NSP's Tony Tan delivers his fiery speech. (Yahoo! photo/ Ewen Boey)
National Solidarity Party's (NSP) Tony Tan has slammed People's Action Party (PAP) Alvin Yeo for thinking of himself, and not Singaporeans.
Speaking at the NSP rally on Sunday evening at the Jurong West Stadium, he referred to a Parliament session on 25 May 2009, when Yeo called for a tax cut for the top income bracket while Singapore was still in the midst of a recession.
Tan also responded to accusations made by Yeo, that Choa Chu Kang GRC was only their "second choice" after pulling out of Moulmein-Kallang GRC to avoid a three-cornered fight.
"This is outdated politicking. The election should be a contest of ideas on policies, not about outdated politicking," before adding that "ordinary Singaporeans are Alvin Yeo's second choice."
Tan shared his belief that votes for a candidate should be based on the policies he supports, and voters should make sure the MP's policy ideas are similar to theirs.
"What are your MP's policy positions? Is it for your interests or their own?" said the CEO of a private school, adding that the NSP is inviting the PAP to their rally on 3 May to debate policy ideas.
Jeisilan Sivalingam, Tan's teammate in Choa Chu Kang, also dismissed Yeo's criticism of NSP, saying that the party's policy is very clear: "Singaporeans are number one, not foreigners."
He told the estimated 8,000-strong crowd that Singaporeans do not have a better life despite a 14 per cent pay increment, as this was over a period of 10 years, as compared to the PAP Ministers' increment of 30 per cent over a year.
The crowd at NSP's rally in the Jurong West Stadium. (Yahoo! photo/ Ewen Boey)
The turnout at the rally attracted residents from the NSP-contested constituencies of Pioneer SMC, Choa Chu Kang GRC and Jurong GRC.
This was a sharp contrast to the number of people present at the same location for the PAP rally last Friday, which stood at no more than 1,000.
Notably, party chief Goh Meng Seng and crowd favourite Nicole Seah were absent from the proceedings on Sunday.
A couple Yahoo! Singapore spoke to, Mr and Mrs Wong, said that they came all the way from the Marine Parade GRC, hoping to catch Seah's speech, but were disappointed when she was absent from the rally.
"We missed the rally in the east the last time, so we wanted to come over to hear what the GE's youngest candidate had to say," said Mrs Wong.
Crowd cheering at the NSP rally. (Yahoo! photo/ Ewen Boey)
Mohammad Ridzuan, 31, a technical officer and resident of Pioneer SMC said, "I came for the PAP rally on Friday, and now I'm here to see what the NSP can offer me and my family. Based on what both sides have presented, I think I have a tough time deciding."
Candidates from NSP's west and north-west wards -- namely Steve Chia from Pioneer SMC, Christopher Neo and Noraini Yunus from Jurong GRC, and Jeisilan Sivalingam from Choa Chu Kang GRC -- also spoke on national issues such as wage policy, foreign workers and Ministers' pay.
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