SINGAPORE: In a social media post on Sunday (Apr 20), Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh took issue with remarks made by People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate Lam Pin Min that were published in a CNA article that day.
Dr Lam, who will lead the ruling party’s slate in Sengkang, said, “If we talk about Sengkang GRC (group representation constituency), we are not an incumbent. We do not have the resources of the town council, and we find that as a challenger; you’re always facing more challenges compared to somebody who is an incumbent in the GRC.”
He noted that Dr Lam had been a senior minister of state before losing in the General Election in 2020 and posted a photo of him, together with the other PAP candidates, presiding over a citizenship ceremony in Sengkang on Apr 13.
Mr Singh wrote that he was “a little surprised to read this one-dimensional perspective of the ‘resources’ available to losing PAP candidates,” given that they are commonly appointed as Grassroots Advisers by the People’s Association (PA) or that they work closely with the appointed Grassroots Adviser as PAP branch chairmen.
His fellow Workers’ Party Members of Parliament (MPs), including Jamus Lim and He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC), have also spoken up in the past few years regarding this issue.
Mr Singh, Singapore’s first officially designated Leader of the Opposition, pointed out in an article for the WP newsletter last year that PAP candidates “have significant reach wherever they stand.”
In 2021, after Dr Lam posted photos of himself giving out bursaries at Sengkang West GRC, a resident asked why Assoc Prof Lim had not been present at her daughter’s Edusave Award ceremony. The WP MP explained to her that it had not been out of “lack of interest or desire” but because MPs from opposition wards are not the Grassroots Advisers for their constituencies, and therefore, do not give out the awards.
In the following year, Ms He addressed the issue as well, writing, “Elected MPs who do not belong to the ruling party are not asked to give out the awards to our residents—we are not Grassroots Advisors for our constituencies.”
Mr Singh pointed out in his article that having a WP candidate as an MP means that voters in Sengkang have three representatives to look after their interests, “First, an apparently apolitical Grassroots Adviser managing the PA grassroots organisations such as the CCC (Citizens’ Consultative Committee), CCMC (Community Club Management Committee), RCs (Residents’ Committees), and NCs (Neighbourhood Committees); second, a PAP Branch Chairman who leans on the PA for political ends with the PA’s blessings, and finally, a WP MP in Parliament who ensures we have independent checks and balances in Parliament and a fairer political system in Singapore.”
His post appears to have resonated with netizens, as it has been much commented on and shared.
“The fact remains…PAP and PA are one in practice… unelected PAP candidates become ‘advisors’ and given full access to CCs..while actual elected non-PAP MPs have to ‘make do’ elsewhere…events like the example shown have the unelected as VIPs instead of the elected…. isn’t this a joke?…keep voting for WP in Sengkang,” opined a Facebook user.
“I feel so strongly about this. I see the PA grassroots advisor and the fact that PAP MPs from other constituents or Grassroots Advisors standing in as GOH at opposition wards’ CC events, a complete disrespect to the Opposition MP who won there and a total disregard to the residents who, as a majority, voted the Opposition in,” commented another.
One wrote, “Agree with you. Lived in Low Thia Khiang/Gerald Giam’s ward previously and always found it odd that the PAP grassroots advisors were being invited as guests of honor for government events in the area and giving out Edusave awards. It felt disrespectful, considering the residents had given a clear mandate to WP there.” /TISG