Foreign Minister George Yeo said on Tuesday he will not be contesting Aljunied GRC at the next general election.
The 57-year-old Minister told a news conference that he’ll leave the important task to someone younger.
As for his role in public life, he said he will ‘contribute in whatever modest way possible’.
He also added he will help ‘in whatever way possible’ to bring about the transformation of the People’s Action Party.
Mr Yeo said Singapore’s political development is entering a new phase.
So how the government responds to it will decide Singapore’s destiny in the 21st century.
He reiterated his disappointment at losing Aljunied GRC contest, and said he respects voters’ decision to have the Workers’ Party to be their voice in Parliament.
On his next career move, Mr Yeo said he’s not rushing to decide and added that he and his wife agreed he should take time to think things over.
In the meantime, he’ll take a break to spend more time with the family.
It has been two days since the election results were announced but the split is still palpable in Potong Pasir.
And yesterday, the new Member of Parliament Sitoh Yih Pin (picture) for the constituency called on residents to “remain calm” as he promised to make it a “better place to live in” within the next five years.
In reply to questions about the group of residents who still think a by-election is possible, Mr Sitoh told reporters: “An election has already been held in accordance with the constitution and the laws of Singapore.
“For the more than 50 per cent that supported me, I’m grateful and I’ll fulfil all our promises. For those that didn’t support me, the slightly less than 50 per cent, I appeal to you – please remain calm and give us a chance.”
A group of residents have been collecting signatures since Sunday night to petition against the result – a victory for Mr Sitoh and the People’s Action Party over Singapore People’s Party candidate Lina Chiam, by 114 votes. Continue reading ‘I will make Potong Pasir a better place to live in: Sitoh’
SINGAPORE – Newly-elected Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling, who was subjected to intense criticism online in the run-up to the polls, held her first Meet-the-People Session (MPS) yesterday.
Ms Tin, 27, told reporters that the caseload in MacPherson, the ward she is helming, was higher than when she was helping out previously in Ulu Pandan. But having had a feel of the broad-ranging cases in MacPherson after shadowing former MP Matthias Yao for about a month, Ms Tin said she was confident about working with the residents in MacPherson.
Many of those who turned up were low-income families seeking financial assistance and help to secure rental flats, said Ms Tin, one of the five People’s Action Party (PAP) MPs in Marine Parade GRC.
Madam Maimunah Jaffar told MediaCorp: “I came to ask for a rental flat, on behalf of my mum, then for me. I’m very confident that she can help the residents here.”
Another resident Meera Manja said: “Personally I think she’s okay. We expect her to help us, who are needy.”
On Sunday, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, the anchor minister for the GRC, acknowledged that sentiment around Ms Tin had affected the PAP vote in the GRC. However, he added that he had no doubts that Singapore’s youngest MP in three decades could do the job.
Earlier, before her MPS session, Ms Tin told reporters that more needed to be done to engage the young and to listen to what they had to say – through face-to-face interaction and the use of social media.
When asked how the PAP could listen more to the ground, especially the youth, Ms Tin said: “We need to empower them by giving them space as well as the resources for them to do so.
“I think this is something we’ve been doing but we can do it better, to continue to reach out to more young people. And not just student leaders but down to every young resident.”
SINGAPORE – Despite predictions the People’s Action Party (PAP) could see its share of the votes erode, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong had expected Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) to at least buck the trend.
But support dipped at the polls on Saturday, when only 56.65 per cent of the votes were cast in his team’s favour, prompting Mr Goh to acknowledge they had been unable to duck the “sea change in the political landscape” that had swept the nation.
He had expected a bigger margin of victory and said that, apart from the electorate’s clamour for more alternative voices in Parliament, local and national issues weighed in as well.
Speaking to reporters mid-way through his team’s victory parade in the ward yesterday, Mr Goh also admitted that Ms Tin Pei Ling, 27, the PAP’s youngest candidate, and the National Solidarity Party’s Ms Nicole Seah, 24, were factors in the outcome of the Marine Parade results.
But he defended Ms Tin and said she has made a connection with segments of residents in MacPherson under her watch that will help her grow to become an effective Member of Parliament (MP).
Continue reading ‘Marine Parade could not avoid ‘sea change’ in S’pore’s political landscape’
SINGAPORE – In his first, albeit indirect, comments about the results of Saturday’s General Election, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said at a community event in Tanglin Halt last night that “2011 has seen a generation that does not remember from whence we came, but that is to be expected. But I do, and those amongst you who are over 50 will remember”.
He also cautioned: “Do not believe that the Singapore flight can be on auto-pilot. We will run into storms, we will run into all kinds of emergencies and we must have good pilots on board.” The Minister Mentor was speaking to residents in Queenstown to celebrate the completion of several pavilions at a community plaza.
Earlier, the Minister Mentor, accompanied by his five-member team and Radin Mas MP-elect Sam Tan, had toured Tanjong Pagar GRC for almost two hours on an open-top bus to thank voters for their support (picture). The People’s Action Party (PAP) team in Tanjong Pagar was returned unopposed, while Mr Tan won the contest in Radin Mas with more than 67 per cent of the vote.
Speaking to the media, Mr Lee was asked about the swing in support, which saw the PAP secure 60.1 per cent of the vote, down from the 66.6 per cent it garnered in 2006 and the lowest by the party ever.
“I’m sure the Prime Minister and his team would sit down carefully and analyse the reasons and adapt our policies. I can’t say more. I’m not the Prime Minister,” said Mr Lee.
Asked by a Berita Harian reporter whether Mr Lee’s comments had affected the party’s votes, Mr Lee said that he did not think so.
