Legislative Assistant for a Workers’ Party Member of Parliament, Bernard Chen, has taken a dig at Minister Tan Chuan-Jin for choosing expedited clearance at immigration, while others who were with him had to wait for hours before getting back home.
He said, “it is interesting to note that Minister Tan and the bus he was on had their clearance expedited while the rest of the nineteen buses were patiently waiting in line. With you, For you ends at the customs and starts after I have cleared it expeditiously.”
Mr Chen who was the opposition party’s candidate for MacPherson constituency in the 2015 General Election was referring to the People’s Action Party’s election manifesto – “With you, For you, For Singapore” – when he said that.
Mr Chen recounted that the Hougang MP, Mr Png, took 30 minutes to clear the customs but that he spent the next hour or so helping his bus leaders to locate his Hougang residents. “He was pacing up and down, looking out for them.”
On the other hand, Minister Tan who is also the MP in-charge of Kembangan-Chai Chee division, abandoned his residents, charged Mr Chen. Mr Chen who was there with Mr Png at the 1-Day Desaru Tour said that bus leaders probably served residents better than their MP did.
Mr Chen asked why Minister Tan opted to exercise his privilege as a Minister to get expedited clearance at immigration, while he knew that his residents on the rest of the nineteen buses would not. “General Tan Chuan Jin would understand the leadership ethos in the SAF of “first-in, last-out”, “leave no man behind”,” said Mr Chen.
Mr Chen further added: “I met a resident who joined Minister Tan’s tour. Visibly tired, she said, “don’t think my husband and I will be home until 12 midnight.” I sure hope that Minister Tan was at Kembangan Chai Chee waiting for the return of those nineteen buses that he left behind.”
He also said that Singaporeans ought to know besides expedited clearance at immigration checkpoints, what other special privileges are accorded to Government Ministers in Singapore.