Could the second time be the charm for Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) Dennis Tan?
Tan, who contested and lost Fengshan SMC in the last general election, has been tipped as the Workers’ Party’s (WP) candidate in Hougang SMC this time around, The Straits Times reported.
The SMC has been helmed by WP’s Png Eng Huat since the 2012 by-election.
Tan, 50, was first introduced as a WP candidate in 2015 when he was fielded in Fengshan SMC.
He narrowly lost to People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Cheryl Chan, obtaining 42.5 per cent of the votes and securing a seat in Parliament as an NCMP.
But in March this year, Fengshan SMC was absorbed into East Coast GRC with the release of new electoral boundaries.
Tan, who first started volunteering with WP in 2011, has been spotted walking the ground with Png in Hougang.
SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) slate in Jalan Besar could see a new leader and some fresh faces, with former anchor minister Yaacob Ibrahim acknowledging that some in his team wish to step down after five terms in government.
But Dr Yaacob, 64, stopped short of saying he would not run in the upcoming General Election, telling CNA on Jun 11 that the decision lies with the party.
“I can only answer by (saying) you have to ask the Prime Minister, the head of the party,” he said with a laugh. “I’m operating on the basis that I will continue to manage this constituency. So I’m getting it ready for the next election.
On Tuesday (Jun 23), the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced the dissolution of Parliament, paving the way for Nomination Day to be held on Jun 30. The Elections Department (ELD) announced later that Polling Day will fall on Jul 10.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Dr Yaacob thanked his grassroots leaders, former colleagues and fellow constituency representatives.
“As of today I am no more a Member of Parliament (MP) with the Singapore parliament as it has been dissolved paving the way for the next general election,” he wrote.
“As I turn to the next chapter of my life I will always cherish these past 23 years for the friends I have made and the opportunities it gave me during many trials and tribulations to become a better person.”
With the PAP traditionally fielding an anchor minister in each Group Representation Constituency (GRC), political observers say ministers from neighbouring constituencies could take over. Manpower Minister Josephine Teo and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah fit the bill.
The pair served in constituencies helmed by two ministers in the Parliament just dissolved: Mrs Teo and Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC,and Ms Indranee and Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing in Tanjong Pagar GRC.
Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, Central District Mayor Denise Phua and five-term backbencher Lily Neo complete the Jalan Besar team.
WHO MIGHT REPLACE YAACOB?
When asked for his thoughts on reports that Mrs Teo might be set to take over, Dr Yaacob remained tight-lipped.
“Again, these are matters for the Prime Minister and the leadership to decide,” he said. “I will just continue with my usual mode. So on nomination day at 12pm, you can ask me and I can answer that question.”
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that “there’s no minister now in Jalan Besar now because I’ve stepped down”, and that he’s confident any potential ministerial replacement “can do the job”.
Dr Yaacob said his team started preparing for the elections four years ago, even before he stepped down as minister, to ensure the “GRC machinery” is in place. This refers to election logistics like identifying polling agents, printing posters and marking out lamp posts.
“I stepped down two years ago, but two years before that I started forming the committee because I said we need to get everything ready,” he added. “So whoever comes in, I think it’s not a problem for him or her to just take on and move on.”
When it comes to moving ministers around, the PAP might look at those from surrounding constituencies, said Dr Gillian Koh, deputy research director at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). Jalan Besar’s new boundaries have also been extended to include some parts of Bishan-Toa Payoh, she noted.
Associate Professor Bilveer Singh, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore, echoed Dr Koh’s sentiments, adding that “there’s already so much synergy within the PAP in these areas”.
Manpower Minister Josephine Teo speaking at a press conference on Mar 17, 2020. (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)
Regardless, it would be “highly unlikely” that the PAP does not field an anchor minister in a GRC, said Dr Felix Tan, associate lecturer at SIM Global Education.
Dr Tan said there is “always a possibility” that Mrs Teo could move from her ward in Bishan-Toa Payoh to helm Jalan Besar, especially as Marymount has been hived off as a Single Member Constituency (SMC) for the coming election.
“There is no real need for an anchor minister of such stature to run in an SMC if he or she can be utilised to helm a larger GRC with a slew of fresh faces,” he said.
Second Minister for Education Indranee Rajah in an interview with CNA938 on Jul 22, 2019. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)
Experts also noted that the PAP could try to maintain the demographic profile in the current Jalan Besar team, especially as Dr Yaacob is the minority representative there.
Dr Koh pointed to speculation that Mrs Teo and fellow Bishan-Toa Payoh Member of Parliament (MP) Saktiandi Supaat could be moved to Jalan Besar.
Assoc Prof Singh touted Tanjong Pagar’s Ms Indranee as another possibility to anchor Jalan Besar as a minority representative. “She’s president of SINDA (Singapore Indian Development Association), very powerful, and one of the most effective ministers Singapore has,” he said.
WP’S CHALLENGE
Assoc Prof Singh said the PAP might need to send a strong anchor minister to Jalan Besar, given speculation that the Workers’ Party (WP) could break up its Aljunied team and move heavyweight MPs Sylvia Lim and Low Thia Khiang there.
While he said the PAP has done “very well” in Jalan Besar – it has never lost the GRC in its various iterations, and in 2015 defeated WP there with 68 per cent of the vote – the presence of someone like Mr Low means “the game may change”.
“This could probably be Low Thia Khiang’s last round and he may just do a Chiam (See Tong), because he’s not fully well and all that,” he said. “And you also may want to create space for the younger people to take over the Workers’ Party.”
Mr Low, 63, injured his head in a fall at home on Apr 30 before being warded in an intensive care unit, and was on May 4 transferred to a general ward. Party chief Pritam Singh said last Friday that Mr Low is currently recovering steadily at home.
Mr Chiam, 85, was Potong Pasir’s MP from 1984 to 2011. In 2011, he ran and lost with the Singapore People’s Party in Bishan-Toa Payoh. This would turn out to be his last General Election amid poor health.
Assoc Prof Singh said the WP might deploy Mr Low in Jalan Besar, which has some of Singapore’s poorest residents, due to his working class appeal.
WP might also want to diversify its Aljunied slate given that three MPs there are defendants in the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council court case, he added.
Still, the observers believe Mrs Teo is capable of holding her own in Jalan Besar, and that criticisms of how she has handled the COVID-19 outbreak in migrant worker dormitories will likely not affect her there.
“There is very little motivation for huge changes to the status quo,” he added. “Moreover, Singaporeans would be more interested (in) how government policies will affect them in day-to-day life and bread-and-butter issues.”
Assoc Prof Singh called Mrs Teo a “strong candidate”, saying that “historically, people will say people like her did a fantastic job, notwithstanding all the odds against her”.
“Among all the woman ministers she’s the Number 1, other than Indranee,” he added.
NEW FACES IN JALAN BESAR?
Besides Dr Yaacob, observers point out that Dr Lily Neo – also on her fifth term – could step down, paving the way for a new face to be deployed in Jalan Besar. Dr Neo declined to comment.
According to reports, one potential candidate is LinkedIn senior executive Alvin Tan, a long-time volunteer in Dr Neo’s Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng ward. Mr Tan, 39, also spoke at a SkillsFuture webinar on Wednesday with Mr Heng and Ms Phua. Mr Tan did not respond to requests for comment.
Mr Alvin Tan (extreme right) with Dr Lily Neo at a Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Hari Raya gathering in 2018. (Photo: Facebook/Alvin Tan)
When Dr Yaacob was asked if he expects his team to be refreshed given that Dr Neo is already on her fifth term, he said: “I think for some of us, I know that we want to step down because we have done four to five terms.”
“I think we’ve always taken the position that the party makes the final decision. Once the party decides for us to stay, we stay. The party says we go, we go,” he said.
“Meanwhile, where we are now the elected MPs, we just have to make sure that we are ready to fight the next battle and hopefully win handsomely.”
Dr Yaacob said he “can’t say for certain” if the party has identified fresh faces for Jalan Besar, adding that he “won’t go into details”.
“There is a process by which the party will introduce new candidates, and I think the time will come,” he stated.
“So for me, I’m just operating with my current grassroots leaders and MPs. We do have our own WhatsApp group, we keep in touch, we update each other. I think when the new candidates come, you will know.”
While Assoc Prof Singh said he’s not seen new faces in Jalan Besar, he highlighted that the PAP could eventually deploy fresh candidates seen walking the ground elsewhere, as part of an initial strategy to distract the opposition.
“Another alternative is they may send an old-timer who is going to retire,” he added, pointing to how MP Charles Chong ran in Punggol East SMC for his seventh term. “So don’t assume it’s always going to be a new face.”
Dr Tan said the PAP might introduce a completely new slate of candidates in Jalan Besar for leadership renewal. “With an anchor minister helming this, it would be able to ensure some form of continuity for the PAP,” he added.
CHALLENGES OF ONLINE CAMPAIGNS
Still, Dr Yaacob acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic will mean a lot of online campaigning, and that getting Jalan Besar’s many elderly residents online will be a “big challenge”.
“We have to have more online presence, so I think engaging residents now is useful because you build up that sort of modality of engagement,” he said.
“And we want to continue with that during the campaign, obviously, so whoever is the candidate, they’ll probably have a Facebook Live session, a chat session – people can come in and register.”
But Dr Yaacob said candidates have to maintain a physical presence for visibility, given that some residents will be out and about for work and leisure. “So you got to find some way to balance between the social distance and your presence,” he added.
Dr Yaacob pointed to how his team, with the help of donors, has been delivering cooked food to elderly and needy residents during the COVID-19 outbreak. This scheme will run till the end of June, and could be one avenue to “observe and say hello”, he said.
“I think we need to sort of capitalise on all the opportunities that exist,” he added. “And as long as we continue to observe the social distancing measures, I think as a candidate, you have every right to go out in the constituency.”
Assoc Prof Singh said the PAP might have trouble with online campaigning in all mature estates, adding that it could supplement online outreach with brochures and snail mail.
Despite the difficulties, he said Jalan Besar is a “very strong, loyal” constituency, with many old Chinese voters who are “very loyal to the PAP”. The COVID-19 crisis also means Singaporeans across the board will vote in a conservative manner, he said.
“I think the PAP is not worried about Jalan Besar per se,” he added, noting that the party may face similar outreach problems across the rest of Singapore. “But as I said, even though (the elderly) don’t understand, most people will vote with their eyes closed for the PAP.”
Dr Tan said party members can still continue with walkabouts if they adhere to safe distancing measures, allowing them to further reach out to the elderly.
Several PAP MPs were spotted out and about in the heartlands over the weekend, making rounds in small groups to engage residents. On Saturday, Jalan Besar’s Mr Heng and four other volunteers presented care packs to families in Whampoa.
“ENDEAR YOURSELF TO THE RESIDENTS”: DR YAACOB IBRAHIM
But with campaign rallies only to be held online, Dr Tan said there is “a huge possibility” that the PAP will maintain its influence on voters, as many would “fall back to the familiar faces” and the “tried and tested political party” instead of opting for change.
Under new campaign rules, political parties and candidates will now get additional airtime on Mediacorp’s Channel 5.
Under so-called “constituency political broadcasts”, SMC candidates will each be given three minutes, while those contesting in a GRC will be given 12 or 15 minutes as a group of four or five respectively.
Dr Yaacob said he is confident about the PAP’s chances in Jalan Besar at the election, although he cautioned that its previous successes don’t guarantee a walk in the park.
“We will continue to work hard right to the last day,” he said, pointing out the importance of fulfilling residents’ needs at meet-the-people sessions and ensuring they understand what candidates stand for through house visits and events.
“I have always told all my younger colleagues when they came into Jalan Besar: Don’t assume just because your predecessors have done well, you will do well.
“Because voters can be very fickle. They might not like the new face, (and say) what happened to the old face? You’ve got to endear yourself to the residents as much as possible. I think we just have to work hard for every vote.”
SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) slate in Jalan Besar could see a new leader and some fresh faces, with former anchor minister Yaacob Ibrahim acknowledging that some in his team wish to step down after five terms in government.
But Dr Yaacob, 64, stopped short of saying he would not run in the upcoming General Election, telling CNA on Jun 11 that the decision lies with the party.
“I can only answer by (saying) you have to ask the Prime Minister, the head of the party,” he said with a laugh. “I’m operating on the basis that I will continue to manage this constituency. So I’m getting it ready for the next election.
On Tuesday (Jun 23), the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced the dissolution of Parliament, paving the way for Nomination Day to be held on Jun 30. The Elections Department (ELD) announced later that Polling Day will fall on Jul 10.
With the PAP traditionally fielding an anchor minister in each Group Representation Constituency (GRC), political observers say ministers from neighbouring constituencies could take over. Manpower Minister Josephine Teo and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah fit the bill.
The pair served in constituencies helmed by two ministers in the Parliament just dissolved: Mrs Teo and Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC,and Ms Indranee and Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing in Tanjong Pagar GRC.
Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, Central District Mayor Denise Phua and five-term backbencher Lily Neo complete the Jalan Besar team.
WHO MIGHT REPLACE YAACOB?
When asked for his thoughts on reports that Mrs Teo might be set to take over, Dr Yaacob remained tight-lipped.
“Again, these are matters for the Prime Minister and the leadership to decide,” he said. “I will just continue with my usual mode. So on nomination day at 12pm, you can ask me and I can answer that question.”
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that “there’s no minister now in Jalan Besar now because I’ve stepped down”, and that he’s confident any potential ministerial replacement “can do the job”.
Dr Yaacob said his team started preparing for the elections four years ago, even before he stepped down as minister, to ensure the “GRC machinery” is in place. This refers to election logistics like identifying polling agents, printing posters and marking out lamp posts.
“I stepped down two years ago, but two years before that I started forming the committee because I said we need to get everything ready,” he added. “So whoever comes in, I think it’s not a problem for him or her to just take on and move on.”
When it comes to moving ministers around, the PAP might look at those from surrounding constituencies, said Dr Gillian Koh, deputy research director at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). Jalan Besar’s new boundaries have also been extended to include some parts of Bishan-Toa Payoh, she noted.
Associate Professor Bilveer Singh, a political science professor at the National University of Singapore, echoed Dr Koh’s sentiments, adding that “there’s already so much synergy within the PAP in these areas”.
Manpower Minister Josephine Teo speaking at a press conference on Mar 17, 2020. (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)
Regardless, it would be “highly unlikely” that the PAP does not field an anchor minister in a GRC, said Dr Felix Tan, associate lecturer at SIM Global Education.
Dr Tan said there is “always a possibility” that Mrs Teo could move from her ward in Bishan-Toa Payoh to helm Jalan Besar, especially as Marymount has been hived off as a Single Member Constituency (SMC) for the coming election.
“There is no real need for an anchor minister of such stature to run in an SMC if he or she can be utilised to helm a larger GRC with a slew of fresh faces,” he said.
Second Minister for Education Indranee Rajah in an interview with CNA938 on Jul 22, 2019. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)
Experts also noted that the PAP could try to maintain the demographic profile in the current Jalan Besar team, especially as Dr Yaacob is the minority representative there.
Dr Koh pointed to speculation that Mrs Teo and fellow Bishan-Toa Payoh Member of Parliament (MP) Saktiandi Supaat could be moved to Jalan Besar.
Assoc Prof Singh touted Tanjong Pagar’s Ms Indranee as another possibility to anchor Jalan Besar as a minority representative. “She’s president of SINDA (Singapore Indian Development Association), very powerful, and one of the most effective ministers Singapore has,” he said.
WP’S CHALLENGE
Assoc Prof Singh said the PAP might need to send a strong anchor minister to Jalan Besar, given speculation that the Workers’ Party (WP) could break up its Aljunied team and move heavyweight MPs Sylvia Lim and Low Thia Khiang there.
While he said the PAP has done “very well” in Jalan Besar – it has never lost the GRC in its various iterations, and in 2015 defeated WP there with 68 per cent of the vote – the presence of someone like Mr Low means “the game may change”.
“This could probably be Low Thia Khiang’s last round and he may just do a Chiam (See Tong), because he’s not fully well and all that,” he said. “And you also may want to create space for the younger people to take over the Workers’ Party.”
Mr Low, 63, injured his head in a fall at home on Apr 30 before being warded in an intensive care unit, and was on May 4 transferred to a general ward. Party chief Pritam Singh said last Friday that Mr Low is currently recovering steadily at home.
Mr Chiam, 85, was Potong Pasir’s MP from 1984 to 2011. In 2011, he ran and lost with the Singapore People’s Party in Bishan-Toa Payoh. This would turn out to be his last General Election amid poor health.
Assoc Prof Singh said the WP might deploy Mr Low in Jalan Besar, which has some of Singapore’s poorest residents, due to his working class appeal.
WP might also want to diversify its Aljunied slate given that three MPs there are defendants in the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council court case, he added.
Still, the observers believe Mrs Teo is capable of holding her own in Jalan Besar, and that criticisms of how she has handled the COVID-19 outbreak in migrant worker dormitories will likely not affect her there.
“There is very little motivation for huge changes to the status quo,” he added. “Moreover, Singaporeans would be more interested (in) how government policies will affect them in day-to-day life and bread-and-butter issues.”
Assoc Prof Singh called Mrs Teo a “strong candidate”, saying that “historically, people will say people like her did a fantastic job, notwithstanding all the odds against her”.
“Among all the woman ministers she’s the Number 1, other than Indranee,” he added.
NEW FACES IN JALAN BESAR?
Besides Dr Yaacob, observers point out that Dr Lily Neo – also on her fifth term – could step down, paving the way for a new face to be deployed in Jalan Besar. Dr Neo declined to comment.
According to reports, one potential candidate is LinkedIn senior executive Alvin Tan, a long-time volunteer in Dr Neo’s Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng ward. Mr Tan, 39, also spoke at a SkillsFuture webinar on Wednesday with Mr Heng and Ms Phua. Mr Tan did not respond to requests for comment.
Mr Alvin Tan (extreme right) with Dr Lily Neo at a Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Hari Raya gathering in 2018. (Photo: Facebook/Alvin Tan)
When Dr Yaacob was asked if he expects his team to be refreshed given that Dr Neo is already on her fifth term, he said: “I think for some of us, I know that we want to step down because we have done four to five terms.”
“I think we’ve always taken the position that the party makes the final decision. Once the party decides for us to stay, we stay. The party says we go, we go,” he said.
“Meanwhile, where we are now the elected MPs, we just have to make sure that we are ready to fight the next battle and hopefully win handsomely.”
Dr Yaacob said he “can’t say for certain” if the party has identified fresh faces for Jalan Besar, adding that he “won’t go into details”.
“There is a process by which the party will introduce new candidates, and I think the time will come,” he stated.
“So for me, I’m just operating with my current grassroots leaders and MPs. We do have our own WhatsApp group, we keep in touch, we update each other. I think when the new candidates come, you will know.”
While Assoc Prof Singh said he’s not seen new faces in Jalan Besar, he highlighted that the PAP could eventually deploy fresh candidates seen walking the ground elsewhere, as part of an initial strategy to distract the opposition.
“Another alternative is they may send an old-timer who is going to retire,” he added, pointing to how MP Charles Chong ran in Punggol East SMC for his seventh term. “So don’t assume it’s always going to be a new face.”
Dr Tan said the PAP might introduce a completely new slate of candidates in Jalan Besar for leadership renewal. “With an anchor minister helming this, it would be able to ensure some form of continuity for the PAP,” he added.
CHALLENGES OF ONLINE CAMPAIGNS
Still, Dr Yaacob acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic will mean a lot of online campaigning, and that getting Jalan Besar’s many elderly residents online will be a “big challenge”.
“We have to have more online presence, so I think engaging residents now is useful because you build up that sort of modality of engagement,” he said.
“And we want to continue with that during the campaign, obviously, so whoever is the candidate, they’ll probably have a Facebook Live session, a chat session – people can come in and register.”
But Dr Yaacob said candidates have to maintain a physical presence for visibility, given that some residents will be out and about for work and leisure. “So you got to find some way to balance between the social distance and your presence,” he added.
Dr Yaacob pointed to how his team, with the help of donors, has been delivering cooked food to elderly and needy residents during the COVID-19 outbreak. This scheme will run till the end of June, and could be one avenue to “observe and say hello”, he said.
“I think we need to sort of capitalise on all the opportunities that exist,” he added. “And as long as we continue to observe the social distancing measures, I think as a candidate, you have every right to go out in the constituency.”
Assoc Prof Singh said the PAP might have trouble with online campaigning in all mature estates, adding that it could supplement online outreach with brochures and snail mail.
Despite the difficulties, he said Jalan Besar is a “very strong, loyal” constituency, with many old Chinese voters who are “very loyal to the PAP”. The COVID-19 crisis also means Singaporeans across the board will vote in a conservative manner, he said.
“I think the PAP is not worried about Jalan Besar per se,” he added, noting that the party may face similar outreach problems across the rest of Singapore. “But as I said, even though (the elderly) don’t understand, most people will vote with their eyes closed for the PAP.”
Dr Tan said party members can still continue with walkabouts if they adhere to safe distancing measures, allowing them to further reach out to the elderly.
Several PAP MPs were spotted out and about in the heartlands over the weekend, making rounds in small groups to engage residents. On Saturday, Jalan Besar’s Mr Heng and four other volunteers presented care packs to families in Whampoa.
“ENDEAR YOURSELF TO THE RESIDENTS”: DR YAACOB IBRAHIM
But with campaign rallies only to be held online, Dr Tan said there is “a huge possibility” that the PAP will maintain its influence on voters, as many would “fall back to the familiar faces” and the “tried and tested political party” instead of opting for change.
Under new campaign rules, political parties and candidates will now get additional airtime on Mediacorp’s Channel 5.
Under so-called “constituency political broadcasts”, SMC candidates will each be given three minutes, while those contesting in a GRC will be given 12 or 15 minutes as a group of four or five respectively.
Dr Yaacob said he is confident about the PAP’s chances in Jalan Besar at the election, although he cautioned that its previous successes don’t guarantee a walk in the park.
“We will continue to work hard right to the last day,” he said, pointing out the importance of fulfilling residents’ needs at meet-the-people sessions and ensuring they understand what candidates stand for through house visits and events.
“I have always told all my younger colleagues when they came into Jalan Besar: Don’t assume just because your predecessors have done well, you will do well.
“Because voters can be very fickle. They might not like the new face, (and say) what happened to the old face? You’ve got to endear yourself to the residents as much as possible. I think we just have to work hard for every vote.”
Politics can be an intimidating topic for those who are not familiar with it.
But we are here to help break it down for you, starting with the most common political concepts and lingo that are being thrown around.
General Election lingo of the day: Writ of Election
According to the Elections Department Singapore, the Writ of Election is a public document which “specifies the date when the nomination of candidates is to be taken (not earlier than five days nor later than one month from the date of the Writ); and the place of the nomination”.
President Halimah Yacob issued the Writ of Election today (June 23), soon after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called for the general election in a televised address to the nation, where he advised President Halimah to dissolve Parliament and issue the Writ.
The document noted the date of nomination of candidates to be on Tuesday, June 30, and it also listed nine locations as nomination centres.
SINGAPORE: A fire broke out in a Housing Development Board (HDB) flat in Bukit Panjang on Tuesday (Jun 23) afternoon, prompting the evacuation of about 80 residents.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the fire at Block 532 Jelapang Road just after 2pm on Tuesday.
“The fire involved contents of a bedroom in a unit on the sixth floor,” it said.
About 80 people were evacuated from the affected block, and one person was assessed by a paramedic for smoke inhalation but refused to be taken to hospital.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, SCDF said.
Fire engines near Block 532 Jelapang Road, on Jun 23, 2020. (Photo: Joshua Chong)
A video posted on Twitter by Ms Kyra Tayer showed flames and smoke coming from the window of the unit.
Ms Tayer, who stays in the opposite block, told CNA that she was first alerted by the smell of burning rubber and saw black smoke coming out of the unit. She then called 999.
“We heard things exploding and the windows all fell off,” she said, adding that she saw a woman and child inside the unit when the fire started.
“When they looked out of their bedroom window, we all screamed for them to evacuate because their kitchen was burning,” she tweeted.
SINGAPORE: The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) is interested in contesting the West Coast, Tanjong Pagar and Choa Chu Kang Group Representative Constituencies (GRCs) as well as the Hong Kah North, Marymount, Pioneer, Yio Chu Kang and Kebun Baru Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) in the upcoming General Election (GE), party secretary-general Tan Cheng Bock said on Tuesday (Jun 23).
However, Dr Tan, who was answering questions from members of the media at a virtual press conference, maintained that things could change and the final decision on the seats that PSP will contest will only be unveiled on Nomination Day.
“We select the areas we want to contest based on whether we can win or not. And there are certain places I’m quite familiar with,” said Dr Tan.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Tuesday afternoon that he has advised President Halimah Yacob to dissolve Parliament and issue the Writ of Election. The Prime Minister’s Office later confirmed that President Halimah has dissolved Parliament and that Nomination Day will be held on Jun 30.
Dr Tan noted that his experience as a Member of Parliament (MP) and his work as a medical doctor in the area will help PSP gain an advantage in the seats it plans to contest in the western part of Singapore.
Dr Tan was MP for Ayer Rajah for 26 years, when he was with the People’s Action Party. The ward is now part of West Coast GRC.
“I’ve been a doctor on the western side of Singapore, I was a Member of Parliament in the western side, so we concentrate on the western side. So we will go into West Coast (GRC), Choa Chu Kang (GRC), Hong Kah north (SMC), Tanjong Pagar (GRC), Marymount (SMC), Pioneer (SMC), Yio Chu Kang (SMC) (and) Kebun Baru (SMC),” said Dr Tan.
“Those are the places which are of interest, but of course on Nomination Day things change. Politics is very fluid. I will have to go and study all these places more carefully and the final decision of where we will contest, you will get to know on Nomination Day,” he added.
LAW UNDERGRAD, ACADEMIC AMONG POTENTIAL CANDIDATES UNVEILED
During the press conference, Dr Tan also unveiled the party’s second batch of potential candidates for the upcoming GE.
They include Dr Ang Yong Guan, who contested in the 2011 and 2015 polls as a member of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and Singaporeans First respectively.
Six General Election candidates unveiled by the Progress Singapore Party on Jun 23, 2020. Clockwise from top left, they are Tan Meng Wah, Kayla Low, A’bas Bin Kasmani, Choo Shaun Ming, Harish Pillay and Ang Yong Guan. (Photo: PSP)
The other potential candidates are Dr Tan Meng Wah, an academic and former fellow of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), chartered accountant Ms Kayla Low, National University of Singapore Law undergraduate Mr Choo Shaun Ming, business consultant and trainer Mr A’bas Kasmani as well as technologist Mr Harish Pillay.
Dr Tan said this batch of potential candidates “represented a spread of talent from all walks of life”.
“The most important ingredient that I find in these people who have stepped forward is … their willingness to come and serve the people,” said Dr Tan.
The potential candidates were also each given the opportunity to introduce themselves and speak during the press conference.
Dr Tan Meng Wah said he wanted to apply his academic work to debating government policies and addressing problems of rising income inequality.
Meanwhile, Ms Low called for more support for the needy, underprivileged and local small- and medium-sized enterprises suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Ang, who is a psychiatrist, said he wants to help Singaporeans develop soft skills, so that they are “empowered” and more willing to engage with the underprivileged members of the community.
Mr A’bas pledged to help the Malay community by pushing them for more good career opportunities for upward movement.
Mr Choo said he is keen to explore the use of technologies, such as artificial intelligence and analytics, to help Singapore harness its talent pool. Similarly, Mr Pillay said he wants to utilise his IT skills to help accelerate Singapore’s transformation into a Smart Nation.
ENFORCEMENT ON SOCIAL DISTANCING MUST BE CONSISTENT: ANG YONG GUAN
During the press conference, Dr Ang was asked to comment on an incident last Sunday in which PSP members had their personal details taken down by an SG Clean Ambassador during a walkabout at Block 358 Bukit Batok Street 31.
Dr Ang stressed that PSP will adhere to the protocols outlined by the authorities during its walkabouts. Party members will observe safe distancing, wear masks and do their walkabouts in groups of not more than five, he added.
“(But) our concern is enforcement, because it must be consistent. I have my doubts and sometimes the inconsistency will show. I urge social distancing ambassadors, if you can, to give warning to people making mistakes and educate them. If they argue then (the officers should) take action,” said Dr Ang.
What’s in a name? If you’ve noticed, there are many towns in Singapore with the words ‘Chu Kang’ in it — no, Singapore’s favourite contractor Phua Chu Kang isn’t one of them.
There’s Choa Chu Kang, Lim Chu Kang and Yio Chu Kang among the ‘Chu Kangs’ that are left. But did you know that once upon a time, there was Chan Chu Kang (situated around Yishun), Tan Chu Kang, Chu Chu Kang and Lau Chu Kang, among others?
While ‘Yio’, ‘Choa’ and ‘Lim’ are common Chinese surnames, but what does ‘Chu Kang’ mean? A map from 1904 showing the settlements of Lim Chu Kang and Lau Chu Kang. SCREENGRAB: Royal Geographical Society, London/ National Archives of SingaporeThe names were derived from the Kangchu system in Singapore during the 18th century.
SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (June 23) said he has decided to call the general election now, while the Covid-19 situation is relatively stable, to “clear the decks” and give the new government a fresh five-year mandate.
In a televised address to the nation, Mr Lee set out why he has advised President Halimah Yacob to dissolve Parliament and issue the Writ of Election. A Writ of Election, which specifies the date of the polls, is expected to be issued shortly.
After the election, the new government can focus on the national agenda – which include handling the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and jobs – and the difficult decisions it will have to make and to carry, he said.
The alternative is to wait out the pandemic, he said, noting however that there is no assurance that the outbreak will be over before the Government’s term ends next April. Experts say a vaccine will not be available for at least a year.
This general election will be like no other that Singapore has experienced, he said, not just because of the special arrangements to deal with Covid-19, but also the gravity of the situation and the issues at stake.
It’s the perfect weather for sleeping in, ‘cept that some of us had to trudge to work and school now that Singapore’s in phase 2 of its reopening.
The task was made more tedious when heavy rain poured over many areas of Singapore this morning (June 23). There were reports of flash floods from as early as 8.30am, said national water agency PUB.
Affected areas include Jurong Town Hall Road, Opera Estate, the junction of Bedok North Avenue 4 and Upper Changi Road, as well as New Upper Changi Road.
After receiving reports of flash floods, PUB deployed its quick response team to all affected locations, and the floodwater subsided by 9.20am.
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