Weekend TODAY: No-nonsense man

LOW THIA KHIANG

Teo Hwee Nak, Deputy News Editor
hweenak@newstoday.com.sg



THE first thing that greets you when you enter his air-conditioned office is the lingering whiff of smoke from the freshly-stubbed cigarette.

And you can't help but notice that the warm water the amiable auntie puts down before you is served in a Tsing Tao Beer glass. Then, Mr Low Thia Khiang, the Workers' Party chief and opposition MP - who replies to emails in crisp and formal English, polite but sometimes bordering on aloofness - takes you by surprise when he leans forward and asks: "That round thing, is it stone or what?"

I was wearing a necklace made of two round pieces of shell in pink and red, and told him so.

"Very attractive," the Hougang MP said, nodding his approval.

With that, the 48-year-old, who runs a signage business, leans back in his chair, his body language signalling that he is ready for the interview.

'We're suckers, aren't we?'

He's the kind of politician most Singaporeans have come to expect. Not always politically correct; doesn't care if he isn't. No attempt to hide that stubbed-out cigarette in the ashtray, no apologies for serving water in whatever glass is available in his pantry.

With Mr Low Thia Khiang, what you see is what you get.

He tackles questions in much the same way: Straight-talking, no-nonsense, but always considered, his replies punctuated by long, thoughtful pauses.

This is the man, who, a few months ago, launched a stinging criticism of SingPower for the way it distributed its $30 utility vouchers aimed at helping needy families.

SingPower gave the vouchers to grassroots organisations listed under the People's Association and incurred the ire of Mr Low and Mr Chiam See Tong, the other opposition MP, when the media reported that only 30 per cent of the vouchers were used.

Grassroots organisations in opposition wards are run by advisers appointed by the People's Action Party (PAP), not by the elected MP as in other wards.

In a press statement, Mr Low asked if the move was "a new strategy to help the PAP MPs and grassroots advisers in opposition wards win votes for future elections".

While the coffeeshop speculation is that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will call an election soon, Mr Low does not think so.

But his party is nonetheless prepared, with its officials and volunteers actively working the ground in various wards. He said he aims to get more WP members into Parliament, but is tight-lipped on the details.

What he does speak readily about is the increasingly challenging climate for the opposition.

The biggest challenge, said Mr Low, is reaching out to an apolitical younger generation that has grown up equating the PAP with Government - "even the kindergarten they go through is PCF" (PAP Community Foundation).

"The soul of any political party is the people. Today, the state of the opposition in Singapore reflects the state of Singapore as it is," he said.

"In the past, though Singaporeans may not have been as highly educated as Singaporeans today, they went through the political process of independence and the political vibrancy of that era.

"They understand the importance of political competition, of having their say through their votes. The younger generation hasn't gone through that era. And because the level of participation in elections has gone down, people don't care."

In the last GE in 2001, only 33 per cent of eligible voters voted, with just 29 of 84 seats contested - the lowest number ever.

When asked if he thought the new Prime Minister would call an early election in order to get the people's mandate, he replied: "Mandate? I think the PAP has got a walkover mandate. And when you go for elections, you elect the party, you don't elect the Prime Minister.

So, logically, it's not so much a mandate for the Prime Minister, but for the PAP as a ruling party. And if you're talking about an individual mandate, what mandate are you talking about when you hold elections and you walk over in Ang Mo Kio?"

Likening the life of an opposition politician to being in "a sampan in a treacherous sea", Mr Low pointed - as opposition politicians around the world tend to do - to the electoral rules as a factor that serves to "deplete slowly the strength of the opposition".

He has done a study of the redrawing of the electoral boundaries over the years and said it has ensured that opposition supporters are always the minority in elections.

"In many other countries, you have election commissions. Here, the party, being the Government, decides. And this is fair? No."

The PAP has always maintained that the Elections Department, as part of the civil service, is free from party political interference and that the electoral map is redrawn based on changes in population distribution.

While he cannot change the electoral rules, Mr Low said he believes that as long as elections continue to be held, Singaporeans will understand the practical use of the vote - even if they have no idea what democracy is about.

"Singaporeans may not understand the role of the opposition, but they do understand that when elections come, there will be a lot of goodies, that when you vote for the PAP, there will be upgrading. They understand that when elections come, then the Government will become gentler, and their complaints will get attended to very efficiently.

"This makes up a practical education process that helps them understand the reality of politics, the usefulness and function of the opposition, and how they can bargain with the Government through the opposition with their vote. But the next question is, how do they vote? They want the opposition, but they also want the goodies. They know when to use you, they also know when to discard you."

He paused, then said with a resigned laugh: "We're suckers, aren't we?"

So, why serve a bunch of suckers, Mr Low?

"That's the challenge, my friend. That's the challenge. To do something different, but worthwhile. And the experience of involvement and participation in the election process as an opposition member is a tremendous life experience."

But finding enough people ready to take the road he has taken for the last 20 years is a challenge.

Time is just one factor.

"The other factor is, people do not see (participation in the) opposition as being able to further their personal development, their careers. They see it as a losing cause. These are people who are of a high calibre and who are ambitious in life, and there's nothing wrong with that.

"Joining the opposition, there's no reward. Joining the PAP, there are some rewards, I suppose. But joining the opposition, you lose your time, your money. You contribute, but I can't see any rewards."

Which is why the opposition calls for "a different breed of people".

"People who are prepared to say, okay, I'm prepared to take a challenge in life, I think that this is a cause for me, and democracy is important. People who have the guts to say: 'Okay, let's do it'. And what's most important: 'We're prepared to lose'."

But most Singaporeans aren't. They go for the tried-and-tested and established, whether it is choosing a university (Mr Low cited a recent survey that showed students prefer the near century-old NUS to the two younger universities) or a career path or joining a political party.

"There's a false sense of security that if the PAP is around, we'll be all right. It may be so now, but are we sure it will be 50 years down the road? Because of the management and style of Government in the past - top-down and directing people as to what they should do rather than allowing genuine responses from the ground, whether in terms of civic organisation, civil society development - our society has lost the initiative by itself," said Mr Low.

Years of reliance on guidance from the Government has created a breed of Singaporean that is always looking for help, he said. Hence, the resilience and vibrancy, which is necessary for the long-term survival of Singapore in the face of globalisation, is not there.

Singaporeans, however, don't understand this.

"All people are concerned about is whether they're going against the law … (Rules) have to be something explicit, then people know what to do. When they're not, people say, I'd better not do it. It becomes a culture."

The response to the rule that old windows be retrofitted showed Singaporeans' immaturity, he said, referring to reports that many homeowners were misled by contractors into making unnecessary changes.

"All you have to do is say, I'm from the HDB, then gao dim (Cantonese for "settled") already lor. Why are people so afraid of the Government? People forget that what is important is to make sure windows are safe.

"They think: Okay, since you say I have to rivet, I rivet already ah, so window fall, fall lah. I've already done what you told me to do. I rivet, I've done my part. But they miss the point, that it's their responsibility to make sure that the window doesn't fall and hit somebody.

"We may be a First-World economy, but in terms of society and how we behave, we have not reached First World."

Straits Times: Lack of challenge PAP's doing, counters WP chief

WORKERS' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang responded yesterday to Minister Lim Swee Say's remarks that he had not been challenged by the opposition during the 1997 and 2001 General Elections.

Mr Low, the MP for Hougang, said in a statement last night that such a situation was a result of the ruling party's own doing.

He also challenged a point Mr Lim made at a forum with young Singaporeans on Thursday night - that there is a level playing field here for the opposition parties.

Mr Lim, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and MP for Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC, said during the forum that it was not his fault that he had never been challenged at the polls.

The implementation of Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and the redrawing of electoral boundaries were not aimed at reducing the opposition's chances of contesting elections, he added.

But in his statement, Mr Low said the "constant expansion" of the GRCs resulted in the opposition being unable to muster enough resources and manpower to keep up.

The redrawing of boundaries just before polls also made it hard for them to prepare, and laws restricting political donations made the difficulties they already faced in raising money worse, he added.

Such rules, which he said Mr Lim professed to be fair, weaken the opposition's ability to compete, the WP chief said.

"This results in many citizens not having the opportunity to vote at General Elections and PAP candidates subsequently getting the 'mandate' to enter Parliament," Mr Low said. This is especially apparent in GRCs.

"Is this by chance? Is this the result of the so-called fair competitive environment, the will of the people or the will of the opposition parties?" he asked.

"I can't speak for all opposition parties, but I can say at least that this is not the fault of the Workers' Party."

He said his party had worked to ensure that there was a robust political system here, providing checks and balances to the Government and, by so doing, protected the people's interest.

Straits Times: WP sees tripartite ties as hurting workers

THE Workers' Party (WP) yesterday attacked the tripartite ties of government, employers and workers for leaving the worker in a disadvantaged position compared to the other two partners.

In the opposition party's May Day statement yesterday issued by its chairman, Ms Sylvia Lim, it challenged the Government's stand that the tripartite structure has resulted in harmonious labour relations, saved jobs and restored investor confidence.

Without naming labour chief Lim Boon Heng, the statement said that Singapore's labour movement has a minister in charge of it and he ensures that its direction is in line with the Government's.

The biggest trade union in Singapore has a "symbiotic relationship" with the ruling party, it noted.

"While the adopted model of tripartism between government, employer and worker appears attractive in theory, its practice during times of economic hardship manifests the inequality of bargaining power in this 'tripartite' relationship," said the party.

During the economic downturn, "the upper hand of management and the Government" has ensured that workers are the first to be asked to make financial sacrifices.

These include taking pay cuts and accepting Central Provident Fund cuts regardless of the company's profit situation.

It added that pre-emptive retrenchments "in the name of making companies more competitive" had resulted in business owners making huge profits.

WP also said it was deeply concerned that hardship will continue to fall on families as there is a lack of a social safety net.

Even with schemes in place for retraining, skills upgrading and job matching, the party believes that not all workers will be able to catch up with the knowledge-based economy and remain employable in the restructuring process.

"The typical middle-aged worker in Singapore is still heavily committed in debt and yet faces disadvantages in the job market to command an income level commensurate with his financial commitments and retirement needs."

The party said that it joined Singapore workers in "fervent hope" for an economic recovery which it said will mean a higher income for workers and more employment security.

It also expressed condolences to the families of workers who lost their lives in the two recent worksite collapse tragedies, and urged for an overhaul in safety standards at construction sites.

TODAY: Workers' Party reaches out with slogan contest

SINCE 1991, the Workers' Party (WP) has made its pitch to Singaporeans with the motto "Power to the People".

This month, it hopes to glean more ideas from the public through an online political slogan competition.

But the opposition party may not be ditching its current motto anytime soon.

"I don't think we're going to be changing the motto. But, with elections coming up, it's always good to get some supplementary slogans," party chairman Sylvia Lim told TODAY.

"The competition is another means of touching base with the people to see what ideas they have. We are trying out new forms of enagagement and a slogan competition on our website is an easy way for people to respond."

The WP is offering a $20 NTUC voucher and a party souvenir like its 45th anniversary mug for the top three entries.

So far, the WP has received a "healthy response" of more than 100 entries, said Ms Lim. Examples include "Bi-Partisanship for a Progressive Singapore", "Dare to Aspire" and "I Hammer - Do You?"

The Party has no plans to change its hammer logo, but it has bveen reviewing its manifesto, set out in 1994, since the last elections. Since then, the WP has undergone a renewal process of sorts, which included the election of 39-year-old Ms Lim, a law lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic, to the post of chairman.

When asked if there were any other "new forms of engagement" being planned, Ms Lim said: "Well, we are quite dynamic, with more young people joining us. I'm sure there will be new ideas."

The slogan competition on www.wp.org.sg will run until April 30. - Derrick A Paulo

TODAY: Fear factor - is it just an excuse?

by Teo Hwee Nak and Ng Shing Yi
hweenak@newstoday.com.sg

IN A twist that was both sad and ironic, the fear quotient crept up and usurped a forum on politics on Saturday.

More than 200 academics, activists and undergraduates had gathered to discuss "new politics" for the renaissance city that Singapore aims to be. Instead, they ended up talking about the crippling fear that binds them from contributing to the change that is needed.

The discussion prompted sociologist Dr Kwok Kian Woon, one of the speakers, to ask: "How have we arrived at such a miserable, pathetic situation? What will our leaders think if they know that our best and brightest have become like this?"

Even some of the speakers - including Dr Kwok and former journalist, Dr Cherian George - said that this fear that Singaporeans cited was irrational. And Ms Sylvia Lim of the Workers' Party said it was more a matter of perception.

Two members of Parliament told TODAY that the very fact that the fear factor was discussed so openly at a forum showed that things had changed. "Have more such forums, and talk about it more," said Dr Amy Khor. "The more we talk about it, the better it will be."

The issue had cropped up unexpectedly at the forum at National University of Singapore when a young woman said she had dropped the idea of starting a socio-political discussion site and settled for a personal web-log instead, as she was afraid "something would happen".

What was she afraid of, asked Dr Kwok.

"I don't know ... Getting knocks at 2am?" she blurted out.

Dr Cherian George, a postdoctoral fellow at the Asia Research Institute, did not buy this excuse. But other prominent figures jumped in to support the young woman.

Veteran civil society activist Constance Singham said she had felt this fear of reprisal herself. "My friends told me to be careful, that the Prime Minister's Office is watching you," she said.

The recent history of defamation suits contributed to the fear, she told TODAY.

Dr Tan Chong Kee, founder of political website Sintercom, said the fear prevented Singaporeans from participating in politics and civil society action.

Dr George did not sympathise with this. But he said: "The genius of the PAP is that it has calibrated its control so well.

It exercises its control without resorting to the sort of brutality that produces the moral outrage that will make people take to the streets.

So although we're controlled, it's in a relatively civilised way and we end up as a nation of grumblers rather than real serious protestors," he said at the forum.

The last time the Internal Security Act was used against political opponents was in the mid-80s, he said.

Even opposition politician Sylvia Lim said the fear of political reprisal here is "largely perceptual".

"It is up to the citizen to claim our rights," she said. "We can't always wait for the Government to define them for us."

When asked about the fear factor later, MP Tan Cheng Bock attributed it to the strong-handed way the leadership in the past imposed views and policies.

"It produced results and in those days, we needed quick results. But people should not need to be afraid anymore. Things have changed. But I'm worried that the fear is now quite ingrained in our society," he said.

As long as opinions expressed are sincere and factual, and do not attack the integrity of the leaders or the party, there should not be any fear of legal action, he said.

Dr Amy Khor, who was herself taken to task by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong for using the word "betrayal" in Parliament, said Singaporeans feared rebuttal more than any serious action.

She felt the pain of being ticked off.

"It's embarrassing, it's painful. I was afraid I would not be able to do what I preached. So I told myself that I must speak up at the next Parliament seating. I made it a point to table my questions as usual and made sure I spoke about the Bills that were passed. It was the only way to get rid of my inhibitions," she said.

Straits Times: WP hopes public will provide 'wisdom from the ground'

By M. NIRMALA
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

THE Workers' Party (WP) is hoping its new approach of feedback through regular "public consultation" exercises will make a difference to policies and how voters here regard it.

Having held sessions at its Jalan Besar headquarters earlier this year that were limited to the members and guests, the opposition party organised its first open dialogue on Saturday and attracted about 100 people.

WP chairman Sylvia Lim yesterday said the party aimed to get "a wider spectrum of views" through such sessions.

The feedback will help it formulate responses to government policies and provide a more accurate picture when it raises public concerns, she said.

"The public is also a good sounding board for our ideas," she added.

Policy and communications committee chairman James Gomez, a panelist at Saturday's three-hour event, said the party wanted "to be pro-active and seek wisdom from the ground".

The feedback will also be reflected in the party manifesto which is being reviewed, he added.

Ms Lim said the sessions were not intended specifically to prepare for the next general election and were "part of our ongoing work in articulating public concerns and sentiments even in off-election periods".

The two, together with party treasurer Tan Wui-Hua, were panelists at Saturday's event which focused on unemployment, poverty, Central Provident Fund (CPF) changes and other policies they said made life tough for Singaporeans.

They also charged that government policies which emphasised asset accumulation had left Singaporeans cash-poor.

Speakers from the audience voiced grievances on issues such as Housing Board prices, the one-point hike in Goods and Services Tax from January and the lower value of the shares they bought with CPF money.

Party secretary-general and Hougang MP Low Thia Khiang was present but let his colleagues deal with most of the issues.

Political scientist Ho Khai Leong, of the Institute of South-east Asian Studies, said the session was "one of the better organised opposition meetings I have attended... The quality of discussion and views has gone up."

Straits Times: WP: Unfair to slam researchers

THE Workers' Party (WP) yesterday took to task Acting Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen, saying his criticisms of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) economists were "uncalled for and unfair".

It also lambasted the Manpower Ministry (MOM) for deciding to release classified data only now, because the economists' findings had placed its policies under scrutiny.

In a statement signed by the party's secretary-general Low Thia Khiang, the WP said it was "astonished" by the response of the ministry to the findings of NTU dons Associate Professors Tan Khee Giap and Chen Kang.

The duo, who on Wednesday made public their findings that three out of every four new jobs created in the past five years went to foreigners, were on Thursday rapped by Dr Ng for getting the facts wrong.

Dr Ng said the researchers were "irresponsible" and "unprofessional" for not verifying the facts, and presented new figures that showed instead that nine out of 10 new jobs created went to Singaporeans.

In the WP statement, Mr Low, MP for Hougang, noted the NTU economists' stance that they had used MOM's data published on its website as a basis for their analysis and said they did not "pluck the data from the air".

It was only in response to their findings that MOM released previously classfied data. Mr Low questioned if it was doing so only because its policies were being scrutinised. "Is there other relevant data which MOM has not yet released?" he asked.

He also rebutted Dr Ng's point that the economists should have verified ther data with his ministry.

"Is the Acting Minister saying that official data published by the Government is unreliable and any study based on the data has to be further verified by the relevant authority?

"If so, what is the purpose and use of the published government statistics?" he asked.

Taking a swipe at the Government's efforts in remaking Singapore, he concluded: "Before we can talk about remaking Singapore, the Government needs to first examine its own attitude and response to open discussion and public debate."

Weekend TODAY: A touch of blue, a matter of choice

INTERVIEW/BY NG BOON YIAN

New WP chief Sylvia Lim on what it takes to win an election or convince someone to vote for you


TODAY photo by WEE TECK HIAN

JUST back from climbing Mount Kinabalu and white water rafting down Padas River, Ms Sylvia Lim (picture) from the Workers' Party (WP) was game for yet another interview, despite nursing a hurt ankle.

Ever since the sporty lady was elected as WP's new Chairman, the 38-year-old has been willy-nilly swept up in media attention - flooded by interview requests, even from women's magazines.

Over lunch, Ms Lim casually mused over the stir in the media caused by her entry into opposition politics. It showed how "politically-backward" Singapore was, she said.

It would not have happened anywhere else in the world.

"So, are we really first world or not?" Ms Lim asked with her easy laughter.

Well, not yet in terms of politics, seemed to be the Temasek Polytechnic law lecturer's verdict.

To correct the balance, her party is going in for a makeover of sorts.

From the new party brochure to the revamped WP website to the shirt that Ms Lim was wearing, they are all washed in the party colour of blue, blue and blue - a consistency worthy of brand campaigning.

And the image polishing is all part of a renewal crucial for WP to keep pace with an emerging generation of Singaporeans, said Ms Lim.

"Most people know that our party is ageing. So, we must keep up with the public and still remain relevant. We know from statistics that by the next election, about 60 per cent of the voting public will be born after Independence," she said.

Of course, the renewal goes beyond the surface.

Fresh blood, including 20-somethings, have also been infused into the party ranks.

Organisationally, more sub-committees on areas such as policies and current affairs have been set up.

More importantly, the party is stepping up its efforts to work the ground.

Not only are there public outreach programmes every Sunday, WP has also started house visits recently, said Ms Lim. "We have to start work early because the public also needs time to assess us to see whether we are sincere."

And because of the uncertainty over possible redrawing of constituency boundaries, WP is working on the "larger areas" too so that if some unexpected demarcation takes place before the elections, there will hopefully be "some spillover effects" from the earlier efforts, said Ms Lim.

"We have been making progress but we still need to reach a critical mass. We are not there yet," said Ms Lim.

But all this ground work has left her reflecting on what it takes to win votes.

"In the past one and a half years, I have come to realise that to win an election or convince someone to vote for you, it may not be so important to the people to have grand ideas about policies sometimes," she said.

It might be more important to convince Singaporeans of one's sincerity and to engage them in everyday concerns like healthcare costs, said Ms Lim.

The former police inspector has dealt with people from different walks of life but as someone who is English-educated, Ms Lim does face some limitations in the heartlands.

Now, not only is she brushing up her Mandarin with tuition, Ms Lim, a Teochew, is also learning to say specific terms like Central Provident Fund in dialect.

The renewal notwithstanding, Ms Lim stressed that WP's traditional commitment to speak up for the underprivileged and working classes will not change.

At the same time, the party is also not going to neglect the so-called "New Poor" too, an idea first brought up last election, much to the withering scorn of People's Action Party.

Referring to Singaporeans made poorer by hard times - from the retrenched middle-class professionals to the jobless graduates - Ms Lim said that it is "a very real phenomenon" that WP would still focus on.

But WP wants to hammer home another point first. That there is a need for opposition parties, especially now that former Government critics like Mr Vivian Balakrishnan and Mr Raymond Lim have been roped into the PAP.

But Ms Lim does not think that will satisfy Singaporeans' desire for more alternative voices.

She argued: "The thing is: Ultimately at election time, there's no choice if there are no candidates from another party.

"At the end of the day, we will be living in a system where the PAP can decide what we can discuss, when we can discuss it and who they want to hear from.

"And that is subjugating people to a level of dependency where we are depending on the patronage of the PAP to give us the freedom to discuss.

"I think that is wrong. The people should realise that it is their right to express either approval or disapproval with the Government at the ballot box," she added.

It's an idea that the opposition has been pushing for some time and it remains to be seen how far the renewed WP can take it by the next election.

Straits Times: A passion for politics... and the underdog

Among the new Workers' Party faces elected to office last week is a woman - to the post of chairman. HELMI YUSOF susses out the bright new opposition hope.


JACQUELINE ONG
Making history as the first woman to be elected chairman of a political party here, Miss Lim is now the WP's No. 2, behind secretary-general Low Thia Khiang.

RISING opposition star Sylvia Lim's life has in the last year and a half taken two big twists.

The first happened after Nov 3, 2001, when the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) romped home at the polls.

"The PAP getting 75 per cent of the votes was the last straw for me," she recalls feeling at the time, after the final tally was shown on television at around midnight.

Her voice shows some of the steel that may account for her choosing this often-fraught path of politics.

Although she had considered joining politics since the 1997 General Election, she held back until the landslide gave her the final push: She wrote to the Workers' Party (WP) to ask about signing up.

"I decided it was time to make a contribution," she said in an interview earlier this week with The Straits Times, in a tone which made it sound like it was an easy thing to do.

"There is no point wishing for a strong and credible opposition if one is not prepared to do something."

The WP welcomed her with open arms.

Then came Miss Lim's second turning point.

Last week, she made history as the first woman to be elected chairman of a political party here.

It catapulted the hitherto unknown to No. 2, behind the WP's secretary-general and Hougang Member of Parliament Low Thia Khiang.

It has also put her under the spotlight, prompting a flood of the inevitable questions which would face anyone bold or energetic enough to venture into opposition politics here: Who is this intrepid woman? What made her take the plunge? Will she have the wherewithal?

When we met at a cafe in Tampines earlier this week, she tried to answer a few of them.

A single woman, Miss Lim, 38, is a National University of Singapore law graduate, with a master's degree from the University of London.

She was a police inspector and a practising lawyer, before taking up her current job at Temasek Polytechnic as a law lecturer in 1998.

While coy about her private life, declining to discuss singlehood or how the polytechnic will take to her entering politics, she was otherwise happy to talk about aspects of her life, especially how she became interested in politics.

This she attributes to dinner at home as a child, when the food at the table was dished up with lively discussions on national issues between her father, now a retired criminal lawyer, and her mother, now a retired nurse, as well as her two younger siblings.

"Debating issues was a norm in our family," she remembers with fondness.

But her friends weren't interested.

"They would rather talk about food."

Her early education at the Convent of Our Lady of Good Counsel and St Joseph's Convent taught her charity towards the poor, she said.

In her undergraduate and postgraduate days, she did volunteer work for the Spastic Children's Association, the Salvation Army Home for the Aged and the University College Hospital in London.

A fitness enthusiast who goes to the gym three times a week, she now spends a good part of her time helping Mr Low prepare his parliamentary speeches, attends party meetings and rolls up her sleeves each weekend to sell the party's newsletter, The Hammer.

Former chairman Tan Bin Seng, 50, is full of praise for her, saying she is the natural choice for Mr Low's right-hand woman. "She's young and energetic. During our council meetings, she showed herself to be intelligent and confident," he said.

Well-groomed, articulate and passionate about her beliefs, she wouldn't look amiss wearing the PAP all-whites.

"I don't agree with some of PAP's elitist policies, so I wouldn't want to join the PAP," she said, when this suggestion was made to her.

Her affinity is for the WP, which she feels has fought for the working class and disadvantaged.

Besides being against specific policies - streaming, and passing on rising costs, such as health-care and tertiary-education costs, to citizens - she also sees a more general need for checks against government power.

"Singapore needs the Opposition to scrutinise government policies constructively and pressure the Government to serve the people better."

Does she fear that being the one doing the scrutiny will get her into trouble?

She revealed that well-meaning friends had warned her about being made bankrupt or being jailed, adding that she was aware of the trials and tribulations of those like Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam and Mr Tang Liang Hong.

But that has only spurred her on, she said.

"I want to express this hope that, in time to come, people won't be saying such things about joining the Opposition any more."

Not that she is naive about the potential pitfalls.

"As long as I speak carefully, using facts, logic and compassion, I think I should be all right. I am, after all, pro-Singapore."

It helps that she can draw strength from the person who inspired her political inclinations in the first place - her father.

He has told her he is very proud of her, she said, adding with a laugh: "Although he did once joke that I would land up in prison."

Then, turning serious, she said: "I have no such intention."

---

Trailblazers

MS SYLVIA Lim's appointment as Workers' Party (WP) chairman may be seen as a victory for women, as no woman has ever been made chairman of a political party here before.

But there have been a few other trailblazers in Singapore's history of opposition politics.

In the first Legislative Assembly elections in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing, Mrs Seow Peck Leng of the Singapore People's Alliance Party became the only woman on the opposition benches. A fervent champion of women's rights, she left politics in 1963 to pursue social and charity work full-time.

Another woman who figured large in the 1950s and 1960s was Mrs Felice Leon-Soh, the Liberal Socialist Party's secretary-general. She never won a seat in the Legislative Assembly, but she is best remembered for her scathing comments about then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew over the 1963 merger with Malaysia.

The 1960s and 1970s saw fewer women going into politics. In 1968, only one ran for office. In 1972, there were two women in a field of 138 candidates for 57 seats. Both were from the WP. Neither won.

In 1980, things started to look up, ironically after then-Minister of Trade and Industry Goh Chok Tong made remarks suggesting women were not made for politics. It sparked a controversy as women activists and academics tried to prove him wrong. Both the People's Action Party (PAP) and Opposition started to field more women.

In the 1980s, the number of women candidates rose. The PAP, for example, fielded three women in 1984, four in 1988, and then three in 1991.

That year, Madam Yu-Foo Yee Shoon almost lost her seat to Ms Toh Kiam Kiat of the Singapore Democratic Party. In the 2001 election, the PAP had 10 women candidates, while the Opposition had one, Siok Chin, Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan's sister.

New Paper on Sunday: The new 'life' of the Party

Sylvia Lim's quick rise to become Workers' Party Chairman

Is it PR? Or is it strategy? It's more, she says

BY TEO HWEE NAK


Why opposition politics?
It was a moment of great catharsis. The pent-up political calling was finally being ventilated.
- Ms Sylvia Lim

FEMALE. Politician. Leader of an opposition party.

So, does she see herself as Singapore's Aung San Suu Kyi?

Don't even suggest that to Ms Sylvia Lim, the new chairman of the Workers' Party.

The eloquent, witty law lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic is one very self-assured lady, thank you very much.

But she's hardly an Aung San Suu Kyi.

She may gush with admiration for the Myanmar opposition leader, but that's it.

Said Ms Lim, 37: "Dynamic leadership, commitment, brave sacrifices. A great lady. I do admire her, but sorry, I'm not really keen to model myself on anyone."

But surely there must be someone she admires and wants to emulate?

"No-one. I think I will find my own way," she said firmly.

In a way, the vivacious Ms Lim is already a trailblazer. The first woman to take the helm in the Workers' Party's 45-year history, Ms Lim is perhaps also the only woman to hold such a key position in a political party in Singapore. And she did it within 18 months of joining the party.

Is the Workers' Party trying to make a statement? Or is it hoping to carve a niche for itself? A strategic move to engage the public's attention, perhaps?

Ms Lim took all these suggestions in her stride.

She said in her rapid-fire way: "I'm not very sure whether in the past there have been other women who have held any posts in any party, but I don't recall any. So you see, we're very progressive."

"But I don't think it's so much about women in a political way. In this whole episode, there are some things which I'm very proud of. Our party's organising members are predominantly male, and some of them are fairly old.

"But looking at the way they have voted, they are not constrained by any mindsets about who should lead, whether it has to be guy. I can't speculate on why they voted for me, but obviously they're entrusting me with a huge responsibility. Under our party constitution, the chairman has a fairly large say over how the party is run.

"Putting me there just for PR (public relations) purposes would be a big risk to the party. It has to be more than that."

WHY NO WOMEN?

But while she tries to distance her phenomenal 18-month climb from the gender issue, the straight-talking Ms Lim couldn't help but lament the lack of top woman politicians in Parliament.

"I must say I don't like this state of affairs. Since the Cabinet now is quite large, surely there must be some opportunity to put a woman there. We see women holding important roles in business and in professional fields, so why should politics be any different?" she said.

The fact that she's single helps, she admitted. The decision to make that leap into politics, and opposition politics at that, would be a more difficult one if she were married with kids.

"A single person, especially a woman, can devote more time to doing public work," said Ms Lim, who lives in a private apartment in Bukit Batok with her younger brother.

Not that she has not made any sacrifices.

The active woman who exercises three times a week and sings in her church choir now spends her weekends poring over parliamentary bills, doing research and helping party secretary-general Low Thia Khiang prepare for his debates.

She has also been working the ground, wading into various estates islandwide to sell The Hammer, the party's publication, which she also writes for.

Describing her decision to join the Workers' Party, she said: "It was a moment of great catharsis. The pent-up political calling was finally being ventilated."

Politics was something she grew up with at dinner tables, where her lawyer father would discuss current affairs with her and her younger sister and brother. In fact, she thinks her father is proud of her move.

"His friends tell me he would proudly announce that his daughter has joined the opposition," she said, laughing.

She plans to make full use of her experience as a lawyer and the three years she spent in the police force as an inspector and later, staff officer to the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

But she doesn't intend to go in for former party secretary-general J B Jeyaretnam's fire-brand type of politics.

Instead, she wants to be known as a persuasive politician who can back her words with facts and figures.

Throughout the interview at the Bukit Batok Nature Park, where she goes for her jogs, Ms Lim was animated and quick in her replies, laughed and joked heartily, and appeared completely at ease with the reporter and photographer, something rarely seen in even a seasoned politician.

When told that, she laughed and replied: "It's something you have to be prepared to do once you enter politics, isn't it?"

---

'Shrewd move by WP'

IT'S time for a woman to take on a key role in Singapore politics, say observers.

Only in recent years have we seen more women filling the seats in Parliament. Still, none of them hold any top positions.

There are no female ministers, not even ministers of state.

There are also no women holding either of the key positions of party secretary-general or chairman in any of the other political parties.

Although the secretary-general in a political party is the one who holds the reins and steers the ship, the chairman's role is also a crucial and visible one.

Ms Lim's appointment is an interesting development, said Dr Ooi Giok Ling, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies.

She said: "Electing a woman chairman has its functions. In Singapore, the role of gender in politics is often downplayed. We've not given as much prominence to the fact that gender actually matters in electoral outcomes.

"But there are enough women here, young and educated, who may want this outlet. It may be a shrewd move on the party's part."

The Workers' Party may also be taking the cue from the move of the People's Action Party (PAP) to include more women in its Member of Parliament line-up, she said.

"The Workers' Party is also reading the ground the same way. Mr Low Thia Khiang is known to be very good in feeling the ground," said Dr Ooi.

WHY SO LONG?

And while Mr Seah Chiang Nee, who runs news and information website Littlespeck, was not surprised at the appointment, he wondered why it did not happen earlier.

"Women have chased and overtaken men in many other areas. But the question is why they have not done so earlier in politics. Indonesia, for example, has a female president. We're far behind," he noted.

Still, male or female, the key is whether Ms Lim can lead one of the oldest parties in Singapore to new heights.

"It's not an easy position, especially in the opposition party," said Dr Ooi.