‘You started it’ — Ong Ye Kung draws flak as he calls for an end to comments about candidates “abandoning” former wards

SINGAPORE: Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has received widespread criticism on social media for the way he backpedaled on his comments about election candidates “abandoning” voters in wards they contested previously, after observers pointed out that members of his own party have done so.

Mr Ong, who is the People’s Action Party (PAP) anchor for Sembawang GRC, had criticised Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan during a PAP rally on Thursday (24 Apr), claiming that Dr Chee had “abandoned” Bukit Batok SMC residents to contest Sembawang West SMC.

Arguing that the veteran opposition leader’s decision was politically motivated and not in the best interest of the residents who had voted for him in past elections, Mr Ong said, “Bukit Batok is still there; it is the man who is not there.”

He warned voters to be wary of politicians who lacked sincerity, stressing that trust should be a key factor at the ballot box.

The statement swiftly drew backlash with Singaporeans pointing out that, by the Minister’s logic, his own colleagues Gan Kim Yong and Tan See Leng also switched from their former constituencies to new wards at the nth hour on Nomination Day.

SDP chairman Paul Tambyah was among those who made this observation at a subsequent rally. He won hoots of praise for calling out what many perceived to be a hypocritical statement.

Dr Chee, meanwhile, condemned the remarks and accused the PAP of resorting to character assaults when it struggled to address core issues like the rising cost of living and housing affordability. He called for a campaign centred on substantive debates, noting that Singaporeans were “tired of personal mudslinging.”

Dr Chee also pointed out that his move to Sembawang West was prompted by changes to electoral boundaries that saw Bukit Batok SMC absorbed into the new Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, leaving him little choice but to contest elsewhere.

A mere two days later, Mr Ong changed his tune.

Instead of continuing personal attacks, he told the press that the focus should be on policy ideas instead. He said, “Just be upfront with voters, don’t say I’m doing it for them. That’s all I’m saying. But I would say that we are now in day four of the campaign. I think there was a lot of excitement after nomination and different people deployed to different places.”

He added, “I think that excitement, we probably have to put it behind us.”

Despite attempts to move the conversation back to policy, Mr Ong’s earlier remarks have left a lingering impression in the minds of some Singaporeans. Many voters took to social media to criticise him for hypocrisy, pointing out that he himself moved constituencies after a defeat in Aljunied GRC in 2011 before contesting in Sembawang GRC in 2015.

Comments on Facebook were particularly scathing, with netizens accusing Mr Ong of “shooting himself in the foot” and “playing a game he could not finish.” One commenter quipped, “He started the prata flipping first, hoping it would land on Dr Chee’s face, only to realise it landed on his own.”

Similar sentiments appeared elsewhere online. One commenter wrote, “You started mentioning about Dr Chee in the first place. Your party isn’t that upfront either. All the best, Dr Chee.” Another netizen remarked, “PAP can do more to be upfront with Singaporeans too.”

A particularly sharp comment read, “Your mouth is too itchy to begin with. No need to mention Dr Chee in a bad light when your party is doing the same thing by redrawing the wards and redeploying yourselves all over the place.”