Chan Jia Hui
Singapore's outgoing Foreign Minister George Yeo speaking at the UN General Assembly
The verdict is finally out. The Worker’s Party has taken Hougang and Aljunied GRC. Oh, and I may add that PAP has won Marine Parade, which means we will see Miss Tin Pei Ling in Parliament.
Just a while ago, the unveiling of PAP candidate Miss Tin Pei Ling was met with a hostile reception. Old YouTube videos of her surfaced, and in subsequent performances in the full face of the media, replies to question such as her greatest regrets were met with derisions from some observers. Her remarks on the low costs of healthcare were also met with criticisms.
During her campaign trail, she lobbied the merchant’s association not to increase food prices, but that was seen to be inadequate. Rightly so as the opposition was quick, and correct to dismiss her move.
The opposition’s campaign focused on bread and butter issues, and they were quick to focus on the systemic problems leading to price increases. Stall rental prices increase is a systemic problem leading to price increases.
As such, Pei Ling’s lobbying of the Merchant’s Association betrayed a lack of understanding of the art of policy making. It is common error among folks who have yet to read Policy-making 101 to mistake symptoms of the problems for the problems themselves. The symptom was increases in food prices attributed to the increase in rental prices. With high overheads, hawkers will charge more for the food.
Returning to her remarks on low and manageable healthcare costs, it is a risky statement to make. This is because we only spend 1.4% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare, a fact pointed out by Ananth Tambyah in a lunch time rally speech done in his personal capacity on an invitation by the Singapore Democratic Party.
The other systemic problem is the limited coverage of medishield especially for mental illness. It does not take a genius to figure out that the less per capita GDP we spend on healthcare, the more likely the costs borne by the people. It is either that or people in Singapore don’t really consume healthcare, which is unlikely. I did not find it surprising that her comments on healthcare sparked yet another outcry.
Pei Ling’s campaign was set back to a large extent by her lack of media savvy-ness. Her replies to media on personal questions such as her greatest regrets were seen as gaffes. Even till the last day of her campaign, she was plagued by slip-ups, including by one of her staff members who wrote a reply in her Facebook page in her name, prompting allegations of contravention of the laws governing Cooling-off Day. Candidates are not allowed to campaign on cooling-off day.
Some may view lack of media savvy-ness as a sign of failing in one of the attributes of a politician which is the ability to relate to the media. The other attribute is the ability to present and discuss policies cogently. On both counts, Pei Ling doesn’t perform well.
However, let’s move away from Pei Ling and turn our attention to Mr George Yeo. A good man, as Pritam Singh, the winning member of the Worker’s Party Aljunied GRC team, testifies in his rallies, he is one member of the cabinet that the PAP can ill-afford to lose.
As foreign minister, he has the necessary contacts all over the world, which constitute our diplomatic channels. Diplomatic channels are important in facilitating trade links, transfer of knowledge and technology, conflict mediation and establishing bilateral or multi-lateral ties. All of which will be to our benefit. His portfolio may not directly impact Singaporeans as compared with his manpower or trade and industry ministry colleagues, but nonetheless are every bit as important.
One of our foreign ministry’s contributions under George Yeo’s watch was the improving of relationship with Malaysia. Singapore’s relationship with Malaysia has its lows in the past. However, current relations between Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak is at an all time high. According to George Yeo, such a strong relationship is “not just of friendship, but one based on the common view of how both countries should seize the future together”.
Returning to Tin Pei Ling, when she came out speaking of how she intends to engage netizens, George Yeo was already actively engaging them. Active on his facebook page, he actually replies to interesting queries and posts.
A netizen did a comparison for argument’s sake between Worker’s Party candidate Mr Chen Show Mao (who is part of the victorious Aljunied GRC team) and Tin Pei Ling. The comparison was meant to highlight the gulf in terms of qualifications and life experience between two first time candidates.
Hindsight is 20/20 and now let’s do a comparison between George Yeo and Pei Ling. Already in terms of achievements in helming the ministry and parliamentary experience, Yeo definitely thumps Pei Ling in this one, who is not even considered freshman until she got elected on the 7th of May. Now, let’s compare media savvy-ness. Even George Yeo is the runaway leader in this category through his active engagement of netizens via social media.
This is the implication of GRCs. Yeo, well-liked as he is, will unfortunately go down in history as the first casualty from PAP in the multiple seat GRC contest. No one from PAP has lost a GRC contest before. It is a difficult pill for supporters and those who liked the man to swallow, but fate has it that his Aljunied team faced a highly touted A-star team from Worker’s Party that fielded three heavyweights in the form of Chen Show Mao, Low Thia Khiang and Miss Sylvia Lim.
Pei Ling on the other hand was placed in Marine Parade GRC and her team was helmed by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who won 56.65% of the vote. This narrower margin of victory will lead some to speculate whether Pei Ling has negatively affected the performance of the Marine Parade GRC team. However, having a heavyweight like Goh around is going to swing votes into PAP’s favour.
The irony which does not escape all of us observers is now staring in the face of the ruling PAP. Why is it that a well-liked and talented man like George Yeo is out whilst a Tin Pei Ling, who is out of depth in terms of national issues and media relations is in parliament?
The GRC has come back to haunt the ruling party in this sense. If Pei Ling was in a single member ward up against Miss Nicole Seah for example from the National Solidarity Party, she would have lost. Granted if both George Yeo and Pei Ling faced strong opposition, both would have lost, which isn’t an ironical outcome.
The netizen, onesingaporean who previously compared Chen Show Mao to Pei Ling describes a ‘scary thought’ that someone who is well qualified like Chen may not even make it to the Parliament, whilst Pei Ling will make it on the basis of a GRC. There is now a facebook page dedicated to a petition to remove Pei Ling as a member of the parliament and with readers calling for the reinstatement of George Yeo in her position (edits). It has generated 17,800 likes so far.
For the PAP camp, a question looms at large. How about the CURRENT REALITY that a well qualified and popular man like George Yeo is not in parliament whilst Pei Ling is in parliament? GRC effects, no?
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Edits: Facebook page called for the petition to remove Miss Tin Pei Ling from parliament whilst some readers of the Facebook page who posted called for the reinstatement of Mr George Yeo.
Photo courtesy of Fickr Commons.
The writer thanks Mr George Yeo for his service to Singapore’s foreign ministry and would like to wish him all the best for his future endeavours. The writer also wants to play tribute to Mr Yeo for his achievements during his term in government service
Mr. George Yeo is a victim of his own party ignorance of how far they can “push” the people of Singapore to the edge. MM has becomes more of a liability to the party, is it necessary for him to come out with those remarks he made about Aljunied GRC if they vote for the WP. Many times PM Lee has to “explain” to the people whenever MM made a controversy remark and each time we are told to respect what MM said just because of who he is and what he think is right. There is a time and a reason for every thing under heaven, a time to be born a time to die, a time to laugh a time to cry, a time to say yes we agree with you and a time to say we don’t.
I think George Yeo should not lost to WP Low…
Why he lost? is it aljunied voters dont like PAP george yeo and his team or PAP ?
Is it aljunied prefer WP Low to take over aljunied?
iS it aljunied think WP low is god?
WP low is not god. he is just a human like us.
So do not think so much think that WP low is very smart in doing things. He just talk only but promise will be empty word in the next 5 years. All sporean wish him better retire early.
For whatever shortcomings that exist in the GRC system, the answer is apparent following the announcement of the election results for Aljunied GRC. All rational Singaporeans must move forward to find a solution to protect Mr George Yeo to stay in his position as Foreign Affairs Minister for Singapore, analyse the causes of failure on Aljunied GRC later.
Clearly, it is the GRC system that fail… Not george yeo.
Note that George Yeo and team marginally won Aljunied the last 2006 election shows that the unhappiness of Aljunied people do not stem from just this Election. Stories about his fellow member Cynthia Phua not emphathizing a poor single parent family and insist on suing the low IQ son for assualting her plus feedback that the team did not really take care of their ward are some pent up anger from the residents.
The fact is PAP MP including George Yeo who later agree in press conference that they are too far from ground sentiments.
The election is hopefully a wake up call for the PAP.
Are there any precedent cases in Singapore whereby members of the PAP switched party to the opposition?
Minister Yeo’s exit is a terrible loss for Singapore, and it is very sad that it is George Yeo who is being sacrificed in the face of people’s unhappiness. The fact that an experienced minister like George Yeo got kicked out of Parliament and other not-as-experienced candidates actually managed to get in is an indication that there is something seriously wrong with the current GRC system. I hope that PAP reflects long and hard after this election, unless they want to see more ministers gettting booted out in the future.
Hi Komenenos, I am kind of know where you are coming from and where you are going to on your question. May be if and when that happen that will a first but it will take either a very courageous or a crazy PAP man to do that. May be when that really happen we call it another watershed in Singapore political history.
The GRC system is a tool created by the PAP to maximize their advantage no matter how they explained it. But they don’t realized that it could also back fire on them. How can any one make sense of how a 27 years old rookie got elected in as a MP but a senior high calibre minister got booted out.
First and foremost, the reason why Tin Pei Ling was highly recommended by Hsien Loong to represent in GCT’s Marine Parade GRC is because LHL want to ensure that GCT’s winning percentage is lower than his own in Ang Mo Kio GRC. Imagine, if MP winning percent is higher than AMK, what will the world foretell of Singapore’s Prime Minister’s constituency? He’s just as coward as his father. Hence, the true saying of “Like Father Like Son”.
@Komenenos: Tan Jee Say is one example. Being a Private Personal Secretary to GCT in one instant and next the opposition candidate of SDP. Assuming all Civil Servants are PAP members.
Like so many true Singaporean sons and daughters I am deeply saddened by the loss of Mr George Yeo to our country. One Mr Yeo is worth the entire Wokers Party group that won in Aljunied.
So thank yo sooo much my fellow Singaporeans from Aljunied that you have so wisely and cleverly chosen a group of jokers and cost us as a country a great and compassionate man.
All of us will have an even harder time now that one of the few men of compassion has been removed from our Cabinet and yes , I put the blame entirely on the voters of Aljunied.
Thank you for using your emotions instead of your logic when voting and thank you for costing us a dearly respected and great man.
Sad singaporean son, you are sad for George Yeo or sad for the PAP?
This article is very well written; perceptive and the sentiments expressed will resonate with all Singaporeans. It is about time that we have a level playing field for all political parties. How can we be a true democracy if the ruling party can put up so many barriers that entry into the political arena is not just extremely difficult but the odds are so heavily stacked against the opposition? The GRC concept was introduced ostensibly to ensure minority representation. But ask the members of the minority public and they will tell you that the minority representative in the GRCs have not worked for the minority groups. No surprise there as the feeling of being marglinalised and not being truly represented can be heard loud and clear. But no PAP MP has really done anything to address these sentiments.
The PAP prides itself on getting the best and the brightest to stand as its candidates. And that is evidenced by some very good people that are in parliament now. But, now that they have so arrogantly shoved TPL down our throats, something is seriously wrong. Where is the supposedly stringent testing and high standards expected of all new candidates? Aren’t the best people selected so that they can serve the nation; bringing their expertise and brains into their new roles as MPs for the betterment of our country? Why is parliament transformed into a kindergarten where we nurture “young talent” in the hope that at some time in the future they will perform and hopefully contribute to a better Singapore?
Dear ET:
Please respect the decisions of Aljunied voters, even George Yeo has been gracious enough to admit defeat and wish the WP Low and his team mates well. This is what democracy means, and please refrain from personal attacks on LTK.
If you think LTK has not been doing a good job, then why has he been MP for Hougang for the past 20 years and at this present GE elected again after a hard fought battle with a heavy weight Minister GY?
Please talk with facts and not with emotions.
sad singaporean son:
Please see the issue rationally, the fault rests with the GRC, which the PAP had created back in 1988.
Yes, we lost a good man, GY, because his party introduce a system for newbees to get into parliament on the tailcoats of a minister.
The GRC system should be annuled. Let each candidate fight his/her battle, based on individual skills and merits, to gain acceptance from the voters and get into parliament.
To ET
Hey, GY is human as well isn’t he?
So why do you insist that WP’s Low can’t measure up to him?
True, Low may not be as book smart as GY, but to me, Low is more street smart and he’s definitely someone I want to represent my interest in Parliament!
And finally, please don’t blame WP for the loss – go blame the GRC system instead…
WP did not make the GRC rules, the ruling party did!
To Sad Singaporean Son
We, as residents of Aljunied, stand by our choice…
was Aljunied pulled down by poor results @ Lim Hwee Hua’s ward?
Is it due to construction of a dormitory for foreign workers @ Serangoon Garden?????
Is it very arrogant of PAP to field TPL? Now we need to pay her salary.
Clearly, it is the GRC system that fail… Not george yeo.
Clearly, it is the GRC system that success… Not TPL.
The loss of Aljunied is not directly linked to the GRC concept. If it is, then Tampines should be the one as it is being helmed by the MP in charge of housing – the hot topic during the election or maybe Bishan/ToaPayoh. Aljunied was a tough fight in 2006 and WP knew that putting more heavy wt there could give them a better chance. PAP was caught off guard when Low took that chance. It was too late to add reinforcement. It is like a battle where the general deploys his resources or in this case, leaving its stronghold to attack on another. It is all tactics and strategy.
George Yeo is an asset esp in the area of diplomacy but to many foreign affairs are foreign. Current issues are domestic and many will only see what is in front. A % of voters do not see the storm and will only start to worry if it reaches their doors.
In any election, there will be a % who will not vote for the ruling party and will just vote for any alternative.
Criticizism must be constructive and not personally. PeiLing’s reaction in her blog may view as immature and to criticize her for that is not wrong but to use that to conclude her suitability to being an MP is jumping the gun. There are those who saw a book cover and dismiss it even without turning to the first page. We have gone thru diff stages of our lives and I am sure along the way we would have done or acted less than immature or showing a childlike reaction – are we to be condemned which in this case many are doing this. Coming forward to serve needs a lot of courage and sacrifice – just ask any opposition candidate. A pat on the back, a word of encouragement or a warm handshake is all they asked – not a stab in the back [via internet].
The Election is over and from the after election speeches, any one who listened can sense the meaning i.e. the govt will change, will listen and then act. What we can do is to see what will be done for the next 5 years – will we see a govt with a more sensitive ear and a softer heart? Even then I dont think all our problems will go away but it is good to know that someone is listening.
ET,
I really do not see where so called celestial matters come into this discussion.
Your statements are baseless and pure emotion. Like many a reader has pointed out, the GRC is a creation of the ruling party. Whether you like it or not, the facts of the matter, as has been proven now, is that it can be a double-edged sword. It limits the opposition from contesting due to their limited party resources, but at the same time, it can send an existing minister packing.
If you do not have anything intelligent to say, it might be best to just stick to reading and not make a fool of yourself unnecessarily.
But then you could be a troll for all we know.
http://humyeefansang.blogspot.com/2011/05/singapores-ge-just-over-some-random.html
Actually there is nothing to cry about. If the PAP team is street-smart, it should have understood the ground before the GE2011 election. They are complacent. It is ok to lose Potong Pasir and Hougang again……..and with solid economic growth generated by the two IRs, they are very confident that they have the upper hand even almost all NET complaints are about FTs, PRs, S-Pass holders that depress Singaporean pay and grab away Singaporeans’ jobs. PAP refused to listen to the hearts of Singaporeans again after the election because they manage to get 81 seats , 2/3 majority!!!
You have 82 PAP MPs for the last five years. All are surprised by the Sea of change. Are all PAP MPs so disconnected with Singaporeans!
All Singaporeans have enough of FTs,PRs and S-Pass holders.
Look at PM Lee speech after the election today. There will not be major shift in policies. Are you telling Singaporeans again he is going to let in 900,000 PRs and S-Pass holders in the next 5 years????
Before 7 May 2011, I write to Singapore to Let Chiam See Tong, WP Low and NSP teams to win the GRCs to give a strong signal to PAP. But only Aljunied residents are really brave to vote without self-interest as they are very worried about zero opposition in the Parilament. The other GRCs voted along HDB upgrade carrots.
I am not a fanboy of George Yeo, but the fact that he was defeated while nincompoops such as Mah Bow Tan, Wong Kan Seng and even Vivian B retained their seats simply leaves a fouler taste in the mouth.
As for Tin Pei Ling, I would say ‘wait and see’. If she screws up bad the residents in her constituency will know, and we may have to give her the name ‘Sarah’ (Sarah Palin – Sarah Peiling, hahaha!)
I voted for the RP in West Coast, and for a party that’s 2-3 years old, 33% is commendable.
Lastly, the PAP should take a hard look at itself in the mirror. For starters, tell LKY to butt out of Singapore politics and Tanjong Pagar GRC. LKY incessant meddling makes a mockery of ‘leadership renewal’. Will PM Lee do the right thing, or will he remain an obedient son who is acquiescent to his father’s whims?
It’s real redicule. 5 million population of SINGAPORE were made to support TPL with personal relationship (wife of PM secretary), to learn politic in the parliament.
Parliament is not a learning institution but a serious organ of the state to service the population of the country.
If TPL so desire to serve her country, she should start her ABC just like the medical doctor started from day one in medical school. By pulling relationship with the PM for her course is something Uniquely of Singapore and something questionable. Regrets of SINGAPOREAN in history..
An actor,,Reagan was voted in as President of USA. A bodybuilder became the governor of California. Many years ago,, Seddon an illiterate person was voted in as the Prime Minister of NZ. A sweet young thing, Miss Tin, became an MP.in Sing. The list goes on. Can she transform herself and become a brilliant MP. Plausible? Accoding to the psychologists, some people are late bloombers, Chrchill for example, and will this be the case with Miss Tin. Put her through all the psychological tests to find out. Come on Sing psychologists. Mindef is crawling with psychologists. When I was with military intelligence, the Mindef psychologists declared that I went mad for exactly one month, that is 30 days. I am still laughing.
George Yeo should not be deterred by just this failure. You know he is not short of money as he had made a few millions from his pay as a full minister over the years There is nothing like fighting with all that he has in the next election and fight really hard, with a tooth and a nail. Never mind the PAP as it does not tolerate any failure. He could go on his own steam, as an individual and try to win in the single member ward. However, he can join one of the opposition parties and swear that that he is fighting for the average Joe Sixpack Sing fellow.
Years ago I met a Kiwi politician who was down and out but he kept on fighting and he became remarkably sucessful. By the time he became really old he beat his competitors by a very wide margin. What is his secret? His oratory was quite fantastic. At that time I was taking elocution lessons from a teacher and she asked me to carry out a detailed observation of his speech techniques.
After my talk with him I was convinced that he communicated with people with his heart. Also, he had a very hard time when he was young and he overcome all his problems, including illiteracy and that made him able to understand and help the ordinary fair dinkum Kiwi.
None of the Singapore politician are like him. All the PAP MPs are rich and they live in their own ivory tower. Come down from your ivory tower. See those Singaporeans who are jobless, sick, too physically weak to go out to look for jobs, the lazy ones, the trouble makers, the ones who were jinxed and so remained poor, the old ones who lwere friendless and whose relatives deserted them because they were poor etc.
My MP would not sign any appeal letter and his musclemen and musclemen had to do it because he wants to be clean and pure and to be as white as Snow White. He avoided his constituents and his constituency like the Black Death. The people just kept quiet because they fear the power and anger of PAP.For this election he did not contest as he said he chosed to retire. Now, for the people of his ward, he is out of sight and out of mind. The same too, for the PAP. The PAP knows that he is a liability and it just kept quiet. This was clearly indicated by the fact that he was not used by the PAP during the campaign period to drum up support and to get the people to vote for PAP.
He is still around in Sing, in the ivory tower.It is cosy up there as he just had a promotion, a professorship.
Why the gutless and cowardly line. Money, you stupid? He gets money as minister in two ministries, He gets money as a professor of the local uni. He was a warden of a hostel and so he gets free tucker and a house. Oh, yes, his wife is a professional and she brings money home. Wah? Chiak beh liau – as the Hokkien say. He can go round the world 10 times and his money bag is still full of money.
I cannot do that. I will die from a guilty conscience.
As a mother, I will always remember George Yeo who gave his shameless support for evil doer Jack Neo who abuse his powers by preying on young girls. I cannot understand and respect George Yeo, who has a daughter and wife, support of such evil doers.
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