1. Goh Meng Seng thinks that Tampines residents will vote for a failure or tax-dodger.
After that many years in business, Goh Meng Seng claimed that he does not have $20k for election deposit and expenses, and have to sell his HDB flat to raise the fund. This indicate two things - either he is a total failure in business, or he is a cheat. Election deposit is $13.5k and it is refundable provided the vote is not less than 12.5%. Therefore the actual election expenses should be less than $10k per candidate. Goh Meng Seng is not a new candidate, and his last election deposit of $13.5k was returned back to him in 2006. If he is prudent, this $13.5k would still be around, so he need only to come up with the sum of not more than $10k for election expenses spread across 4 years (no more than estimated $2.5k a yr). If you believe that his business cannot even generate profit for him to set aside additional $2k a year for election, then his business is a total failure. Thus if he cannot manage his business, can Tampines residents trust him to manage their estate?
On the other hand, many will find it hard to believe that his business is not generating good profit since he can even afford to fly to Hong Kong frequently to join their protest marches. That means he had been dodging taxes, under-declaring his business revenue to IRAS all these times. When it comes to election time, he will have difficulty accounting for his election fund against his tax returns. So he has to use this ruse of selling his HDB flat to account for the money. Will Tampines residnets vote for a tax cheat then? If he can cheat the government and his wife, what stops him from cheating the residents?
2. Goh Meng Seng thinks that Tampines residents will vote for a gambler.
He is treating this election like a lottery. If he wins the prize money of $216.3k per annum or $1.081 million for 5 yrs (MP allowance), he will stay put. If he loses, he will just scramble away to Hong Kong to enjoy his laundered funds. Will Tampines residents trust a gambler to mange their Town Council funds?
3. Goh Meng Seng thinks that Tampines residents will vote for a selfish and opportunistic hypocrite.
Recently he sold his HDB flat for a handsome profit. He then pledges to use this profit to fight against policies that enable value of HDB flats to appreciate, Isn't it hypocritical that he is trying to deprive HDB flat sellers of profiting from rise in value which he himeself had benefitted from? Isn;t he just an opportunist trying to harvest from the discontentment of home buyers over rising propety prices? Will Tampines residents vote for such a selfish hypocritical opportunist?
4. Goh Meng Seng thinks that Tampines residents will vote for an adulterer.
Goh Meng Seng's indiscretion with a chinese national lady is already wel-known after being reported in TODAY newspaper. That is why his wife and kid had to move to Hong Kong to avoid the publicity of his adultery. It has also led to the closure of his computer shop in Tampines where he met his mistress. Either he is really naive to think that Tampines residents will condone his adultery, or that they have already forgotten about this affair. Will Tampines resident trust a person who cheat on his wife?
I have no doubt that many Tampines residents are unhappy with Mah and his team, but they will not blindly vote for any shady characters like Goh Meng Seng that appears every 4-5 years to try their luck and treat the election like a lottery. Instead, Tampines resident are looking for serious and honest oppositions like Chiam ST or Kenneth Jeyeratnam to offer a more credble challenge to the incumbent.
