Punishment and incapacities for corrupt practice
(2) Every person who is convicted of a corrupt practice shall become incapable for a period of 7 years from the date of his conviction of being registered as an elector or of voting at any election under this Act or of being elected as the President or a Member, and if at that date he has been elected a Member, his election shall be vacated from the date of the conviction. [21/91]
61. —(1) Every person who —(a) commits the offence of personation, or aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission of the offence of personation;
(b) commits the offence of treating, undue influence or bribery;
(c) publishes or causes to be published any election advertising during the period beginning with the day the writ of election is issued for an election and ending with the start of polling day at that election which —
(i) in the case of election advertising that is, or is contained in, a printed document, does not bear on its face or, if there is more than one side of printed matter, on the first or last page of the document, the names and addresses of its printer, its publisher and the person for whom or at whose direction the election advertising is published; or
(ii) in the case of any other election advertising, does not bear in the form and manner prescribed under section 78A the names and addresses of its publisher and the person for whom or at whose direction the election advertising is published;
(d) makes or publishes, before or during any election, for the purpose of affecting the return of any candidate, any false statement of fact in relation to the personal character or conduct of the candidate;
(e) makes or publishes, before or during any election, for the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of any candidate, any false statement of the withdrawal of any other candidate at the election; or
(f) being a candidate or an election agent, knowingly makes the declaration as to election expenses required by section 74 falsely,
shall be guilty of a corrupt practice and shall on conviction by a District Court be liable —(i) in the case referred to in paragraph (a), to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both;
(ii) in the case referred to in paragraph (b), to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both;
(iii) in the case referred to in paragraph ( c), to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both;
(iv) in the case referred to in paragraph (d) or (e), to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both; or
(v) in the case referred to in paragraph (f), to a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both. [31/2001; 10/2010]
(3) A prosecution for a corrupt practice except any corrupt practice as defined in subsection (1)( d) and (e) shall not be instituted without the consent of the Public Prosecutor. [15/2010]
(4) Without prejudice to section 57, every offence of undue influence or bribery under section 59 or 60, as the case may be, and every other corrupt practice under subsection (1)( c), (d) or (e) shall be an arrestable offence within the meaning of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 (Act 15 of 2010). [10/2010]
(5) Where any election advertising is published in contravention of subsection (1)(c), the printer of the election advertising as well as the person for whom or at whose direction the election advertising is published shall each also be guilty of a corrupt practice and shall each be liable on conviction to the same punishment and incapacity under this section as the publisher thereof. [31/2001]
(6) Subsection (1)(c) shall not apply in respect of —(a) the distribution of a book, or the promotion of the sale of a book, for not less than its commercial value, if the book was planned to be published regardless of whether there was to be an election;
(b) the publication of a document directly by a person or a group of persons to their members, employees or shareholders, as the case may be;
(c) the publication of any news relating to an election —
(i) in a newspaper in any medium by a person permitted to do so under the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act (Cap. 206); or
(ii) in a radio or television broadcast by a person licensed to do so under the Broadcasting Act (Cap. 28);
(d) the telephonic or electronic transmission by an individual to another individual of the first-mentioned individual’s own political views, on a non-commercial basis; or
(e) such other circumstances or activities as may be prescribed by the Minister by order in the Gazette. [31/2001; 10/2010]
If they give condo or lexus, nobody will complain.
i think that's worse...more will complain lol. And those statutes there, can someone sith out the key points....woohoohoo.
let's see how this pans out..
that's egg on the asshole's face
Originally posted by Clivebenss:If they give condo or lexus, nobody will complain.
Aiya, I was only hoping for a new MAC to replace my aging lappie.
Originally posted by the Bear:let's see how this pans out..
that's egg on the asshole's face
20 cents that this will be another "Honest Mistake, let's move on" incident.
If any opposition party was doing this, they would be banned from contesting the elections.
Forever.