Cabinet Minister and Deputy Chairman of the People’s Association (PA), Chan Chun Sing denied allegations that PA is partisan.
He responded to Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim’s assertion that PA activists are mobilised to campaign for the ruling People’s Action Party’s candidates during elections as an example of its partiality.
Mr Chan replied her and said, “when I see my own residents, participants of my PA activities, supporting the Opposition, I can only ask myself: ‘How can I work harder to win them over?’”
“The PA is a statutory board. It executes the directions for the Government of the day, as per any statutory board. The PA does not allow any political activity or canvassing on our premises or in our activities. And we certainly do not mobilise anyone for any political party,” Mr Chan explained.
“If Ms Lim has any such evidence of wrongdoing, you can let me know, and I guarantee you I will follow up. I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised,” Mr Chan reassured.
Social media has been abuzz with instances where the PA had acted partially to the Opposition, since Mr Chan’s speech was reported.
Many pointed to an incident during the 2011 General Election where a TOC editor, Joshua Chiang, captured on video a rally-goers account that she was ferried to the PAP rally through the coordination of the Residents’ Committee (RC) and the Community Centre (CC). RCs and CCs are sub-bodies of the PA.
The rally-goer is a resident of Tanjong Pagar constituency. Mr Chan is an MP of that ward.
The video also shows Mr Chan trying to intervene when the editor was speaking to the rally-goer.
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