Workers' Party to contest Marine Parade and MacPherson; NSP to to host Friday meeting

Workers' Party to contest Marine Parade and MacPherson; NSP to host Friday meeting to discuss where opposition will stand

http://www.straitstimes.com/politic...pherson-nsp-to-host-friday-meeting-to-discuss

Chong Zi Liang

Lim Yan Liang

Walter Sim


SINGAPORE - The Workers' Party (WP) will contest Marine Parade GRC and MacPherson SMC, its secretary-general Low Thia Khiang said on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters at a walkabout in Punggol East, Mr Low said the party had been working the ground in Marine Parade group representation constituency (GRC) as well as Joo Chiat single-member constituency (SMC), which will be absorbed into Marine Parade GRC. MacPherson has been carved out of Marine Parade by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, whose report was released on Friday.

The WP's Yee Jenn Jong lost Joo Chiat to the PAP's Charles Chong by 388 votes in the 2011 general election.

Mr Low would not say where the WP will also contest, but it is likely to be in East Coast GRC and Fengshan SMC as well, and also Jalan Besar GRC.


Leaders and members of opposition parties were out on walkabouts across the island on Sunday morning, stepping up activity as the general election draws nearer.

WP members were out in both single seats held by the party.

Mr Low joined Punggol East SMC incumbent Lee Li Lian in her constituency to greet residents and sell copies of the party's newsletter, The Hammer.

Hougang SMC incumbent Png Eng Huat was in his constituency where he was joined by Non-Constituency MP Gerald Giam, who is likely to be part of the WP team in East Coast GRC.

The National Solidarity Party's (NSP) leaders were out in Tampines GRC, where a team from the party contested in 2011.

A team from the Singaporeans First Party was also on a walkabout in the constituency, where the new party has said it also hopes to contest.

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), meanwhile, was on a walkabout in Bukit Batok, where a new SMC has been formed. The SDP says it wants to contest the seat. It is in the area where the party's former chair Ling How Doong once held the former Bukit Gombak seat from 1991 to 1997.

The NSP said it has invited the opposition parties to a meeting on Friday to discuss where they will contest. Such meetings have traditionally been held ahead of the election in a bid to challenge the ruling PAP in all seats and to avoid three-corner fights.


Several opposition members also hope that the nine parties can contest all 89 seats between them.

Re: Workers' Party to contest Marine Parade and MacPherson; NSP to to host Friday mee

Re: Workers' Party to contest Marine Parade and MacPherson; NSP to to host Friday mee

Re: Workers' Party to contest Marine Parade and MacPherson; NSP to to host Friday mee

assmerrytoot senile wooden goat/goose

if nobody come and contest then i worry!

Re: Workers' Party to contest Marine Parade and MacPherson; NSP to to host Friday mee

from: Man in the streets

I wish to say that while I am generally an opposition supporter but I am also largely disappointed with the WP and PAP whose sole objective is only to play political games with each other at the expense of residents who are caught in a tug of war. The WP and its supporters who never fail to cry foul are not looking objectively at their own failings either. I can still understand if this was the case with the various government agencies and civil servants victimizing AHPETC but a Supreme Court Judge who is a neutral party is now calling 1 of my MPs a liar, a charge she dare not refute because she knows it is all true, period!

I had initially thought the PAP would do some soul searching and perhaps, repentance too with the loss of my constituency but this has proven not to be the case. I remembered Victor Lie proclaiming to a crowd of PAP conventioneers in 2012 that "the people must perceive they mean something to the PAP and the party must respond by sending in figures that are of "value" to wrest back the ward. But what have we witnessed instead? Dr Koh Poh Koon, Desmond Choo and Ong Ye Kung being transferred to safe wards, leaving unknown newbies to do battle with the incumbents. I feel this will become the turning point for the PAP of Aljunied in that they have lost this ward forever.

Not that the WP can feel comforted it has been doing a great job. On the contrary, they campaigned for a "first world parliament" but ended up mirroring the PAP instead, both in terms of their conservatism and line up. They have fielded graduates who have remained virtually silent on issues of accountability and transparency that matters most to the people. The initial hype leading to GE 2011 of Chen Show Mao has now proven to amount to nothing as he fades into becoming another yes man for party whip LTK and Sylvia. Chen has not spoken much and issues of his estate remains vexing, with no responses to email queries and maintainance/cleanliness remains a constant problem. Sure, Pritam and Sylvia did speak a little at first but were later cowed into submission with Pritam publicly admitting timidity when the ruling PAP clamped down on them. It did not take much effort for the PAP to do so as the WP was literally caught with their pants down.

All eyes are now on the SDP and SFP, equiped with well rounded people who are not afraid to speak up, have clear plans on estate management and running the economy as well. I can only hope that the people of Sembawang, Holland Bt Timah and Bt Panjang will give them a chance to enter parliament and take Khaw Boon Wan and Vivian to task for arrogance and lapses in their ministries. As for us at Aljunied, we have paid the ultimate price for 'democracy' which is as good as having no voice in parliament with the WP voting in harmony with PAP on most issues.

Chris Han
A.S.S. Contributor

Re: Workers' Party to contest Marine Parade and MacPherson; NSP to to host Friday mee

Patriot said:

Mr Low said the party had been working the ground in Marine Parade group representation constituency (GRC) as well as Joo Chiat single-member constituency (SMC)

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Click to expand...

Seems like WP had already factored in the probability that JC smc will be absorbed into mp GRC.

Re: Workers' Party to contest Marine Parade and MacPherson; NSP to to host Friday mee

don't tell me Low become PAP mole liao ah..............3-corner fight only benefit Woody Goh...........hope NSP will pull out then........