SINGAPORE — The Workers’ Party (WP) Members of Parliament (MPs) will not be attending the National Day Rally because of a clash of schedules with a grassroots event they have been planning since last year.
This is believed to be the first time that there will be no WP representatives attending the yearly event since the WP’s parliamentary presence increased after the 2011 General Election.
In response to TODAY’s queries, the WP confirmed that its nine MPs, including its two Non-Constituency MPs, are not attending the Rally on Aug 23.
The WP spokesperson noted that the Rally invitations are sent to the individual MPs, not to the party, and said that the MPs “have informed the organising committee accordingly”.
The date of the WP’s grassroots event — an SG50 celebration dinner for residents — was decided in December, added the spokesperson.
The National Day Rally is usually delivered two Sundays after National Day, with the date confirmed closer to the Rally, and opposition and Nominated MPs have been attending the event since 2007.
Before that, the thinking had been that opposition MPs could not be expected to help the Government rally the ground to support its policies, so they were not invited to the Rally, the platform for Singapore’s Prime Minister to explain policy directions and priorities, as well as challenges facing the nation.
WP NCMP Yee Jenn Jong told TODAY this would be the first time he is not attending the Rally since he entered Parliament in 2011.
“By the time we received the NDR invitation, we had already planned our own National Day event,” said Mr Yee, who received the email invitation in June.
“I think I need to commit my time to the residents who have supported us,” added Mr Yee, who has also paid for a table for supporters and friends invited to the dinner.
Nevertheless, he said he intends to catch up on the Rally speech after that.
This is believed to be the first time that there will be no WP representatives attending the yearly event since the WP’s parliamentary presence increased after the 2011 General Election.
In response to TODAY’s queries, the WP confirmed that its nine MPs, including its two Non-Constituency MPs, are not attending the Rally on Aug 23.
The WP spokesperson noted that the Rally invitations are sent to the individual MPs, not to the party, and said that the MPs “have informed the organising committee accordingly”.
The date of the WP’s grassroots event — an SG50 celebration dinner for residents — was decided in December, added the spokesperson.
The National Day Rally is usually delivered two Sundays after National Day, with the date confirmed closer to the Rally, and opposition and Nominated MPs have been attending the event since 2007.
Before that, the thinking had been that opposition MPs could not be expected to help the Government rally the ground to support its policies, so they were not invited to the Rally, the platform for Singapore’s Prime Minister to explain policy directions and priorities, as well as challenges facing the nation.
WP NCMP Yee Jenn Jong told TODAY this would be the first time he is not attending the Rally since he entered Parliament in 2011.
“By the time we received the NDR invitation, we had already planned our own National Day event,” said Mr Yee, who received the email invitation in June.
“I think I need to commit my time to the residents who have supported us,” added Mr Yee, who has also paid for a table for supporters and friends invited to the dinner.
Nevertheless, he said he intends to catch up on the Rally speech after that.
