TODAY: Young candidates a 'breakthrough' for WP

Low says Workers' Party will continue to attract young talent to contest in the next GE


ANSLEY NG
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTES: Yesterday, Workers' Party secretary-general Low Thia Khiang was at his Hougang constituency to thank voters for their support.

ANSLEY NG
ansley@newstoday.com.sg

CONDUCTING a post mortem for reporters after a victory parade in Hougang yesterday, Workers' Party (WP) secretary-general Low Thia Khiang said that the WP's ability to find enough "capable" young candidates had been the key to the party's performance in the General Election (GE).

And despite winning only one seat in Parliament, the WP - the best performing Opposition party - scored more than 30 per cent of the votes in all the three Group Representation Constituencies (GRC) and four Single Member Constituencies (SMC) it contested.

Said Mr Low: "The breakthrough for the Workers' Party is that we were able to field capable young candidates. We could get the support from young voters."

Mr Low also singled out his lineup in Ang Mo Kio GRC for praise.

The six-man team - all first time candidates with five who are no older than 30 years old - managed to win 33.87 per cent of the votes against a People's Action Party (PAP) team helmed by PrimeMinister Lee Hsien Loong.

That showing, Mr Low said, demonstrated that there was "a level of trust" in his party. He also said that the party would keep attracting young talent, and would work on it immediately.

"The election is a politicising process - we politicise and raise the awareness of the young. (Whether) that awareness level will translate into the person joining a party or (becoming) just a supporter, we do not know," he said yesterday.

But Mr Low did reveal that some young people, "who are interested to join us" either as volunteers or just supporters, have approached his party. The profiles of spectators at his party's rallies also helped him gauge the WP's appeal to young Singaporeans.

"I noticed that there is a sizeable number of younger Singaporeans who are attending our rallies," he added. "When I speak, they listen."

"I also got feedback from party members that some of them (young Singaporeans) were prepared to join us during GE 2006 or after," Mr Low added.

Meanwhile, WP chairman Sylvia Lim confirmed that the party would be back to contest the Aljunied GRC again, despite the loss.

Her team had garnered 44 per cent of the votes at last Saturday's polls, losing the constituency to the PAP team helmed by Foreign Minister George Yeo.

Said Ms Lim: "It has been quite a gruelling campaign. And after that we will plan to work towards the next GE, probably in terms of the groundwork we intend to do and we'll probably carry on to work in Aljunied.

"Hopefully there won't too much redrawing of boundaries the next round." - ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LEE CHING WERN

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LOWSPEAKS

Hougang residents want and need upgrading but they have character. If you threaten them to replace Low Thia Khiang with upgrading, it doesn't mean they would do it. Every time I see (SM Goh), I will ask him for the money. I will tell him: "This is a promise you made." He can't go back on his word. My priority - if I get the money - is to provide lifts that stop on every floor.

- Workers' Party secretary-general Low Thia Khiang

TODAY: James Gomez under police investigation

LEE CHING WERN
chingwern@newstoday.com.sg



WORKERS' Party candidate James Gomez (picture) is under investigation by the police.

Yesterday afternoon, Mr Gomez was at the airport to catch a flight when he was stopped by immigration officials. Police officers later took him to the Police Cantonment Complex where he gave a statement. His passport and boarding pass were confiscated.

Mr Gomez left the complex after midnight. He told reporters: "I remain relaxed as usual, you know, and cooperate with the police and see how I can help them."

Asked whether charges would be filed, he said: "No, er, I don't know and I can't answer that. But all I can say (is) I've given a statement ... that took me six hours to put together."

A police spokesman told TODAY that they are investigating a "complaint" by the Elections Department against Mr Gomez.

During the election campaign last week, Mr Gomez had blamed the department for losing his minority certificate form, warning them of "consequences".

After video footage of the incident emerged, proving that Mr Gomez had not submitted his form, he apologised, saying that he had been distracted due to his busy schedule. He was, however, still asked to give a fuller explanation by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, who said that Mr Gomez's actions did not seem to be an innocent mistake.

Yesterday morning, Mr Gomez went on a "thank you" parade around Aljunied GRC with his party colleagues to thank residents for their support after Saturday's polls, which the WP team lost to the PAP by 12 percentage points.

Before 4pm yesterday, Mr Gomez rushed to the airport to catch a flight to Sweden, where he works as a policy analyst. At the airport, he was stopped by an immigration officer who asked him to wait in order for them to "do some checks", said Mr Gomez, to TODAY.

"They took me to a corridor and asked me to sit on a chair and wait. My passport and boarding pass had been taken from me," he said.

According to the WP candidate, a police official had told him that he was being investigated for a case of criminal intimidation. At about 5pm, Mr Gomez was escorted by three police officers to the Police Cantonment Complex, where CID officers interviewed him.

Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim was also seen arriving at the Police Cantonment Complex shortly after 8pm. She emerged from the building after three hours at 11pm.

She said she was called in to make a statement as a witness and she did not see Mr Gomez. The police report by the Elections Department was dated yesterday, she revealed.

"We will try our best to cooperate within what we have to do under the law," she said. "The police have a duty to do, and we should follow the due process."

When asked if the party would issue a statement on the latest development, Ms Lim said: "I don't think in that sense it is a party issue, so we'll have to see."

Straits Times: S'poreans willing to give opposition a go: Low

ELECTION 06

WP chief says party did well despite many first-timers

BY KEN KWEK

THE election results show that Singaporeans are willing to give the opposition a chance and have provided the Workers' Party with an incentive to continue engaging the public - especially the young, party chief Low Thia Khiang said yesterday.

Assessing the results a day after being re-elected to a fourth term in Hougang, he said the 'greatest breakthrough' for his party was in putting up a credible team of young candidates, and getting the support of young Singaporeans.

This was critical to helping in the development of the opposition as a whole, reversing its decline in the past few years, he said.

'If the opposition did not have some credible new faces, there would be no real competition. And younger voters would have found it difficult to connect with the opposition. This would affect our future prospects,' Mr Low told reporters over a lunch of Teochew food after a three-hour tour of 'thank you' tour of Hougang.

He hoped that the younger members of the WP team who contested the election would serve as an encouragement to other young professionals to join the ranks of the opposition.

Having learnt 'how to fight an election, how to manoeuvre and manage on the ground', they would be able to pass on these skills to newcomers in the future, he added.

He said the WP did well compared to the 2001 election despite most candidates being first-timers. Its share of the vote at this election stood at 38.4 per cent.

"There's a level of trust in the WP though the candidates are new."

He highlighted the performance of the WP's Ang Mo Kio team which contested against the team led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and rookie candidate Lian Chin Way who stood in Nee Soon Central against PAP veteran Ong Ah Heng.

"The Ang Mo Kio team was a very young team, and yet, against the Prime Minister, they secured 33 per cent of the vote, which is remarkable to me. So yes, people have sent a signal."

Mr Low had cast the election as a referendum on the future of the opposition and had asked voters to signal that they wanted opposition politics to stay.

At the end of a separate procession in Aljunied, party chairman Sylvia Lim said similarly that the WP achieved a respectable and meaningful overall percentage.

This would enable the party to attract more credible candidates in the future.

"There is visible support for the WP, and of course, I think people would like to join organisations where they see some potential."

The future of politics and how young Singaporeans viewed politics was a theme for both the WP and the PAP in the election.

Mr Low observed that many young Singaporeans had attended WP rallies.

Their concerns about policies which affected their livelihoods might have contributed to the rise in votes for the opposition.

"If you look at the percentage, especially in Ang Mo Kio GRC, I believe the ground was not as sweet as the PAP thought.

"I think the younger generation do worry about their future. Some of them who voted for the PAP in 2001 have their own families now and they realise some policies are affecting their quality of life."

He also said the Government should do more to encourage young Singaporeans and cited the Internet as being a place which contained "sharp" and "creative" ideas from young Singaporeans. The Government should not over-regulate the use of the Internet for political reasons, he said.

"You want to stop them from doing that because of political reasons, because it can be a political threat? Come on. We believe in Singapore being a globalised city, so please don't do that."

As Mr Low made his way through the constituency on the back of a lorry yesterday, residents cheered and drivers tooted their horns.

A gentlemanly fight

'I think the Prime Minister has been gentlemanly in this contest, when he engaged the Ang Mo Kio team. This is the right spirit and the right direction for Singapore.

'We should move towards a more mature democracy in which the rules of engagement are more civilised, rather than look at each other as enemies.

'Whether you are from the opposition or the ruling party, there must be some common platform and goal for everyone to reach, for the good of the nation, for the betterment of society, for a better life. The WP is prepared to meet the PAP on those platforms.'

- WP CHIEF LOW THIA KHIANG, responding to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who said the WP put up a slate of credible candidates and thanked the party for giving voters a choice in Ang Mo Kio GRC

Channel NewsAsia: WP wins Hougang, loses contests in 3 GRCs and 3 SMEs

SINGAPORE VOTES 2006

By Dominique Loh


Opposition leaders Low Thia Khiang (L) and Sylvia Lim (R) of Workers' Party

SINGAPORE : The Workers' Party had the best showing among the opposition parties in the General Election 2006.

It garnered 16.34 percent of the valid votes - a sharp improvement over its 2.7 percent showing in the 2001 elections.

The party challenged three Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and four Single Member Constituencies (SMCs), but was only able to win its stronghold of Hougang, held by incumbent Low Thia Khiang.

Despite having lost all their contests, save one, the Workers' Party teams were cheered by supporters when they turned up their gathering centre in Yio Chu Kang Stadium.

Its Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang retained Hougang with 62 percent of the valid votes, despite the PAP's pledge of a $100 million upgrading plan for the constituency if its candidate Eric Low was elected.

The WP team that contested Aljunied GRC had the best showing among all the opposition parties, garnering 43.9 percent of the votes.

Ms Sylvia Lim, Workers' Party candidate for Aljunied GRC, said: "I think the showing is a credible one, of course in your heart you sometimes harbour hopes that you might win but we know that winning a GRC is not an easy thing, so I think we are quite satisfied."

During the hustings, the Aljunied team was at the centre of a controversy involving the non-submission of a minority candidate certificate form by one of its members, James Gomez.

He has been accused of discrediting the Elections Department by claiming that he had submitted the certificate but was caught on security camera putting the form away in his bag.

Over at East Coast, its team bowed out to the PAP slate - taking only 36 percent of the votes.

And its team for Ang Mo Kio GRC received only 33.3 percent of the votes - losing to the PAP team anchored by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Despite the losses, Mr Low Thia Khiang is keeping up a brave front.

He said: "For the Workers' Party with the results and the election, even with 33 percent in Ang Mo Kio, it shows that we have a bright future and with the renewal process it's carrying on, I believe we are on the right track."

In other single seats, the Workers' Party failed to win Joo Chiat - with its candidate losing to the PAP's Chan Soo Sen with only 35 percent of the votes.

Its candidate Lian Chin Way secured only 34.6 percent of the votes in Nee Soon Central, losing to PAP's Ong Ah Heng.

Its candidate for Nee Soon East, Dr Poh Lee Guan, also lost to the PAP's candidate Ho Peng Kee - taking only 31.2 percent of the valid votes. - CNA/de/ls

Weekend TODAY: Near D-Day, East Coast candidates emphasise different issues

GE2006

DERRICK A PAULO
derrick@newstoday.com.sg

THE final fusillade between the People's Action Party (PAP) and the Workers' Party (WP) teams in East Coast was fired on Friday as campaigning drew to a close.

Incumbent anchor Minister S Jayakumar issued his third press statement to counter his opponents' comments about upgrading in the area, whose boundaries have shifted for this General Election.

The shifts have not inflated the PAP's figures on upgrading, which were given on Wednesday as 97 per cent, Professor Jayakumar told reporters after a lunchtime walkabout at Block 58 in Bedok.

He was responding to WP candidate Perry Tong, who spoke to Channel NewsAsia on Thursday and asked if the figure included new intended upgrading facilities.

In addition, he noted that 40 blocks from Kaki Bukit have been moved from East Coast to Marine Parade which, he said, have not been upgraded.

To this claim, Prof Jayakumar said that 90 per cent have been or are being upgraded. Under the new boundaries, close to 100 per cent of precincts would have been or will be upgraded.

The WP team has been arguing in its campaign that it is providing the spark for upgrading to be awarded to the constituency, and Mr Tong had highlighted Blocks 213 and 214, in particular, where there had been none - although these were earmarked in March for lift upgrading.

"Mr Tong now changes the subject. He asked lamely why 'there are no signs of impending commencement of works'. Anyone with common sense and (who is) in touch with the ground will know that lift upgrading cannot be done within a month," said Prof Jayakumar on Friday.

"They will collapse just like Mr Tong's and the WP's baseless claims."

With that, the back-and-forth came to a close between both parties. Mr Tong did not comment further on Prof Jayakumar's latest rebuttal but told reporters: "The only thing we can be accused of is that we have been consistent.

"Prior to, and at the beginning of our campaign, we said that we would start campaigning on municipal issues and move on to national issues. We've moved on to national issues; our opponents have remained stuck."

In its final day stumping for votes, the WP team for East Coast distributed to residents a one-page write up - which it had prepared independently of its party leadership - which touched on policy proposals relating to employment, transport and healthcare - but nothing on upgrading.

These were raised by candidates in its team during the election rallies and to the press, but "were not given the due coverage" due to "distractions", said team leader Chia Ti Lik.

Among the proposals is the provision of free bus services within the CBD area to reduce private vehicle usage and congestion - a concept taken from authorities in the American city of Portland, Oregon.

On the PAP side, Mr Raymond Lim - the second minister in its East Coast team - described the WP as a party that "promises the sky because it knows it never has to deliver".

"I think they've been a terrible disappointment. They said when the campaign started that they'd like to raise the level of debate, but what's clear is they've tried their best to lower it," said Mr Lim.

Weekend TODAY: An unusual contest in Ang Mo Kio

GE2006

For PM, it's a rare electoral test, for young WP team, an indication for the future

JASMINE YIN
jasmine.yin@newstoday.com.sg


YOUNG FACES: WP's Ang Mo Kio team member Lee Wai Leng (left) and team leader Yaw Shin Leong face a tough challenge on PM Lee's turf.

IT IS a foregone conclusion to many: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will emerge victorious at Ang Mo Kio GRC today - his first test at the polls since assuming the leadership in 2004.

Nevertheless, when the Workers' Party (WP) announced their intention to contest the People's Action Party stronghold, many sat up.

After all, it is not every election that the Prime Minister faces a challenge in his own ward - and by a mostly young and well-educated team, no less.

As the nine days of hustings drew to a close yesterday, however, some have been left wondering: Has the promising Ang Mo Kio GRC contest been reduced to a mere sideshow?

Not only has the battle in the 159,872-strong ward been overshadowed by the James Gomez saga, the WP team led by 30-year-old e-business analyst Yaw Shin
Leong has also been keeping a quiet profile.

This is despite analysts' initial predictions that the team would enjoy the exposure just by challenging the PM. It has been dismissed by Ang Mo Kio incumbent Inderjit Singh as a "token team"; the People's Action Party (PAP) also does not seem to think much of the competition.

PAP chairman Lim Boon Heng has set a target of "at least 80 per cent" for Mr Lee's six-man team.

When asked about that target during a community walkabout yesterday, Mr Lee laughed and said: "He sets very high targets. It's his job to set stretch targets and we try our best."

While he did not want to be drawn into giving a figure, Mr Lee had said last Friday that he would "try our best to make sure it costs them some money".

Candidates who get less than 12.5 per cent of the vote will lose their $13,500 deposit.

Calling many of his constituents his "old friends", Mr Lee said yesterday: "I think the voters are supporting us. We've got our message across to voters that this election is about the future and I think voters understand the people they choose will help them to win, help Singapore to win, to move forward."

But the WP team, with an average age of 32.5 years despite the inclusion of 52-year-old Gopal Krishnan, has made clear from the beginning that they never thought they would win the ward.

During the WP rally at Ang Mo Kio GRC on Thursday, Mr Yaw only urged voters to give his team a mandate of a "decent percentage" of votes.

Political analyst Ho Khai Leong, however, believes that the results from Ang Mo Kio GRC would be significant, as it marks the first time that "Mr Lee's constituency has been challenged".

"This is a constituency of great interest because the challengers are so young. Mr Lee has been talking about the concerns of the young and the post-65ers, so having a young group to challenge him certainly creates some spark there," he added.

Added political observer Seah Chiang Nee: "I think this is a learning curve for them. I don't think anyone or the WP is expecting them to perform miracles. As long as they go in, do the best that they can, work hard from it, I think it will augur well for the party."

The PAP team is also taking no chances despite its opponent's inexperience.

Said PAP MP Mr Inderjit Singh: "I think for each one of us, it's very important. We're fighting it as if it's the most important battle and the reason is because this is the Prime Minister's GRC and we want to score as high a percentage of the votes as possible.

"I think it's a very significant battle."

Weekend TODAY: WP candidates, including Gomez, are clean: Low

GE2006

LEE CHING WERN
chingwern@newstoday.com.sg


OOI BOON KEONG
Mr Low and Mr Gomez at a recent rally.

WORKERS' Party chief Low Thia Khiang said that it was under his instructions that his embattled candidate, Mr James Gomez had applied for the minority certificate.

Apart from accusing Mr Gomez of trying to "fix" the Elections Department by claiming that his certificate had gone missing, the People's Action Party has asked why he needed to apply for one if the plan was to field him in Aljunied GRC. The constituency requires only a Malay candidate to be fielded on a slate, not an Indian one.

"I had asked all WP's minority candidates to apply for one, in case of strategy issues," said Mr Low. "This is the reason why James went to apply for the cert. As this episode caused much distress to the Elections Department unwittingly, I asked James to apologise and this, he did."

Mr Gomez did not submit his form but initially accused the Elections Department of misplacing it.

He then said that he did not submit the form because he had been distracted by his busy schedule in the run-up to Nomination Day.

In his final rally before the polls, Mr Low asserted that he had "spoken at length with James and found no evidence to prove that he is dishonest in this context".

Hitting out at Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo for comparing Mr Gomez to a thief stealing at a supermarket, Mr Low said: "It is unfair for George to use the analogy of a thief on James. What has James stolen from the Elections Department?"

He went on to criticise the PAP for making personal attacks on WP candidates.

"Right from the onset of the campaign, I have instructed all our candidates not to make any personal attacks or baseless allegations against the PAP. I believe we must have a more civilised political culture and political engagement must be based on facts and debate and not namecalling," he said.

The past nine days of campaigning has reinforced his confidence in his candidates, said Mr Low.

"The PAP is unable to dig up any skeletons on our WP candidates. Why? Because there are none. They are clean," he said. - ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LIN YANQIN

Weekend TODAY: Not a one-man team

GE2006

Low says WP seeing renewal and campaign was good

VAL CHUA
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
val@newstoday.com.sg


WEE TECK HIAN
Mr Low Thia Khiang leading the Worker's Party members saying the Singapore Pledge at the end of the rally.

FOR so long, Workers' Party (WP) has been associated with a lone voice in Parliament - that of party chief Low Thia Khiang.

Yesterday, the veteran politician said that his party was on the cusp of a renewal, with more capable candidates ready to take over the baton.

"I'm 50 this year, I've gone through a long journey in politics. How many more years do I have to contest?" he told a large crowd at the Serangoon Stadium on Friday.

Admitting his own shortcomings, Mr Low, who is Chinese-educated, said: "I don't mind telling you this, I got F9 in English for my O and A levels."

But his Aljunied team, which is helmed by law lecturer Sylvia Lim, is a "mature and strong" team, filled with passionate and public-spirited candidates who are at the peak of their careers, he said.

"I strongly believe that if you vote this Aljunied team into Parliament, they will perform better than me," he said.

He again warned that no party - no matter how strong - was infallible and that what Singapore needs is an effective Opposition to counter the Government.

"The only way to make the Government account to you is through the elections. What the PAP is most afraid of is your vote," he said.

Earlier in the day, the Aljunied WP team did its last walkabout at Kovan market to garner support. The team, led by Mr Low, walked around the estate to shake hands and chat with residents, holding a press conference outside a fast-food chain. It was reflective of the no-fuss approach of WP, which is gunning for three GRCs and four Single-Member Constituencies, its largest candidacy since 1988.

Unfortunately, the party still has to deal with the James Gomez incident, which has nearly dominated the hustings this time around. Although the saga may be re-opened after the election, Mr Low's stand on the issue remains unchanged.

"I never avoided the issue. We have already apologised for the stress caused to the elections department. Do they have anything new to show? Any more convincing evidence?" he asked.

Through the campaign, WP also fired back with some shots on its own - urging the PAP to clarify the criteria for means testing for C-class hospital wards.

WP also brought up the use of lift upgrading to entice voters, which it termed as "pork-barrel politics".

Describing the overall impact of WP's campaign as "very good", Mr Low is dismissive of the effects of the Gomez incident and the $100 million upgrading carrot that the PAP has offered to Hougang voters.

"I don't think there is an impact. I believe that Singaporeans are intelligent enough and sophisticated enough to be able to judge themselves," he said on Friday.

Indeed, with the frenzied campaigning period over, Mr Low just wants voters to remember his party's slogan: "You have a Choice."

"If there is no support for WP in these elections, it could derail our renewal process and we may not be able to provide you with such a strong choice at the next elections," said the veteran politician on Friday night.

"Before you go to the polling stand, reflect on what kind of Singapore you want. Workers' Party is pro-Singapore and we work for the interest of Singapore, above the interests of the party," he said. - ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LIN YANQIN

Channel NewsAsia: WP's Low Thia Khiang calls for review of ministers' salaries

SINGAPORE VOTES 2006


Low Thia Khiang

SINGAPORE : Workers' Party Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang has called for a review of ministers' salaries.

Speaking at a WP rally in Ang Mo Kio GRC on Thursday, Mr Low said if Singaporeans pay their ministers high salaries, they should expect better results from them.

He suggested that ministers' salaries be pegged to the income of the lowest 20 percent of Singaporean households with a multiplier effect.

Mr Low said this would give the ministers more incentives to raise the average income of the poor.

He said this would also remind the ministers of their responsibilities to workers and make them strongly committed to raising their standards of living. - CNA/de

Channel NewsAsia: WP questions timing of PAP's upgrading plans in East Coast GRC

SINGAPORE VOTES 2006

By Farah Abdul Rahim

SINGAPORE : The Workers' Party on Thursday questioned Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar's comment that 97 percent of East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC) had been upgraded.

Professor Jayakumar, who is heading the People's Action Party (PAP) team there, had said this on Wednesday in response to WP's earlier remarks in the day that the PAP had neglected East Coast Group GRC over the years.

On Thursday, while on a walkabout in the GRC, the WP also questioned PAP's claim that there had been an upgrading project almost every year for the past 13 years.

The WP team said residents had also told them they were being asked to consider lift upgrading in some areas in Bedok and Fengshan.

The team questioned the timing of the upgrading.

Perry Tong, WP Candidate, East Coast GRC, said, "My question would be why is upgrading only offered now during election period? Does it mean that only if they are returned to power, lifts will be upgraded? If not, how long will residents have to wait for? The PAP has been here for 15-18 years, it's been a walkover, I think, and they had all this time to do all the upgrading.

"My query now is the 97 percent claim by Professor Jayakumar. Does it include the new intended upgrading facilities, over and above that, many blocks have been 'so called' removed from electoral boundaries of East Coast GRC, including a good 40 blocks in Kaki Bukit, which have also not had upgrading. If we were to throw this in under original East Coast GRC, I am not so sure Professor Jayakumar can lay claim to the 97 percent." - CNA/ms