Minister for Trade and Industry, Chan Chun Sing has called on Member of Parliament (MP) for Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC), Dennis Tan to substantiate his complaints of “petty politics” with evidence. For those unaware, Chan was referring to the allegations that Tan had made in Parliament over among other things, WP’s election posters being pulled down from the original height after complaints from the Peoples’ Action Party (PAP) team.
Chan goes on to assert that the Elections Department (ELD) would investigate the matter “thoroughly and impartially” if such evidence was provided.
However, it would appear that the ELD has not dealt with a litany of complaints that have appeared on independent news websites and social media. Granted, some of these complaints may not have been directly reported to the ELD. However, they are certainly public in nature. In the vein of “impartiality”, shouldn’t they have been investigated anyway?
What about Minister for Transport, Ong Ye Kung’s apparent breaches? Lawyer and former ISA detainee Teo Soh Lung had questioned the failure of authorities to take action against Minister Ong Ye Kung who allegedly breached election campaign rules during the recent general election.
Before Chan makes demands of others to furnish evidence and the like, shouldn’t he get his own house in order first?
This is just like how Speaker for Parliament, Tan Chuan Jin calls for MPs not to be fractious when it seems like it is the PAP MPs who are fractious.
Is it a trend for the PAP to cast aspersions on others without first examining their own conduct? Once again, one rule for them and another rule for others?
Perhaps, it is a case of attack first before the other party can question where the PAP is concerned. This is when you throw in a ferocious volley of accusations (some not even relevant) in an attempt to bamboozle your opponent and the public before they can question you properly.
An example of this is what Murali Pillai did to Dennis Tan. An even more recent example is Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s live speech in Parliament — ostensibly to talk about COVID-19 but in reality, a seemingly uninterrupted forum to take pot shots at the non PAP voters and non PAP politicians.
Using Chan’s logic, will the Prime Minister also be asked to substantiate and provide evidence on his assertions that non PAP voters are free riders? Or that non PAP politicians are trying to “inherit” the national reserves?
These are also very serious allegations to raise in Parliament no?