Png Eng Huat: I made a choice not to be considered for post of NCMP
Posted by temasektimes on May 22, 2012
I made a choice not to be considered for the post of Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) after last year’s General Election, said WP candidate for Hougang Mr Png Eng Huat.
Mr Png was responding to queries from Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean who asked during the PAP election rally last Sunday why it didn’t send Mr Png to parliament as an NCMP when it had a chance to do so.
DPM Teo also wondered if WP is taking Hougang voters for granted by fielding Mr Png who was not given the much coveted NCMP post.
Mr Png contested in last year’s General Election in East Coast GRC where his team garnered 45 percent of the valid votes. The NCMP position eventually goes to rookie Gerald Giam which prompted its team leader Eric Tan to quit the party in disgust.
The Elections Department had offered three NCMP seats to the best losing opposition candidates in last year’s GE.
In an interview with Channel News Asia, Mr Png said:
“I actually took my name out of the ballot for the NCMP post. Because I have a personal stand against the NCMP scheme, so that’s why my name wasn’t in the ballot. So I don’t think DPM knows all of these.“
However, according to a WP insider who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity, the ‘ballot’ was a farce as certain ‘big shots’ in WP had already decided on Gerald Giam.
“If a vote was indeed called, Eric Tan would surely win because he was a senior leader who laid the groundwork for East Coast. But the two leaders favored Gerald and others simply went along. In WP, there are some leaders who you cannot offend or you will be put in ‘cold storage’ forever,” he said.
Mr Png was working the ground in East Coast only in 2011 before being transferred to Aljunied GRC after the election. After Yaw Shin Leong was sacked in February, he was ‘parachuted’ into Hougang Constituency Committee by WP Chief Low Thia Kiang.
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Sun Wu Gui said
Anonymous Wp insider?? Is this guy real or fictional? At the very least we know who is exactly the guy that made the accusation of Ah Choo buying votes… Wants credibility in your report? Then give names!! If not, no credibility!!
LKY luvs FTs said
I do not see any contradictions – maybe Giam was the better man compared to Png for the NCMP post because Giam was more internet savvy and talkative. Now that Giam is occupied, Png is the best man for the job!
Maybe Png and Giam were evenly matched but Png was better at working the ground while Giam was better at communication. So why can’t Png be the best man for the job?
Is the minister talking for the sake of talking?
As for insiders – you can have as many insiders providing information as you want to imagine you have.
tccs said
MP Baey was also parachuted out of Tanjong Pagar to Tampines. NCMP very good meh? Just a spectator no voting rights. Anyone also can request a visit to Parliament to hear the debat there no need to be a NCMP.
Smith said
If Eric Tan was elected NCMP, then there would have been a pro-PAP NCMP. That would have been a major joke, right?
Kevin said
Go and read the Chinese zaobao paper! It published the full minutes of an extraordinary meeting of the WP CEC held on 12 May 2011, which met to talk about the NCMP posts. Png was present. AND Png took part in the secret ballot and the results of the ballot showed that he got 1 vote! Giam got 7 votes. Eric got 5 votes. So, how can he say that he took his name out from the balloting?!? Clearly, his name was in the ballot! Come on Png, time to come out clean on this! It is all about integrity. Or the lack of integrity. Png said he took his name out from the ballot. But the minutes of meeting clearly shows his name was in the ballot and he got one vote. Can anyone explain the discrepancies? Do we still want a person like that in Parliament?
Who is behind TT? said
I know a long-time toilet cleaner in PAP HQ. He told me in confidence that all the party bigwigs are not confident of DC’s chances in the coming election. I also know the sister of a top SDP leader. She told me that they are trying hard to recruit Nicole Seah!
Please lah TT….
Jaded said
another biased article against WP! Booooo….
Ray said
Well done. quoting an anonymous source. is that any different from me saying that my auntie’s husband’s nephew’s best friend’s cousin’s uncle is in WP’s CEC and witnessed a legitimate poll?
JJB67 said
I’ve heard of a secret from a insider (who’s working with TT) and he said that TT is now run by kids…… You believe??