Workers’ Party (WP) Secretary General Low Thia Khiang has fired a salvo at the PAP’s Aljunied team led by George Yeo, asking them to clarify what will happen to plans for Aljunied GRC if the PAP was not elected into the constituency.
“First, they have to make it clear what they won’t carry out, so voters can have a clear mind when they go to the voting station.”
Low, who is leading the WP’s strongest slate of candidates to contest in Aljunied GRC, was responding to media queries after a walkabout in Geylang Bahru this morning with the WP’s Moulmein-Kallang GRC team.
Yesterday, Yeo had asked the WP to make clear its future plans for Aljunied. In return, Low questioned what exactly the PAP’s plans were for the area.
In January this year, Yeo had announced plans for Hougang under the HDB’s ‘Remaking our Heartland’ programme, which was to be launched within the next three years.
“Is that the government’s plan or the PAP’s plan?” questioned Low. “Please make it clear.”
He also asked the PAP how much it would be putting into Hougang this time round. “It should be more, I expect?” questioned Low. In 2006, the PAP dangled a S$100 million carrot for upgrading Hougang if its candidate was elected but was unsuccessful in its bid. Low won with 62.7% of the votes, the highest winning margin since he was first elected in 1991.
At their election rally in Hougang yesterday night, the WP strongly criticised the PAP’s use of public funds to discriminate against non-PAP wards. WP Chairman Sylvia Lim had asked the rally crowd, “by voting people in this way, is the PAP a first world government as it claims to be?”
Responding to a reporter’s question about how voters would respond to the WP’s ‘First World Parliament’ slogan, Low said, “I think people understand that a First World Parliament is not an abstract concept, and they can see how it translates into good governance and safeguarding their interests.”
Low and the WP’s Moulmein-Kallang team comprising Mohd Rahizan bin Yaacob, Frieda Chan Sio Phing, L. Somasundaram and Toh Hong Boon were meeting residents in the mature estate of Geylang Bahru this morning.
Ms Chan said that the team intended to take a more flexible approach, so that residents feel they can approach any of them for help. Saying this was a common issue brought up during their house visits, she said the team felt there was a need to be closer to residents.
Mohd Rahizan, who is leading the team, brought up the issue of the one-room rental flats in the estate, and said it was important to keep them dignified for the residents.
Although Low was clearly the most recognized figure of the group, with members of the public often approaching him to openly affirm their support for the WP, the rest of the team were also well-received by residents. Residents also came up to offer suggestions to the candidates on what they could do to win the newly-formed GRC.
