PM Lee: Hougang by-election an ‘uphill fight’ for the PAP
Posted by temasektimes on May 20, 2012
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has downplayed the chances of the PAP in recapturing the opposition stronghold of Hougang from the Workers Party, describing the Hougang by-election as an “uphill fight” for the People’s Action Party (PAP).
Speaking to reporters after accompanying the PAP candidate for the Hougang by-election Desmond Choo on a walkabout in the constituency, PM Lee said the by-election is a ‘serious business’ for Hougang residents to choose the best candidate to look after them in the ward and to represent their interests in Parliament.
Responding to the recent public proclamation by the Workers Party that the by-election was a ‘serious business’ for the party, PM Lee said if that was indeed so, the Workers’ Party should have put up a good candidate for the constituency in the General Election held in May last year.
The seat of Hougang was left vacant after its ex-WP MP Yaw Shin Leong was sacked from WP three months ago for his failure to address swirling rumors around his alleged extramarital affairs with multiple married women, including two key female WP leaders who may be involved in the preparation of the by-election in Hougang.
WP Chief Low Thia Kiang claimed that he was ‘unaware’ of Yaw’s personal indiscretions though there were already rumors going on that Yaw was involved in some ‘hanky-panky’ with WP female members. His second wife was his counting agent in Ang Mo Kio GRC during the 2006 General Election.
PM Lee also said the by-election is not meant to provide more ‘alternative’ voices in Parliament as there are already eight opposition MPs in Parliament and another nine Nominated MPs.
The Workers Party appears to be very confident of its chances in the coming by-election next week with its supporters predicting an even bigger margin of win for the party.
PAP Rally this evening at:
7:00pm at Hougang Stadium, 100 Hougang Ave. 2 S538856
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peking Dog xu sunn said
He say he is very busy?
jack said
Down play the chance of winning to win sympathy votes, that is the pap strategy, plus did crediting wp
Utter Rubbish said
Why is TT featuring articles bashing WP and siding PAP?? If we wanna read state propaganda, we would’ve sticks to the Straits Times!!
khiangkia said
Political pundits, laymen, netizens, almost everyone, all spell doom for the PAP candidate. I support no particular Party. What bothers me is the lack of diversity of views. This does not augur well for a free-thinking society. I decide not to follow the crowd but free my thoughts and look at things from different perspectives. To my own surprise, I find good reasons to believe the the PAP candidate Desmond Choo actually stands a good chance of winning.
The political landscape has changed for the better. There are now five MPs from the WP. You can scream “Five is not enough!”. True. But must that one more come from Hougang? It had provided one for the last 20+ years. The most recent one, YSL, was elected with much fanfare but it turned out to be a much ado about nothing.
For the saga of YSL, disappointment is an understatement. The voters of Hougang bore a deep sense of betrayal by the WP. Over the 20+ years, they believed in the WP and had sacrificed so much for the sake of democracy in Singapore. As result, their constituency is one of the least developed. In the last election, they were made to believe that YSL would be a capable candidate who would be their voice, and one more voice of the WP, in Parliament. It turned out that before he could utter a word on their behalf, he was booted out by none other than his own Party. I doubt many people in Hougang believed that the WP did not know about his flings before the election. The people of Hougang are not daft.
Desmond Choo has been walking the grounds of Hougang and warming to the residents there for the past 5+ years. Png Eng Huat just walk in from the cold. Desmond Choo has connected well with the people of Hougang, attending to their problems and needs. They can see that he soldiers on even after the defeat in the last election. What has Mr. Png done for Hougang? Will he still be around if he loses the by-election? The contrast in past records between the two candidates is big. This can make a big difference to the vote count. Potong Pasir is a good example. Seetoh continued to walk the ground and connect with the people despite two defeats in past elections. When the SPP chose a housewife who could hardly hold a conversation on public TV to compete with him, the contrast was just too great. The choice became clearer to the voters and Seetoh won.
Besides the contrast in past records, its the difference in personality between the two candidates. I do not want to repeat what others have said. Personally, I find that Desmond Choo exudes warmth and is a good communicator. Mr. Png, to me, seems like someone more destined for the backroom, doing the thinking work, dealing with planning and strategy.
Based on the above analysis, a swing of 15% or more votes to the PAP is not a miracle. Desmond Choo stands a good chance of winning. I predict a victory for him within a margin of not more than 5%.
xxx said
Yeah and 12 of them are not entitled to vote. Out of 96 seats.
bb said
obviously it is “uphill task” that’s why delibrately don’t want to call for bye election.
DIY said
Supposed this by-election was won by WP (Hougang) and PEH were exposed with another scandal and vacate the SMC, should there be another by-election? That is a question.