Josephine Teo saying ‘Opposition will turn your house into a house of cards’ resurfaces

SINGAPORE: You know the General Election (GE) is coming soon when speeches—especially ones with memorable quotes—are shared online yet again, perhaps to remind people of who they are, or are not, voting for.

In a post on r/Singapore, u/trytyping shared a clip of a fresh-faced Josephine Teo, who is now Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information, speaking on Sep 8, 2015, at a rally for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

In her speech, she asked the audience to imagine that they had built a house and lived in it for 50 years, but wanted to modify it to accommodate new needs. While the original architect was no longer around, the firm he belonged to still existed, now with a different team that the old team had mentored for many years.

“This is your house,” she said, “Your one and only home. Your home and home to your children and grandchildren. Who would you get to help improve it? Who can you trust with something so precious?”

She asked whether they would entrust this job to people with no idea how to build a house in the first place.

“Who can better help you improve your house?” she asks, and some in the audience shout, “PAP! PAP!”

“The opposition wants to tear your house down. What will they rebuild? A castle in the air…. They will turn your house into a house of cards,” she added.

Reddit users commenting on the thread did not take too kindly to her speech, with one writing, “Question is will the house of cards be larger than the small space?” in reference to another infamous comment Ms Teo had made in 2016.

This prompted another to answer, “I really don’t understand how she can churn out these soundbites after soundbites.”

Another took issue with Ms Teo having people imagine they had lived in the same house for 50 years, writing, “Name me one family that lives in their HDB flat for 50 years and not flip their house like roti prata for a quick 2x.”

One opined, “Think the bigger risk is voting her in again…the old generation built the house… she didn’t contribute.”

“Seriously? Instead of ideas or policies, you have to attack the opposition?” another pointed out.

Ms Teo represented Bishan-Toa Payoh from 2006 to 2020 but was moved to Jalan Besar GRC in the last election. For this year’s GE, she will continue to lead the PAP team at Jalan Besar, comprising Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah, Denise Phua, and newcomer Shawn Loh. Heng Chee How, who represented the Whampoa ward at the GRC, is stepping down, although whether he is retiring from politics or will be fielded elsewhere remains to be seen.

The PAP team at Jalan Besar will face off against a team from the People’s Alliance for Reform, according to PAR secretary-general Lim Tean on April 18. /TISG

Read also: ‘Fantastic orator’: Pritam Singh’s speech at Aljunied rally in 2011 shared online again