Progress Singapore Party (PSP) candidate Bradley Bowyer should not “play with words with voters”, said People’s Action Party (PAP) member K Shanmugam earlier today (1 July).
This came after Mr Bowyer had commented on his earlier remark that the PSP is “half-hearted” about contesting in Nee Soon GRC.
Mr Shanmugam said in the PAP’s virtual press conference today, “I don’t want to speculate why PSP has come, but it seems to have been very half-hearted about it. As you will recall, a week ago it was offering to trade Nee Soon for some other constituency.”
Following The Straits Times’ report on Mr Shanmugam’s remark, Mr Bowyer described it as an “extremely one-sided article and derogatory headline”, adding that the PSP had been preparing for its Nee Soon GRC campaign since the electoral boundaries were announced.
“Even more so when you see the rumours being spread online we might have been horse traded. This suggests to me that someone is very afraid of our campaign in Nee Soon and is trying to pull the wool over the voters’ eyes,” he then stated on Facebook.
Shortly after, Mr Shanmugam took to Facebook saying that his previous remark was based on the Reform Party (RP) chairman Kenneth Jeyaretnam’s quote that the PSP has offered Nee Soon GRC to the RP.
“Mr Jeyaretnam had also put up a FB post saying the same thing. PSP has not denied this so far,” he wrote. “Today, however, Mr Bowyer has responded to my comments and has said that the news about PSP offering Nee Soon to RP is just a ‘rumour’.”
Mr Shanmugam, who is leading the PAP’s five-member team against PSP in Nee Soon GRC this election, urged Mr Bowyer to clarify on the matter and “be honest” with the residents of Nee Soon GRC.
“Did PSP in fact offer Nee Soon to the RP? Mr Jeyaretnam said so. Is Mr Bowyer, who was handpicked by his Sec-Gen, saying that that is untrue?” he added.
Mr Shanmugam continued, “I hope Mr Bowyer will give a straight answer. He will agree that honesty is important. You shouldn’t play with words with voters.”