SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Chan Chun Sing said on Wednesday (Jul 8) that leaked audio clips of a conversation in which he is speaking are being circulated with "ill-intent".
Mr Chan said the clips are "truncated" and "taken out of context".
In a Facebook post, Mr Chan said the conversation took place in early 2019, in the wake of Malaysia imposing a restricted flying zone north of Singapore's Seletar Airport.
Mr Chan is contesting this year's General Election as a candidate in Tanjong Pagar GRC. Wednesday is the final day of campaigning, with voters heading to the polls on Friday.
“The timing of the release today is surely not coincidental,” Mr Chan said. "I am aware of three parts being circulated."
In the first part, Mr Chan said he “explained the implications of Malaysia restricting airspace access north of Seletar Airport”.
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“There were grave implications to the safety of our flights in and out of Seletar.
“There were also grave implications to our lifelines when the approaches to our airports or seaports were restricted,” he said.
The second part, he said, involved “deeper forces behind the various issues”.
“I explained the deeper forces behind the various issues and that it was not personality-dependent, even though many thought it was so.
“If it was so, the issue would blow away when personalities changed.
“But we should not be under any illusion that it was such. And we must be prepared to deal with such bilateral issues beyond specific personalities.”
In the last part, Mr Chan said he was warning people against being complacent and thinking a crisis would help the PAP secure votes during an election.
In one of the audio clips circulated, Mr Chan is apparently heard talking about voting behaviour in previous general elections and how crises "save us", in an apparent reference to the PAP.
He said in his Facebook post on Wednesday: "It may be true that historically during crises, there may be a flight to quality and stability.
“But we must never take it for granted. In fact, we must work hard to serve our people, take care of them and not depend on a crisis to secure the votes.”
He ended his post by saying that winning an election “has nothing to do with the 9-day campaigning. It has to do with the hard work over the previous many years.”
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...han-chun-sing-addresses-leaked-audio-12913348
Mr Chan said the clips are "truncated" and "taken out of context".
In a Facebook post, Mr Chan said the conversation took place in early 2019, in the wake of Malaysia imposing a restricted flying zone north of Singapore's Seletar Airport.
Mr Chan is contesting this year's General Election as a candidate in Tanjong Pagar GRC. Wednesday is the final day of campaigning, with voters heading to the polls on Friday.
“The timing of the release today is surely not coincidental,” Mr Chan said. "I am aware of three parts being circulated."
In the first part, Mr Chan said he “explained the implications of Malaysia restricting airspace access north of Seletar Airport”.
Advertisement
“There were grave implications to the safety of our flights in and out of Seletar.
“There were also grave implications to our lifelines when the approaches to our airports or seaports were restricted,” he said.
The second part, he said, involved “deeper forces behind the various issues”.
“I explained the deeper forces behind the various issues and that it was not personality-dependent, even though many thought it was so.
“If it was so, the issue would blow away when personalities changed.
“But we should not be under any illusion that it was such. And we must be prepared to deal with such bilateral issues beyond specific personalities.”
In the last part, Mr Chan said he was warning people against being complacent and thinking a crisis would help the PAP secure votes during an election.
In one of the audio clips circulated, Mr Chan is apparently heard talking about voting behaviour in previous general elections and how crises "save us", in an apparent reference to the PAP.
He said in his Facebook post on Wednesday: "It may be true that historically during crises, there may be a flight to quality and stability.
“But we must never take it for granted. In fact, we must work hard to serve our people, take care of them and not depend on a crisis to secure the votes.”
He ended his post by saying that winning an election “has nothing to do with the 9-day campaigning. It has to do with the hard work over the previous many years.”
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...han-chun-sing-addresses-leaked-audio-12913348
