PAP held its rally at Bukit Gombak Stadium, while SDP’s rally was at a field along Bukit Batok Industrial Park A.
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Highlights: PAP, SDP hold first rallies for Bukit Batok by-election
Bukit Batok SMC by-election: Town council management and unemployment issues highlight of rallies
SINGAPORE – Town council management, candidates’ values and unemployment issues took center stage on the first day of the Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency (SMC) by-election rallies.
People’s Action Party’s (PAP) candidate Murali Pillai spoke at Bukit Gombak Stadium. He was accompanied by the Members of Parliament (MP) from the Jurong GRC, Yuhua SMC as well as Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob and former MP Lim Boon Heng.
Dr Chee Soon Juan spoke at Bukit Batok Industrial Park A and was accompanied by party members Mr Damanhuri Abas, Mr Sadasivam Veriyah, Mr Bryan Lim, Chairman Wong Souk Yee and Dr Paul Tambyah.
Here are 10 highlights you need to know:
PAP rally
1. Mentorship
Mr Pillai spoke of three mentors he looked up to; his father Barisan Socialis member and political detainee, Mr P.K Pillai, former Members of Parliament Dr Ong Chit Chung and Mr Lim Boon Heng.
Quoting the older Mr Pillai, he told residents: “The day I stop (making a positive difference) to Bukit Batok, I will leave. When I leave, I leave with shirt on my back and nothing else except memories of my service with you.”
He also added that his two senior MPs taught him to put the residents at the core of his political career.
2. Community Placement Programme
On unemployment issues, Mr Pillai said that a Singaporean’s job should be preserved above a foreigner’s. He added that he wants to start a Community Placement Programme, which will leverage on a network of contacts to provide employment for those who have lost their jobs. He said that Jurong GRC will be supporting this programme.
3. SDP’s confidence in managing the Town Council
MP of Yuhua SMC Grace Fu questioned the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) confidence in managing the Town Council. She spoke of how their previous forays into the elections have been unsuccessful after Dr Chiam See Tong, founder of SDP was voted out of the party. She also questioned Dr Chee’s work credentials and asked how he planned to manage the SMC in times of economic downturn when he hasn’t been in the workforce for years.
“To recruit a person, you need to look at their work experience and references from those who worked with them.” She added: “It will be very interesting to see if there will be a reference letter from Mr Chiam See Tong, the ‘sifu’ (master) who recruited Mr Chee into the SDP.”
4. Racial discrimination
Ms Fu also called for residents to be wary of those playing the racial card. She said she was aware that the message “Chinese should only vote for Chinese” has been circulating, and she requested that SDP make their stand on this. Ms Fu also revealed that while Mr Pillai lost in the fight for Aljunied GRC in the 2015 General Elections, he won over residents in the Paya Lebar division.
5. Mr Pillai’s consistency
Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob listed three reasons why residents should support Mr Pillai. He is an “old boy on the block”, consistent in his values of hardwork and respect regardless of political beliefs, and has clear programmes.
Mdm Yacob added that while some residents may question the significance of a by-election, it remained important to elect a good leader to serve as a catalyst and connector to parliament.
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AsiaOne, screengrabs
SDP rally
1. The upgrading programmes
SDP member Paul Tambyah and Dr Chee assured residents that upgrading programmes will continue no matter who gets voted in. Dr Tambyah further cited examples in Aljunied GRC where upgrading continued after GE2011.
He also added that Singapore has a non-partisan civil service that serves Singaporeans regardless of their political affliation.
However, Dr Chee criticised Mr Pillai for saying that a 3G park would only be constructed if the PAP wins the SMC, saying that if the PAP candidate cared about Bukit Batok, the park would be built even if he was not elected.
2. Town council management
The various speakers, including Mr Abdul Salim Harun and Mr Yeo Yeu Yong, stressed that SDP will manage the the Bukit Batok town council directly.
They also said that they will save cost as they would not need to hire a managing agent, and that they have set up a four-person transition team to ensure a smooth handover should the party win.
3. Need for more opposition
Dr Chee said that if elected, he will ensure that the voices of Bukit Batok residents are heard in Parliament, and that as a PAP member, Mr Pillai will not be able to ask the hard questions.
He also cited statistics from a report by Japanese securities firm Nomura, saying that without productivity growth, Singapore’s economy will not grow, which in turn could lead to lower wage increments and more unemployment.
He said: “Without productivity, without an innovative economy, we are going to suffer.”
4. No personal attacks
Dr Chee remarked that he would not launch any personal attacks against former Bukit Batok MP David Ong, as he is a good man, saying, “You don’t want to kick a man when he is down”.
He further stated that while he disagrees with Mr Pillai’s political views, he does not disagree with Mr Pillai as a person – calling him a “decent chap”.
5. Amusing trivia
As AsiaOne was on the ground at the SDP rally, some things of interest caught our reporter’s attention.
Firstly, when Dr Chee also said that his only reluctance to run was because “‘Chee doesn’t go well with ‘by-election'”, referring to the hashtag ‘#cheebyelection’ that gained traction shortly after SDP announced its intention to run.
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Friday, April 29, 2016 – 20:10
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Bukit Batok SMC by-election: Town council management, values and unemployment issues highlight of rallies
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Gucci warns Hong Kong shops selling paper handbags for dead
Luxury fashion brand Gucci has warned Hong Kong shops selling paper handbags and other goods as offerings for the dead not to market items resembling their products.
It is a tradition for Hong Kong families to purchase and burn paper replicas of everything their deceased loved ones could ever want in the afterlife.
As such the city is bustling with specialty stores stocking everything from paper false teeth, iPads and shirts, to chauffeur-driven cars, macaroons, mansions and wads of fake cash.
But it was the replica bags and other products bearing Gucci-like logos and designs that caught the eye of the luxury goods maker.”In this instance, we fully respect the funeral context and we trust that the store owners did not have the intention to infringe Gucci’s trademark,” the company said in a statement emailed to AFP on Friday (April 29).
“Thus a letter was sent on an informational basis to let these stores know about the products they were carrying, and by asking them to stop selling those items,” the statement said, adding that there was no suggestion of legal action or compensation.”Gucci needs to protect its intellectual property, and does this across industries globally.” Gucci is thought to be among the most desired brands in China in part due to its iconic logo which conveys status.
Since its arrival in Hong Kong in 1974 it has opened 11 stores including its flagship store in the financial district of Central.
Owners of the paper replica shops seemed unfazed by the warning.”These items are not used by living people, it’s just to commemorate ancestors and for them to use,” To Chin-sung, a 65-year-old manager of a shop crammed with paper offerings, told AFP.”It’s not an exact copy, they just think it looks very similar,” he said.
To, who also sells paper bags resembling those from Gucci said he had not received the letter.”If they do send us a letter, we’ll respond jokingly by saying perhaps we can help send the letter to the nether world, and see how it’s received there.” Thousands in the city trek up to hillside cemeteries twice a year to burn the offerings for their ancestors and to sweep their graves in a ritual that gives them peace of mind.
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Friday, April 29, 2016 – 19:13
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Live updates: PAP, SDP hold first rallies for Bukit Batok by-election
PAP is holding its rally at Bukit Gombak Stadium, while SDP’s rally is at a field along Bukit Batok Industrial Park A.
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China's newest sportswear brand Uncle Martian is Under Armour rip-off
If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then China is on a roll.
Following in the wake of copycat pyramids and sphinxes, is China’s newest sportswear brand, Uncle Martian.
Photo: Mashable
If its name and logo sounds familiar, that’s because it seems like an obvious rip-off of American brand Under Armour.
Upping the ante is a Fred Perry-esque wreath wrapped around the logo.
Not obvious at all Uncle Martian.
According to Mashable Asia, the brains behind Uncle Martian is a 25-year-old sports shoe manufacturer, Tingfei Long Sporting Goods Co. Its manager, Huang Canlong, told Chinese media that Uncle Martian would like to compete in China’s branded shoe market – which is currently held by New Balance and Under Armour.
Uncle Martian sports brand looks like rip-off of Under Armour
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Sina Weibo
Uncle Martian set up its Weibo account this morning (April 29) to instant backlash as netizens have called them out for its uncanny likeness to Under Armour’s red and white logo.
Some said that the brand’s blatant disregard for copyright laws were an embarrassment to the country while others questioned if the logo was spelt as UN or UM. People were clearly displeased at the apparent lack of creativity.
However Uncle Martian was quick to defend itself, saying that there was no similarity to Under Armour at all.
Photo: Weibo screenshot
This is not the first time a Chinese company has capitalised on a popular US brand.
In 2015, US basketball star Michael Jordan lost a legal action against Qiaodan Sports, a Chinese sportswear brand which carried similar products to the athlete’s Nike’s Air Jordan line.
The International Business Times reported that Qiaodan, which is a loose translation of “Jordan”, used the athlete’s jersey number, 23, on its merchandise. The brand also printed a logo with striking resemblance to the Nike line, on its products.
debwong@sph.com.sg
Copycat world sculptures appear around China
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Friday, April 29, 2016 – 17:59
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