Sparks are flying even before the contest has officially begun.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) has slammed the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP’s) for suggesting that its Bukit Batok by-election candidate Murali Pillai might have breached the law when announcing new facilities and improvements under a $1.9 million neighbourhood plan if he were to be elected in the May 7 contest.
In a statement issued on Wednesday (April 27) morning, the PAP said that the SDP’s statements made by Dr Paul Tambyah was “misconceived” and speculation that Mr Murali may have made a statement in breach of the law was “absurd”.
On Sunday, lawyer Mr Murali, 48, first unveiled the plans, which included covered walkways, ramps, a jogging track and a park, for a precinct in Bukit Batok West Avenue 4.
The plan, which comes under the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP), is a project undertaken by the PAP’s Jurong-Clementi Town Council.
Speaking about the plans, Mr Murali said on Sunday: “So it’s really up to our residents. We will have the mandate to carry on only if we are returned at the by-election.
“If we don’t have the mandate, then we won’t have the ability to carry on because we will not form the town council. That’s the rule.”
In a statement posted on the party’s website on Tuesday, SDP Central Executive Committee member Dr Tambyah criticised Mr Murali’s statement, calling it “unethical”.
Dr Tambyah said: “To say that major improvements will come only if the PAP candidate is elected is unethical and could even be a contravention of the Parliamentary Elections Act (Section 59) which prohibits parties or persons from bringing undue influence on voters.”
Besides reassuring residents that government agencies were non-partisan and would work with whoever is elected as Member of Parliament for the single-member constituency, the SDP also accused the PAP of using a “high-handed top-down approach”.
In its statement, the PAP said: “If a candidate for election as Member of Parliament is not elected, his Party’s Town Council naturally cannot be responsible for the constituency, and cannot carry out its NRP plans for that constituency.”
It added: “This simple fact was what Mr Murali had stated in response to a query from the media on April 24. It will then be for the new Town Council that is formed to decide on its plans and what it should proceed with.
“The Government funds NRP projects for all Town Councils. The number of NRP projects approved for each Town Council takes into account characteristics such as the age profile of the HDB units governed by each Town Council. It is the Town Council that nominates the neighbourhoods which should be prioritised for NRP, when it applies for government funding.”
chenj@sph.com.sg
AsiaOne
