PAP questions Wijeysingha's political agenda in the video
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SINGAPORE: The People's Action Party (PAP) team contesting in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC has called on Dr Vincent Wijeysingha of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) to be upfront about his political motives.
The call was made in a joint statement issued by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Christopher de Souza and Ms Sim Ann.
The PAP team is referring to a YouTube video allegedly showing Dr Wijeysingha at a forum to discuss the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code that criminalises sex between men.
The quality of the video is not clear, but according to the statement, the discussion touched on sex with boys and whether the age of consent should be 14.
The statement said Dr Wijeysingha was introduced in the video as being from the SDP and quoted him saying the gay community could consider how it can address "the 377 issue" and other issues of gay rights.
In the statement, the PAP team said candidates must be upfront about their political agenda so that voters can make an informed choice.
It said Dr Wijeysingha's sexual orientation is not the issue, but the video raises the question if he will pursue the gay cause in the political arena.
The team also wants SDP to state its position on the matter.
When contacted, SDP's Dr James Gomez said the party is aware of the statement and will be responding to what it calls "PAP's smear tactics of discrimination and divisiveness".
- CNA/ir -
Another Anwar's type of smear campaign?
Mahathir's must have been impressed.
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We people of Singapore should be the ones to question PAP on their political motives. Expect dirt from PAP in the coming days.
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Things Dr Balakrishnan himself might want to suppress
While he attempts to discredit and smear Dr Wijeysingha by with the accusation of hidden agendas and motives, we would do well to remember that Dr Balakrishnan himself has a track record which he probably would prefer voters to forget. But let’s not. Here are some of the things that Dr Balakrishnan has yet to answer for:
1. “Hawker centre, food court or restaurant”?
In 2007, when Dr Lily Neo, MP for Jalan Besar GRC, asked for extra financial assistance for the poor and needy, Dr Balakrishnan dismissed her by saying, “How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?”This in itself is an elitist, classist, uncaring statement. Coming from the Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports, whose job it is to take care of the people Dr Neo was speaking up for, it is downright unacceptable.
Again in response to a question from Dr Neo this year, Dr Balakrishnan said that there was no need for a permanent and constructive safety net for the needy in Singapore.
2. The homeless issue
“If you were a poor person anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place where you will have a roof over your head. Where you will have food on your table. Even if you can’t afford it we will deliver meals on wheels to you.”
Not long after Dr Balakrishnan made those comments, Al-Jazeera English (AJE) did this story on homelessness in Singapore:
After this video was released, AJE was suddenly dropped from SingTel Mio’s line-up of channels due to a lack of viewership. Dr Balakrishnan stood up in Parliament and not only accused AJE (and “irresponsible websites”) of not “ascertaining the facts”, he also disclosed the featured homeless couple’s financial details to the public (see here). The Online Citizen later showed that he had presented the couple’s finances in a misleading way. All this while the homeless couple was STILL homeless. I wrote about this issue here.
3. YOG, three times over budget
Who can forget the fiasco that was the Youth Olympic Games (YOG)? The budget ballooned to over $400 million, the volunteers got food poisoning, the marketing was terrible, the seats were empty, the certificates were wrongly signed and the F1 racing tickets for the volunteers arrived only after the actual event. Although everyone was immensely proud of the young athletes who had trained hard and performed well, the actual management of event was labelled an “EPIC FAIL“.To date, there has been no accountability of the over-spending, only flimsy justifications and a “look, the Summer Olympics were even more expensive!”, when the YOG was nowhere near the scale or standard of the Summer Olympics. There has been a commemorative book of the YOG, though, telling us how many sandwiches were served. Because, you know, it’s much more important to do a sandwich count than to tell Singaporeans where their taxpayer money went.
“Rattled”?
Dr Balakrishnan’s efforts have not been well-received by the online Singaporean community. A new hashtag, #PAPsmear, has popped up on Twitter to refer to his cheap shots against Dr Wijeysingha and the SDP. With any luck, the section of the electorate who do not use social media will also see through these fear-mongering, cowardly tactics.
Dr Balakrishnan has clearly been spooked, or “rattled” (as Dr Wijeysingha put it), by the team that the SDP is fielding against him. I can understand that. If I were him, I would be looking at my own track record, then the credentials of the SDP team, and getting very, very “rattled” indeed.
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Vivian needs to have a good look at the mirror.
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Originally posted by Clivebenss:
Vivian needs to have a good look at the mirror.
you mean he's in the closet and in denial?
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Originally posted by the Bear:
you mean he's in the closet and in denial?
mirrors are easily available.
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Originally posted by Clivebenss:
mirrors are easily available.
gay look considers himself too good looking to need a mirror. Frankly, he looks good in person. He is better suited to be a doctor. He made the wrong move to become politician. -
It is bad enough that Vivian Balakrishnan is playing the gay card but The New Paper shows you how low in the gutter they can go with this headline and photo.
Even birds don't want The New Paper in their cages to shit on, after this stinker.
As Miyagi puts it, "Calling The New Paper gutter press is being mean to gutters."
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1. everyone makes fun of Tin Pei Ling
2. Ng Eng Hen fires salvo at Chen Show Mao
3. everyone makes fun of and chase Nicole Seah's skirt
4. Vivian plays the gay card
who is worse? everyone or just certain ones?
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Originally posted by SevenEleven:
It is bad enough that Vivian Balakrishnan is playing the gay card but The New Paper shows you how low in the gutter they can go with this headline and photo.
Even birds don't want The New Paper in their cages to shit on, after this stinker.
As Miyagi puts it, "Calling The New Paper gutter press is being mean to gutters."
The mud slings are very much alive in politics despite SM Goh appeal for a clean fight.
Haiz..
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Good job Vivian! Are you going to require all civil servants and PAP members to certify they are not gay, y'know just in case they have a "secret agenda"???
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Our country become like taiwan political landscape.
PAP attacking other candidates from other political parties.
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It only happens once every 5 years, really, you don't see such things in the news say last year january, or last last september.
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we will come to a conclusion on the gender policy soon ....
its important to have opposition to voice out alternative views ..... it is an important milestone this year onwards...the development of a growing and mature sg mindsets
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Originally posted by ditzy:
It only happens once every 5 years, really, you don't see such things in the news say last year january, or last last september.
Because our media is state controlled.Free media surely end up like taiwan.
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It is heaven's will to reveal the true character of the type of people we have allowed into the house when we choose to let the men in white run wild.
Uncaring and arrogant elite who are actually there to have a good day and good pay.
None of them really cared about you and your family although you have worked hard to pay for their fun.
What type of character will show in their approach in standing for an election.
Attack, Warn, threat - is this the act of government with character and good track record ?
I dun think so.
What is wrong with being a gay ? can the candidate sue the new paper for slander ?
The more the man in white talk, the more rubbish they have sprouted and their arrogance stinks.
Even the old man still think his fear tactics work.
It is ironic but if we continue to be ignorant and let these sharks run over us,
the lion city foundation built by true blue singaporeans will be in ruin very soon.
The old man have forgot one simple fact.
Singapore is great cos it consists of great people who worked together to built this nation.
It is not due to him alone.
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A Letter to ST Forum
The Editor, 26th April 2011
Forum Page
Straits Times.
Dear Sir,
I am disturbed to see that the election campaign is once again heading towards gutter politics and the manipulation of people’s fear. And bringing up the issue of homosexuality is calculated to do just that. The objective here is obvious to everyone: to tell voters that Vincent Wijeysingha is gay, and thereby win the votes of the population that will vote based on just this single issue, one event, regardless of the party’s manifesto and their declared policies.
This particular instance (see Straits Times April 26th 2011- “Mystery Video Revealed”) reminds us of the PAP's willingness to use distasteful methods to win elections. We know the history. We know the tactics. We have witnessed its power to destroy alternative voices and views. We all know that the PAP will win, but just winning seems insufficient for the PAP. We know that.
However Singapore politics has reached a turning point and the electorate has matured. The personal attacks, disguised as questions about "agenda" will be recognized for what it is: to engender fear.
PAP’s fear is that voters will recognize the sincerity, credibility and the calibre of the opposition candidates and the desire of the electorate to have more real alternate voices in Parliament. Vincent Wijeysingha is a highly intelligent, able, articulate and sincere young man who is passionate about serving Singapore and committed to the well-being of Singaporeans. That is all we need to know about any candidate in addition to their stand on policies and their party’s manifesto.
Constance Singam
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I love Elton John songs. oh yes, he is a gay.
he is damn gud in wat he is doin n its none of my biz tat he is a gay
Vincent, be very gud in wat u r about to do n tats all matters
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Originally posted by Clivebenss:
Another Anwar's type of smear campaign?
Mahathir's must have been impressed.
This guy is really a self confessed gay but in Anwar's case they first made him look like a homosexual and when that didn't work ,they made him bixsexual -
1. “Hawker centre, food court or restaurant”?
In 2007, when Dr Lily Neo, MP for Jalan Besar GRC, asked for extra financial assistance for the poor and needy, Dr Balakrishnan dismissed her by saying, “How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?”He is not the person I like to see in the pap group especially making such a remarks on the poor and needy. That show his true character towards the poor and the needy.