Channel NewsAsia: 32-year-old lawyer among candidates introduced by Workers' Party

SINGAPORE VOTES 2006

By Farah Abdul Rahim



SINGAPORE : Two new faces from the post-independence generation were unveiled by the Workers' Party (WP) on Saturday for the upcoming General Election.

They are 32-year-old lawyer Chia Ti Lik and 36-year-old businessman Goh Meng Seng.

Mr Chia is a partner with Chia Ngee Thuang & Company and Vice-President of the party's Youth Wing.

He is married with no children and received his law degree from the National University of Singapore.

A former Young PAP member before joining the Workers' Party, Mr Chia has been leading walkabouts in East Coast GRC.

Mr Chia said: "Since what you are seeking to do in the Young PAP cannot be done within the framework and, in the present circumstances cannot be fulfilled by my contributions to Young PAP, then it would be better to do the right thing, and if the right thing is to join the opposition, then I join the opposition."

Mr Goh is also a Council Member with the party's Youth Wing.

He is married with one daughter, and graduated with an arts degree from the National University of Singapore.

Introduced as one of the WP's bi-cultural candidates by party leader Low Thia Khiang, Mr Goh has been working the ground in Aljunied and Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituencies, as well as the single-seat ward of Nee Soon Central.

But he remained tight-lipped on where he would be fielded.

Mr Goh said: "Whether you are bicultural or monocultural, you have to represent the people in certain ways - their aspirations, their views. I think culture is part of it, one small part of it...The most important thing is, you must be able to walk the ground, feel the people, what their concerns are; empathy is above cultural setting."

Mr Goh said the current generation of younger opposition leaders like himself are different from the older generation.

He said: "We are here to talk about policies, not about individual's vengeance - that's past our generation. We don't want to talk about lawsuits, talk bad about people, that's not what younger Singaporeans want to see. They want to see a healthy, active engagement of ideas and what we can offer."

Two other candidates were also introduced - party veterans 66-year-old Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman, who has been active in East Coast GRC, and former party chairman Dr Tan Bin Seng, who is 54.

Both men have contested previous elections.

Altogether, 20 candidates will be introduced by the WP before Nomination Day.

With four candidates under 41 years old so far, the WP is in the process of passing the baton of leadership from the older to younger generation of leaders, said the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang.

He said the party has been engaged in self-renewal since the 2001 General Election, and more than half its current Central Executive Committee made up of younger members.

He was speaking to the media as he introduced more candidates to contest the election.

"The renewal process is not only to attract the younger generation, it also serves as a connection between the party and the younger voters. The younger population is different in their thinking, perception and expectations. And yes, I hope the younger generation will respond to the call," said Low Thia Khiang, Secretary-General, Workers' Party. - CNA/ch/ls