By Deborah Choo
Last Sunday on Talking Point, representatives from the ruling party People’s Action Party (PAP), as well as three opposition parties spoke to hosts Deborah Soon and PN Balji of the impact of the new electoral boundaries on their parties’ election strategies. The opposition included the National Solidarity Party, Workers’ Party and Reform Party.
However, prominently missing at the discussion was Singapore Democratic Party’s representative. SDP’s secretary-general Dr Chee Soon Juan wrote in to CNA asking for an explanation why his party is being “discriminated against”.
In his letter to CNA, Dr Chee also mentioned that this is not the first time SDP was left out on the show.
According to a TODAY report yesterday, CNA’s vice-president of corporate services Han Chuan Quee had this to say: “We would like to emphasise that Channel NewsAsia, which has reported on local, regional and international news developments for over a decade now, has no agenda to advance, except to carry the news and views which are relevant to our viewers.”
She added that MediaCorp have been reporting on SDP’s views on the electoral boundaries on several of its media platforms.
Following this reply, Dr Chee put forth a proposal to CNA where both SDP and PAP is invited on an episode of Talking Point to discuss about the Budget 2011. SDP can also present its alternative Budget.
To read TODAY’s report on CNA’s response, click here.
To read CNA’s talking point video, click here.
To read SDP’s reply to CNA, click here.
