Can the contest stay positive?
By Robin Chan
Singapolitics
Saturday, Jan 19, 2013
As the People's Action Party (PAP) stalwarts walked in one by one onto the Punggol East field Friday night, it reminded me of a funny story that has been going around during the hustings.
It is a story of veteran MPs telling PAP candidate Dr Koh Poh Koon to campaign as hard as he can before the ministers started to get involved. Because that is when the campaign starts to get a life of its own, often turning unpredictable.
Perhaps it was told in jest. Or not. After all, the Hougang by-election, just eight months ago, is a stark reminder of how quickly a campaign can turn that way and at times, turn ugly.
As the nine days of the hustings drew to a close, the rallies almost degenerated into platforms for exchanging hurtful, disparaging jibes with the opposing candidate.
So when Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat arrived last night at the field next to Block 183C Rivervale Crescent, and then huddled together with Dr Koh and the other PAP strategists before they went up on stage, I am sure I was not the only one who wondered what tone the party would set for this campaign.
Would it continue from where Hougang left off?
But as the rain fell on the field at Block 183C Rivervale Crescent, it turned out to be the only "negative" aspect of the rally.
And even then, the rain could not dampen the feeling of good vibrations all around, as Dr Koh turned it around and called them "showers of blessings", drawing laughter and cheers from the crowd. As speaker after speaker took to the podium, including Senior Minister of State for Education and Law Indranee Rajah, Mr Heng and Mr Teo, they stuck very much to similar themes.
By Robin Chan
Singapolitics
Saturday, Jan 19, 2013
As the People's Action Party (PAP) stalwarts walked in one by one onto the Punggol East field Friday night, it reminded me of a funny story that has been going around during the hustings.
It is a story of veteran MPs telling PAP candidate Dr Koh Poh Koon to campaign as hard as he can before the ministers started to get involved. Because that is when the campaign starts to get a life of its own, often turning unpredictable.
Perhaps it was told in jest. Or not. After all, the Hougang by-election, just eight months ago, is a stark reminder of how quickly a campaign can turn that way and at times, turn ugly.
As the nine days of the hustings drew to a close, the rallies almost degenerated into platforms for exchanging hurtful, disparaging jibes with the opposing candidate.
So when Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat arrived last night at the field next to Block 183C Rivervale Crescent, and then huddled together with Dr Koh and the other PAP strategists before they went up on stage, I am sure I was not the only one who wondered what tone the party would set for this campaign.
Would it continue from where Hougang left off?
But as the rain fell on the field at Block 183C Rivervale Crescent, it turned out to be the only "negative" aspect of the rally.
And even then, the rain could not dampen the feeling of good vibrations all around, as Dr Koh turned it around and called them "showers of blessings", drawing laughter and cheers from the crowd. As speaker after speaker took to the podium, including Senior Minister of State for Education and Law Indranee Rajah, Mr Heng and Mr Teo, they stuck very much to similar themes.
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