GE: Battle of words continue over Workers' Party slogan
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By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 23 April 2011 2144 hrs
SINGAPORE : The battle of words between the Workers' Party (WP) and the People's Action Party (PAP) continues over the opposition party's election slogan.
WP Chairman Sylvia Lim said contrary to criticisms levelled by Law Minister K Shanmugam, the WP's MPs will block government bills only if it's against the national interest.
The Workers' Party said it wants to ensure accountability and to prevent Parliament from becoming a rubber stamp for policies.
Its leaders said having a strong opposition able to form an alternative government, will lead to political stability.
"In other words, (it's) like a car, you need a spare tyre, right? I mean, you... depend on four tyres, (if) one tyre (is punctured) and that's it! You can't move," said Low Thia Khiang, Secretary-General of the Workers' Party.
He said voters must decide how Parliament should evolve.
This includes whether Singaporeans want a two-party or multi-party system. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said a two-party system would not work in Singapore, as there are not enough talents to form a strong Cabinet.
But Mr Low countered that "it's not for the PAP to decide, neither is it for the Workers' Party to decide. It is for the voters to decide. We must always remember that. I think the PAP is being very arrogant to ignore the wishes and the will of the voters in an election."
Mr Low also rebutted Education Minister Ng Eng Hen, who said having opposition MPs would weaken government.
"If Dr Ng is engaging or employing the same old tactic of the PAP in the early days, it could well threaten that there will be freak election result, since more than 50 per cent of the seats are contested. That would be his election strategy," said Mr Low.
He continued: "If this is the assumption, then why hold elections? Then we might as well have all the PAP MPs... I suppose it's typical PAP. They want some voices, noises in Parliament, but they do not want representation from the people."
That's why, in his view, the government expanded the system of Non-Constituency MPs.
Asked for his response to Mr Shanmugam's challenge for the Workers' Party to admit its aim was to take over government, and why he thought the PAP kept pressing on the issue, Mr Low said: "Perhaps you might want to ask the PAP what is their intention. I'd like to add here that the Workers' Party has nothing to own up. We are all here; we are open."
Addressing comments that the Workers' Party sought to block all government bills, party leaders pointed out that they had supported PAP policies in the past, such as the Workfare schemes and the push for productivity.
Chairman Sylvia Lim said that Workers' Party MPs would only object to constitutional amendments if they were against the interest of Singaporeans.
Ms Lim said: "As and when Parliament progresses to the point where we have enough non-ruling MPs to scrutinise constitutional amendments effectively, I think that is a good day for Singapore.
"Singaporeans should feel protected that there is actually a group of people out there who have the power, if necessary, to block the constitutional amendment if it's made for partisan advantage."
On PM Lee's comments in a recent interview that both Mr Low and Ms Lim did not contribute much to Parliamentary debate, Ms Lim said their contributions were on public record and clear for all to see.
Mr Lee had also said Mr Low did not respond when Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean spoke on civil service pay scales, to which Ms Lim replied that the speech was made during the Budget Committee of Supply debates, and Mr Low was prevented by Parliamentary procedures from responding.
In any case, the party did not have any issues with civil service salaries as a whole; it was on ministerial pay that he disagreed with.
On Mr Lee's suggestion that the Workers' Party had removed its call to lower the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from its manifesto after Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam addressed the topic in Parliament, Ms Lim said that as new studies have been published, they were withholding their policy proposal for now, but will revisit it in due time.
- CNA -
Don't play into PAP's hands and get distracted over petty issues.
Relentlessly, fiercely and thoroughly attack the PAP on aliens issue, on HDB issue on high cost of living issue.
These are the weak spots of the PAP. Concentrate on the weak spots and don't let go.
Don't fall for PAP's dirty tactics.
I think PAP fears WP the most in this elections, that is why they are targeting and attacking the WP.
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Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:
Don't play into PAP's hands and get distracted over petty issues.
Relentlessly, fiercely and thoroughly attack the PAP on aliens issue, on HDB issue on high cost of living issue.
These are the weak spots of the PAP. Concentrate on the weak spots and don't let go.
Don't fall for PAP's dirty tactics.
I think PAP fears WP the most in this elections, that is why they are targeting and attacking the WP.
Agree.
Don't sidetrack by PAP on petty issues.
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I remember once Low went up against a few PAP MPs at one time in parliament and he held his ground. A pity something like that was not broadcast live.
Why does PAP not broadcast parliamentary debates live? That's because they don't want us peasants involved.
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Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:
Don't play into PAP's hands and get distracted over petty issues.
Relentlessly, fiercely and thoroughly attack the PAP on aliens issue, on HDB issue on high cost of living issue.
These are the weak spots of the PAP. Concentrate on the weak spots and don't let go.
Don't fall for PAP's dirty tactics.
I think PAP fears WP the most in this elections, that is why they are targeting and attacking the WP.
Small minds PAP members all the same words and behaviour. They don't behave the calibre we are paying them.
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Originally posted by shanfan:
Small minds PAP members all the same words and behaviour. They don't behave the calibre we are paying them.
Their minds are small because they know that all these years they have been ruling through repression.
No one genuinely supports the PAP.
Lim Chin Siong is an elusive figure in Singapore’s history. He was a charismatic catalyst to the mass movements of the 1950s and early 1960s, and his political personality helped define an era. To Lee Kuan Yew, Lim Chin Siong was probably his greatest adversary that he respected.Lim did what LKY could not do in the 1950s: mobilize tens of thousands ethnic Chinese just by his words.If A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words!
From http://xialanxue.blogspot.com/2006/05/picfest.html
PAP Rally at Tampines
WP Rally at Ang Mo Kio
Photos courtesy of EDMW and SBF
Lim Chin Siong did what Harry Lee Kuan Yew could not do in the 1950s: mobilize tens of thousands ethnic Chinese just by his words. -
PAP's history of Singapore is a fraud.
Singapore voters in the 50s, 60s did not support Harry Lee's faction inside the PAP.
They supported Lim Chin Siong's left wing faction.
Harry Lee knows that he is a peranakan, he is from minority group.
Based on popular support, there is no way on the face of this earth that he can compete with Lim Chin Siong.
The only way to win is through dirty tricks and repression.
This has been the case for the past 50 years.
That is why the PAP is still acting small.
Because inside Harry Lee Kuan Yew's mind, he knows that he is an outsider and can never win the true support of Singaporeans.
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Thanks man. I'm looking forward to such pics again come these rallies. Let us remind ourselves and watchdog the ST, see if they have the balls to publish such pics.
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Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:
Their minds are small because they know that all these years they have been ruling through repression.
No one genuinely supports the PAP.
Lim Chin Siong is an elusive figure in Singapore’s history. He was a charismatic catalyst to the mass movements of the 1950s and early 1960s, and his political personality helped define an era. To Lee Kuan Yew, Lim Chin Siong was probably his greatest adversary that he respected.Lim did what LKY could not do in the 1950s: mobilize tens of thousands ethnic Chinese just by his words.If A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words!
From http://xialanxue.blogspot.com/2006/05/picfest.html
PAP Rally at Tampines
WP Rally at Ang Mo Kio
Photos courtesy of EDMW and SBFLim Chin Siong did what Harry Lee Kuan Yew could not do in the 1950s: mobilize tens of thousands ethnic Chinese just by his words.
psst..i started my thread on:" what has spore done for me?"under speakers corner and i got 150,000 people paying attention to me online!!! -
Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:
PAP's history of Singapore is a fraud.
Singapore voters in the 50s, 60s did not support Harry Lee's faction inside the PAP.
They supported Lim Chin Siong's left wing faction.
Harry Lee knows that he is a peranakan, he is from minority group.
Based on popular support, there is no way on the face of this earth that he can compete with Lim Chin Siong.
The only way to win is through dirty tricks and repression.
This has been the case for the past 50 years.
That is why the PAP is still acting small.
Because inside Harry Lee Kuan Yew's mind, he knows that he is an outsider and can never win the true support of Singaporeans.
they said the lim dude was a communist and britain didngt like the communist as the commies played them out during ww2 by executing all of britains allies or polish officers by the thousands during stalins rule. and after what happened between north n south korea,,,china mao tse tung n kuo mintang as seen ..britain had to place a bloody british educated despot who werked for the japanese back in ww2 instead of a communist leader in power for the sake of the entire region.in fact they said he was only slightly better than a communist. with british MI5 intelligence units....they knew everything about LKY and lim . so if the decision was made by superpowers at that time..its more or less sound than an unknown up n about political candidate. -
Originally posted by Elite Hitman:
they said the lim dude was a communist and britain didngt like the communist as the commies played them out during ww2 by executing all of britains allies or polish officers by the thousands during stalins ruleI rather support a communist than a british or japanese dog.
communists fought against Japanese and british imperialism.
