It was obvious the televised interview was unrehearsed. When a reporter asked Desmond Choo why he contradicted PM Lee who had suggested the Yaw saga was far from closed, it was not bravado but sheer political naïveté that made him declare on national tv, "Well, obviously our opinions differ and you can see that I am my own man." Someone please buy him a ticket for The Avengers:
Captain America: What's the matter? Afraid of a little bit of lightning?
Loki: No, but I'm not a huge fan of what follows.
Tharman jumped in to rescue him (who, Lee or Choo, it's hard to tell) by declaring that the Yaw affair was a national issue from the PM's perspective, not a local issue in respect of the current by-election. Choo had better grasp what he's getting into. Just learn from WP's Low Thia Khiang, "I believe it can never be so clear-cut whether it's local or national. While we've noted (Tharman's) comments on what the PAP wants to do, we have to see what comes out before we respond." Tharman may claim to be the underdog in this rumble, but Low has seen what "hulk, smash" can do.
“I’m still a rookie politician,” Choo admitted. At 34, be may not be as green as the Marine Parade gal lofted into parliament. But then, although married, he still has yet to complete his national service obligation to improve the total fertility rate. Maybe he, too, can't tell the difference between G-12 and G-spot. Compared to his opponent, it's easy to tell who has "eaten more salt than he has tasted rice."
Choo's just another of those sheltered scholar types - his day job is an appointment at NTUC, for pete's sake - who's so insulated from the ground that he thinks he can save Hougang single handedly. He claims he has refused help from party big wigs, while sitting flanked by the Finance Minister and the Minister of Education. For his sake, Tharman and Heng Swee Keat won't take offence at the insult. Maybe he meant to say big wigs like Emeritus Senior Minister Goh, who specialises on kicking in own goals, and provide the entertainment value at every election.
Heavy on the give-aways (porridge, hearing aids), Choo announced the launch of a monthly free legal clinic starting on May 15 that will be helmed by Subhas Anandan and a team of lawyers. Et tu, Anandan? This slug fest is so full of surprises.
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LOL..! I do miss ESM Goh for all that entertainment value.
ReplyDeleteFew glory references are coming out fast from white-horses mouths. Fun days ahead. More salt please.
As an NTUC guy, what is Desmond doing in regards to fighting for fair wages for the poor workers? Or his job hub comprises of cleaner, courier, driver and other low paying works that pay $800 third-world rate?
ReplyDeleteThat legal clinic is a real surprise..does HG have other offenders who have committed sex with underaged girls that need SA to defend..? Desmond Choo has just taken political pimping to the highest level. I would think Woffles Wu for beauty augmentation would have been a better choice for his platform "if wife cannot cook, just give her a cosmetic surgery upgrade"!
ReplyDeleteIf you're satisfied the government, you vote for PAP. If you're unhappy, please vote for WP. There are many clowns out there who like to complain about a thousand things and still vote for PAP. If you still vote for PAP, don't complain. There are too many Singaporeans who just like to complain and take no action. Don't complain. Take action now!
ReplyDeleteVote for WP on 26 May 2012!
ESM may not have the chance to score own goals here but it will be the first red card for PAP, post 2011.
ReplyDeleteSimple, If you are happy with PAP then vote PAP lor. If not better vote Opp (WP in this case) or else PAP will claim they have a mandate to come back to squeeze you. Even with 40% voting against nationwide, they still insist they have a clear mandate through the laughable GRC system (which allow joker like TPL, FMH, Puthu,CCS etc) to creep in.
ReplyDeleteWhat ? A free legal clinic for Hougang SMC ? If not for one brave woman and a equally brave lawyer, we may never have this By-Election. Not till 2016, if past instances were a guide.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the PAP may be insinuating that there are more Yaw-like cases for legal advice to be dispense....
I think residents should make use of the legal clinic to question the amended constitution further. If the big shot lawyer has the balls the take it on like Ravi.
ReplyDeleteNo issues if lawyers want to provide pro-bono services to residents. That's good community service that people can use. But why must they come with a certain Political Party and at a particular time like (By)Election?
ReplyDeleteThen don't be surprised come 2016, PAP might invite foreign talent Jim Rogers to give commodity & investment advice to constituencies! Promote foreign talents and integration and cohesion, viola!!! Gee, have we really come down to this?
Below is a list of problems high-lighted by blogger redbean:
ReplyDeletehttp://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/
Does anybody seriously think Desmond Choo or the Pro Alien Party is up to the task of;
a.acknowledging that we have a problem
b.having the necessary talent to solve the problems.
The driver is obviously asleep or incapable of driving on his own.
We need the co-driver to slap him awake or take over the driving duty.
Is Desmond Choo (or Tin Pei Ling) capable of carrying out an intelligent discussion on any one of the topics below?
Without Papa Tharman sitting next to him, holding his hand?
Does Singapore have any time left to wait for these sheltered young talents to grow their own brains and balls needed to be their own man?
1. Wide income gap
2. High property prices
3. High cost of living
4. High prices of cars
5. High medical fees
6. Jams and congestion
7. PMETs having unemployment problems
8. Lack of local talents
9. Lack of babies
10. Too many oldies
11. Not enough savings for retirements
12. Not enough good people going into politics and the best is just so so.
13. Not enough talents in finance, medicine and legal services
14. Too many foreigners
15. Transportation problems
16. Housing problems
17. Not enough hospitals
18. Oldies need to work in their 70s and older.
Let's practise the PAP's standard replies:
Delete1. It's better that you have a job than no job.
2. High property price is due to market forces.
3. High cost of living is a global trend.
4. High car price affects only the minority
5. The 3Ms (medishield, medisave, medifund) are comprehensive.
6. More MRT lines will be built. More roads will be widened.
7. PMETs should upgrade or re-train themselves to stay employable.
8. Capable Singaporeans should not be invited to step forward to serve.
9. Singaporeans are encouraged to have more babies.
10. Old people should stay active and continue to contribute if they can.
11. People can consider downgrading their flats to release some cash.
12. Capable Singaporeans should not be invited to step forward to serve.
13. Capable Singaporeans should not be invited to step forward to serve.
14. Foreigners provide works for Singaporeans.
15. 2 billion dollars will be invested to alleviate the problems.
16. $1,000 salary can own 2-room flat. HDB flat is affordable.
17. More hospitals will be built. Please be patient.
18. Old people should stay active and continue to contribute if they can.
Got problems meh?
Singaporeans should not develop crutch mentality and except gov't to solve all their problems. Be part of the solutions, not problems.
*******
Tired of all those self-serving replies with little regard for the well-being of Singaporeans except their own kinds.
Some people just need to be jolted to work harder for their money.
I do hope HG residents vote with their hearts. Looking at this lot of PAP candidates (many already jettisoned into MP or ministerial positions) are disappointing. Just scholars and nothing more. What we need now is leaders with a big heart. Don't talk from the high places but speak from the level of ordinary citizens.
ReplyDeleteVote WP if you want to see more grown up questions asked about our reserves, GIC and Temasek.
ReplyDeleteVote Desmond Choo if you want to see yet another overpaid, underworked scholar in parliament.
Sinkies ... please.....
We've got so many already ....
PAP said WP has not come clean about Yaw's affairs. In the same token has PAP come clean about the 2 Heads of Dept sharing the same IT executive, what more involving some kind of sexual favors?
ReplyDeleteThe men involved with the underaged chicken already under prosecution and yet the Heads still not being charged despite exposed much earlier.
So before accuse others, look at your own backyard first PM. PAP is sure on it's path to becoming a Pariah Action Party, no?
hmmm... now that NDP Col Yau was off the table as a potential candidate to run Hougang, is it fair to speculate he could still be one of the remainder 16 yet to be charged? ...
DeleteThis will be the mother of all elections like I said before. Interesting times ahead. The slug fest is about to start. More surprises coming up.
ReplyDeleteStart reaching out to your frens and relatives who stay in hougang
ReplyDeleteReady for more own goals by Desmond.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry,he will have a full-time coach in the person of CHOO Wee Khiang, his UNCLE, a former MP who, incidentally, is also in NTUC. Correct me if I am wrong, I thought he has a cheating case coming up for mention. By the way, this is his second case, the first of which was, abetting someone to deceive a bank , by falsifying invoices for which he was sentenced to imprisonment and removed as an MP.
ReplyDeleteHe repeated 3 times "I am my own man"...
DeleteSome PAP naysayers critiqued WP for its selection process, in light of Yaw. Others questioned if WP knew it prior to GE yet fielded him nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteThey said such move has shortchanged HG voters. They should close ranks and pay attention to quality instead.
I amusingly recalled an would-be candidate called Steven Neo for Tampines who was withdrawn at eleventh hour. Did PAP knew it prior to announcing his candidacy? Did they do the right thing by removing him from race? Did they pay attention to the quality in spite of their enormous machinery at background check? Can they ever guarantee Desmond Choo is the right guy and vouch for his integrity forever & not become his uncle? What can PAP guarantee here? Goodness, some people are really throwing stones at their own glass houses it seems.
LOL - I’m not as confused as PM Lee is when it comes to saga.
DeleteWP has expelled him, that action alone is Accountability.
Now that Yaw is a private citizen, then is up to him whether he wants to explain it to the public or not. And quite frankly, I am least bit interested in his indiscretions. Not everyone needs to do a jack-neo confession and drag their wives or more innocent parties in what is a private affairs. Besides, it is not even a criminal case unlike the offenders of underaged sex case. Furthermore, unlike WKS who let loose a terrorist during his watch (which involves homeland security), our PM Lee had to account to people about what happened; he even had the audacity to keep him, later retaining him as economics czar. Explanation is no Exculpation, and I think he has misplaced what Accountability means here. Sigh…
Indeed. Dr Chia Shi Lu was parachuted as a result of the switch. I guess we can't trivialize a "miracle" can we?
DeletePM Lee said that time : 'I'm sorry, something has come up, we couldn't do what we intended to do, and we needed to make the change'". I don't see the difference in what LTK /his party has done here.
ya lor.
DeleteWill voting in DC or PEH solve SMRT train problem? No.
ReplyDeleteWill voting in DC or PEH solve Foreigners problem? No.
Will voting in DC or PEH solve Education problem? No.
Will voting in DC or PEH solve HDB pricing problem? No.
Will voting in DC or PEH solve Inflation problem? No.
Will voting in DC or PEH solve some problems faced by HG residents? Yes.
Conclusion - Local Issues is NOT National Issues.
These issues can only be solved by the govt, with the help of Singaporeans.
---
Hello? If I vote more of DC or more of PEH these collective voices will form either minority or majority to be heard in Parliament. That in turn, will result in more change that are not already in citizens' favor. So what are they talking?!! If its up to the govt to solve it directly with the people on those above issues, then have election for what?!! Might as well just give me a multiple-choice referendum for every key issues and I just ticked or crossed!!
And given all your majority presence everywhere, you still do a shitty jobs in looking after me, then why should I believe you can hear me out! Bunch of nincompoop.
I think Desmond Choo should be a filial nephew.
ReplyDeleteWithdraw from the by election.
Spend more time helping his uncle Choo Wee Khiang,
who seems to have a few ongoing issues with the law.
Maybe ask Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.
Give a few counselling sessions on moral values.
To Choo Wee Khiang.
In UK, they have their (1) Local Election (2) London Mayoral Election (3) General Election. In a small red dot like SG with 2.9m voters, what do you have? One PE for President. One GE for National/Local councilor election. Simple as that. Why is PAP trying to confuse people that is such a distinction unless they are prepared to create a separate National election from Local election?! Instead, they should be making the distinction that PAP is NOT Government. The Government of Singapore is NOT PAP (always). I simply don't see how you can separate the local from the national issues..both are intertwined and have trickle-down effects! Stop trying to be too clever. Like the SMRT experts say "It's not rocket science, use common sense!"
ReplyDeleteJanet 5:54pm , I agree with your view.
ReplyDeleteThe PM is trying very hard to isolate this By-Election from any discussion of that irk most of us.
At the same time, he want us to focus on national issues...
Me ? I am confused.
Dear PM Lee.
ReplyDeleteSingapore is a small island country.
Local and national issues are one and the same.
Unless you plan to introduce yet another layer of government.
By the way, how many Ministers are there in your Prime Minister's Office?
Hope ex-MM join in the fray and make it a heavyweight contest. "Repent Hougang" will do a lot of good. He knows how to punch above his weight.
ReplyDeleteAnd ESM? In 2003 Goh said "if there are no retrenchments at all, then I worry for Singapore. It means that we are actually offering an iron rice bowl to every employee." Hullooo there, so die die must have retrenchments meh? And ministers got iron rice bowls or not - or golden rice bowls? Yah, with ESM around it's never a dull moment.
Desmond Choo needs these 2 heavyweights to settle the agenda and resolve the issue of "I'm my own man" - his campaign seems a bit fragmented at the moment.
Vote the PAP out, wholesale
ReplyDelete"I'm still a rookie politician", Choo admitted.
ReplyDeleteGood for Desmond to realise that, but sadly not enough, because when he looks back one fine day, he will realise that he was not just a rookie but probably the biggest dumbass amongst PAP members.
Surely Desmond can gauge whether he is better than TinPL, Puthucheary, FooMH, BaeyYK, IreneNG, LeeBW, Vikram, etc, who have all been given a free ride into parliament via the GRC system. He should be asking PM Lee this if he truly believes that he is his own man...
I agree Desmond is naive, to allow himself to be utilised by PM Lee as foreplay, resulting in another anti-climax for him.
It is now up to Hougang voters to make it happen. LOL
Sure looks like he's being thrown to the wolves. At first rumours were rife that it would be the assistant secretary general of the NTUC. Maybe he pulled rank and tai-chi it to his subordinate. Another was that it was the NDP commander - maybe he got an appointment at the High Court for sexual indiscretion. So Desmond, you're it, own man or not. Anyway, good luck, you'll need it.
DeleteDesmond Choo got no choice but just have to be the dumb ass in the PAP team to go to HG because his cho Bo LAN but high pay job in NTUC is given to him by LSS.Take it as CCA lor, after getting time off is no problem, right?
ReplyDeleteMore like is payback time for his uncle deeds. You know how it's like when you accept to join the MIW cult..you always have to pay back.
DeleteI will have respect Desmond if he has admitted that "I am my own clown".
ReplyDeletehehe..... bozo
ReplyDeleteSubhas Ananda was bought over by Lee Kuan Yew. While he was a law undergraduate in the University of Singapore, he chaired a seminar in which Lee Kuan Yew as a speaker. There was a commotion during which Lee Kuan Yew physically pushed him into a drain. To cover up this ugly aspect of Lee Kuan Yew, they obvious made a deal. That is why he fly so high.
ReplyDelete