Following days of keeping silent on several allegations against his character circulating on social media, People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate Ivan Lim addressed the claims in a statement earlier today (June 27).
In it, he explained away the viral anecdotes made by netizens who claim to have had negative encounters with the new PAP candidate. No apology was issued in regards to the elitist attitude allegations, but he acknowledged that he could “always do better”.
But it would appear to be that the groundswell against Lim is not slowing down. Despite the statement, an online petition urging for his dismissal from this year’s general election has garnered over 16,000 votes (and counting).
It isn’t easy making a mid-career switch, and the Workers’ Party’s Fadli Fawzi knows firsthand about it.
The 39-year-old lawyer, who was introduced as one of WP’s potential candidates on Saturday (June 27), shared the struggles he faced while changing career tracks from social service to law.
“It was a financially difficult decision, I had to rely on my savings and loans. I also worked part-time as a tutor.”
Fadli decided to pursue law as he wanted a more hands-on way to help others after five years as a policy development officer at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).
“My experience showed me that we can do more for working professionals who are looking to transition into new jobs,” he said.
He wants to look into expanding and consolidating loan and grant schemes as well as making them accessible to all mid-career professionals.
Now, the lawyer is making another career switch to help Singaporeans — by going into politics.
SINGAPORE – The balance in Parliament remains important even as Singapore fights Covid-19 together, said Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh on Saturday (June 27), as he urged Singaporeans to vote to ensure there is a credible opposition in the House.
Speaking at the party’s candidate introduction press conference, Mr Singh noted that the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) will have a strong mandate even if the WP wins all the 21 seats it is contesting.
“The PAP are going to contest in 93 seats, the Workers Party is contesting in 21 seats, and that leaves us potentially 72 seats in PAP’s hands. I’m not sure whether that equates to a weak mandate. I think that’s still a strong mandate for the PAP,” he said.
“So what I believe Singaporeans should also consider is, as all of us collectively fight Covid-19, what about the balance in Parliament?”
Mr Singh also responded to a question about how the WP would react if their candidates find themselves in the same circumstances as PAP candidate Ivan Lim, who has been criticised online by some who say they have had bad experiences with him in the past.
SINGAPORE – All ActiveSG indoor sport halls will be closed for a day on Sunday (June 28) as a “time-out” and “to ensure that all users of ActiveSG’s indoor sport halls understand the rules and spirit of the safe management measures”, said Sport Singapore (SportSG) on Saturday (June 27).
This, after it was alerted to a positive Covid-19 case who had played badminton at the ActiveSG Jurong East Indoor Sport Hall on Monday (June 22) and had flouted SportSG’s safe management measures while doing so.
This hall will be closed from Saturday till Sunday “for thorough disinfection and cleaning, and a review of the safe management measures in place”.
SportSG said it hoped that with the temporary closure of all its halls, “all users of our facilities will take this time to reflect on the importance of exercising individual responsibility for the collective good, so that we can overcome Covid-19, together”.
The national sports agency also warned that it would take action against errant users, and said it would implement new measures to ensure that users abide by the rules at all its indoor sport facilities.
Opposition party Peoples Voice announced this morning (June 27) through a video on its Facebook page that it would ***Vote for Peoples Voice in Pioneer SMC***
I take my hat off to Gilbert Goh, I admire him tremendously. He works…Posted by Lim Tean on Friday, June 26, 2020″ target=”_blank”>field activist Gilbert Goh to contest in Pioneer SMC.
The Workers’ Party (WP) unveiled its latest slate of election candidates in a virtual press conference on Saturday (June 27) afternoon.
WP chief Pritam Singh and Sylvia Lim, WP chairman, introduced the following candidates:
1. Nathaniel Koh Kim Kui, 36, former WP Youth Wing executive committee member and IT professional. This is the long-time party member’s first-time standing as an election candidate.
2. Tan Chen Chen, 38, contracts administrator and trained quantity surveyor. This will be her first election.
3. Muhammad Fadli Mohammad Fawzi, 45, lawyer. This will be his first election.
4. Kenneth Foo Seck Guan, 43, deputy director of Singapore Cancer Society. He contested in Nee Soon GRC in the 2015 election and this is his second election.
5. Terence Tan, 48, law firm director. He contested in Marina Parade GRC in 2015 and this is his second time as an election candidate.
SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party (WP) on Saturday (Jun 27) announced a third batch of prospective candidates for the General Election, including three new faces and two former candidates.
The new faces are: IT professional Nathaniel Koh, 36, contracts administrator Tan Chen Chen, 38, and lawyer Fadli Fawzi, 40.
It will be the second electoral contest for Mr Kenneth Foo and Mr Terence Tan, who had run in the 2015 General Election.
WP chief Pritam Singh and chairman Sylvia Lim introduced the five prospective candidates at a virtual press conference on Saturday.
Fourteen candidates have been announced so far in three press conferences, with a last session to come on Sunday. WP will be contesting 21 seats in Aljunied, East Coast, Marine Parade and Sengkang GRCs, as well as Hougang and Punggol West SMCs.
The candidates in the wards WP holds will be refreshed, Mr Singh had said earlier. Former Non-Constituency Members of Parliament Leon Perera and Gerald Giam will be contesting in Aljunied GRC, replacing Mr Chen Show Mao and former party chief Low Thia Khiang, who is retiring from electoral politics.
Mr Dennis Tan will be standing in Hougang SMC in place of Mr Png Eng Huat who is also not running this election. WP has not announced where any of the other candidates will be fielded.
Mr Singh also said the WP manifesto will be released on Sunday.
Workers’ Party candidate for GE2020 Nathaniel Koh Kim Kui. (Photo: Workers’ Party)
IT professional Nathaniel Koh, 36, is contesting in a General Election for the first time but has been volunteering with WP for 11 years.
Mr Koh said he joined WP in 2009. He was in the party’s youth wing and was an election agent in the now-defunct Sengkang West SMC.
He had volunteered at former Aljunied GRC MP Faisal Manap’s Meet-the-People (MPS) sessions and since the 2015 GE, has been secretarial assistant to Mr Singh at his MPS.
He and his wife are expecting their first child.
TAN CHEN CHEN
Workers’ Party candidate for GE2020 Tan Chen Chen. (Photo: Workers’ Party)
Ms Tan Chen Chen, 38, a contracts administrator, is another new face.
She said that she has volunteered with WP since 2015 and was active in Aljunied GRC under Mr Low’s Bedok Reservoir-Punggol division.
She is married and has a three-month-old baby.
MUHAMMAD FADLI MOHAMMED FAWZI
Workers’ Party candidate for GE2020 Muhammad Fadli Bin Mohammed Fawzi. (Photo: Workers’ Party)
Mr Fadli Fawzi, 40, is a lawyer at Inkwell Law Corporation. Before that, he was a senior policy development officer with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS).
He graduated from the Singapore Management University’s juris doctor programme and holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in sociology from the National University of Singapore.
He has been a councillor of Aljunied-Hougang Town Council since May 2014.
KENNETH FOO SECK GUAN
Workers’ Party candidate for GE2020 Kenneth Foo Seck Guan. (Photo: Workers’ Party)
Mr Kenneth Foo, 43, was part of the five-member WP team that contested Nee Soon GRC in the 2015 polls, but lost to the People’s Action Party there.
Mr Foo, deputy director at the Singapore Cancer Society, is Ms Lim’s legislative assistant.
TERENCE TAN LI-CHERN
Workers’ Party candidate for GE2020 Terence Tan Li-Chern. (Photo: Workers’ Party)
Mr Terence Tan ran in Marine Parade GRC in 2015 as part of a five-member team led by Mr Yee Jenn Jong, who will also be contesting the coming General Election. The WP team garnered 35.9 per cent of votes cast and lost to the People’s Action Party.
The 48-year-old lawyer is the deputy organising secretary of the party and has been volunteering with WP since 2011.
Besides practising law, he has had experience in the management levels of property development companies, hotels and the hospitality sector, he said.
SINGAPORE: Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to allow cross-border travel for certain groups of people, including residents who hold long-term immigration passes for business and work purposes.
This was discussed between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Muhyiddin Yassin in a telephone call on Friday (Jun 26), said Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a press statement on Saturday.
The two leaders agreed to establish a Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and a Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) to facilitate the needs of different groups for cross-border travel.
The RGL will facilitate cross-border travel for essential business and official purposes between both countries.
Travellers would have to adhere to a set of COVID-19 prevention and public health measures, which are under discussion and will have to be mutually agreed upon by both countries, said MFA.
The Causeway early in the morning at around 7.20am on Mar 18, 2020. (Photo: Try Sutrisno Foo)
The PCA, on the other hand, will allow Singapore and Malaysia residents who hold long-term immigration passes for business and work purposes in the other country to periodically return to their home countries for short-term home leave.
“They will be able to return home for leave after spending at least three consecutive months in their country of work, and they will be allowed to re-enter their country of work after their home leave,” MFA added.
Mr Lee reiterated Singapore’s commitment to address the needs of Singaporeans and Malaysians who were previously commuting between both countries before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travel.
Both leaders agreed that any bilateral arrangement would have to include mutually agreed public health protocols, to preserve the public health and safety of citizens on both sides, while taking into account the medical resources available in both countries.
MFA said Mr Lee and Mr Muhyiddin have tasked their officials to “work expeditiously” on the operational details of the RGL and PCA.
Officials will also continue discussions on other proposals to gradually facilitate more cross-border movement of people, to ensure a stable recovery by both Singapore and Malaysia from the COVID-19 situation, the ministry added.
This was the message former Nominated MP Calvin Cheng had in a Facebook post on Friday (June 26) — a response to the recent allegations that surfaced about People’s Action Party new candidate Ivan Lim.
IVAN LIM
Singaporean political candidates of all stripes should toughen up and learn to fight back if they come under…
People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate Ivan Lim has stepped up to address the claims made against his character for the first time since his name was dragged in multiple social media posts.
Since his introduction as a PAP candidate on Wednesday (June 24), netizens have been stepping forward with accusations of the 42-year-old’s elitist and condescending attitude.
Anecdotes from an NSmen who allegedly served under him, colleagues in Keppel Offshore and Marine (where Lim is a general manager), and even a school mate at Singapore Polytechnic, have gone viral online.
“It is important for me to do so as my family is affected, in particular my mother,” he began in his statement.
Lim dismissed the allegation that associated him with a bribery case in Brazil, stating that he was not involved in any capacity in Brazilian projects.
As for the claims that he was an unreasonably harsh commanding officer during national service, he explained that “people can have different perspectives of the same incident”.
