The interesting aside to this is that Joo Chiat had always been a stronghold of Chan Soo Sen (GE2001: 83.5%, GE2006: 65%). Unfortunately his predilection for booze and karaoke was frowned upon by higher ups. They replaced him with Charles Chong for GE2011, the elitist who defended the $46,000 Le Cordon Bleu frolic of Permanent Secretary Tan Yong Soon with this:
“Maybe it made lesser mortals envious and they thought maybe he was a little bit boastful. Would people have taken offence if his wife (a senior investment counsellor at a bank) had paid for everything?”
For mocking the peasants, Chong barely scraped through with 51% of the votes. Meanwhile Chan, always a popular fixture (still is) at clan gatherings in the district, would bitterly complain to anyone within hearing range about how "they" had to bring in three civil servants to do his job.
Decades ago, E.W Barker was well known for sneaking off to the bar at the snooty Singapore Cricket Club to wet his whistle. But that didn't stop him from an illustrious career of 25 years in politics, serving as Minister for National Development (1965–75), Minister for Home Affairs (1972), Minister for the Environment (1975–79), Minister for Science and Technology (1977–81) and Minister for Labour (1983). Barker was a happy camper at law firms Braddell Brothers and Lee & Lee until the horrible person dragged him into parliament. Fortunately for him then, there was no sniffer dog with a sensitive nose for alcohol.
It remains to be seen how the 22,760 voters of Joo Chiat who were wiped off the electoral map to be absorbed ignominiously into the folds of Marine Parade will react. If they are bitter about being thwarted in their balloting intentions, the outcome can only be ugly. Gerrymandering can cut both ways.
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WP's chance in Marine Parade has improved. TPL, despite her initial don't-know-what-say fiasco, appears to be well liked by the aunties in MacPherson. By carving out MacPherson, the pro-PAP votes in Marine Parade has weakened. And by putting Joo Chiat into Marine Parade, the pro-WP camp has strengthened.
ReplyDeleteLTK's strategy of going for broke in the last election by giving up his almost-certain Hougang seat and fighting in Aljunied against 2 ministers, and 1 potential mayor paid handsomely. Now that the PAP is trying to mess up Aljunied town council, LTK should put in a suicide team in Aljunied to battle PAP's Aljunied suicide team. And switch the current Aljunied Team to Marine Parade GRC. Who knows, WP may just win both Aljunied and Marine Parade GRCs. And also East Coast GRC if WP can field a credible team there as well.
It is a rigged electoral process. They can more or less figure out voting trends though not voting choices, and so drew out the election boundaries accordingly. I would be surprised if the opposition gains more than 60% of the votes! Urgh!
ReplyDeleteThe DPM's disingenuous statement can only bE matched by Woody Goh' s claim that Joo Chiat was a natural fit to be brought back to the fold of Marine Parade GRC. The time is ripe to teach these fellows a lesson.
ReplyDeleteDPM Teo "Changes MORE disruptive to incumbents as they have been WORKING the ground"
DeleteWell well.. Is MORE disruptive because you have been dominating 81 of the seats duh!!
The word is not WORKING but rather GERRYMANDERING the ground!!
In short, the facts remain that 3 of Opposition wards remain unchanged. 9 of the Incumbent wards remain unchanged. The rest 13 1so have been shifted (added or subtracted) to suit your advantage. And 4 GRCS +SMCs to minimize your loss.
So we are supposed to believe that it is now in PAPs interest to help oppositions win elections??!! Lol we must be daft.
Kee Chiu rhetoric is the best.
DeleteDon't come to my ward unless you have pure heart and not just want to put up a fight.
Tsk tsk....in other words, don't ruin my walkover leh.
if every single person who voted for the opposition can convince one other person, than the ruling party will be in for a rude shock. I have done my part, it's up to the rest. What was the turning point for me was the Aussie Party and the AG report on the lapses. The complete lack of accountability and transparency really makes me wonder what is really happening behind the white walls. The other factor was how they are trying to fix the residents of Aljunied. Please people for the sake of the future. Vote wisely
ReplyDeleteWhat the government called electoral boundaries review is gerrymandering to the people. In the last few months, EBRC must have been busy running its state-of-the-art modelling program in different scenario settings to conclude with 95% confidence level that its proposed boundary changes will give PAP the highest number of parliamentary seats. I hope enough of Singaporeans have woken up and stop PAP from treating them as mere digits.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am certain that they use sophisticated modeling to redraw the boundaries. In the last election, their leaked polls predicted the outcome to within a percentage point. They have invested a lot of money in electoral science (or gerrymandering.)
DeleteWhy are tax payers paying millions and bonus to these civil servants to help an incumbent party to win election?!
DeleteHypocrisy is high when Ng Eng Heng lamented the need to remove the Lottery effect.
DeleteUsing a two party system to run a 6 party election is just going to Fail. The outcome may be so random voters would be as well buying a lottery ticket as being handed a ballot paper. Certainly the senior wrangler knew about this, so does the perm sec with a math degree chairing the committee too. While uk is debating an electoral reform after the recent debacle that saw a capitulation of the opposition parties, LHL will be sipping champagne with Cameron toasting his recipe to success soon. Woes are the daft parties if they still don't heed the uks results.
No need for state-of-the-art modelling program lah. The mechanism is already there. In the past, they couldn't do it methodically. However, since they switched from one centralized counting centre to many counting centres in each constituency, it is relatively easy to see the voting pattern.
DeleteEach counting centre serves specific streets, precincts, and neighbourhoods. By noting which counting centre is pro-PAP or pro-Opposition, it is very easy to shuffle the deck.
Bottomline is - your vote is secret on an individual basis, but the votes on the counting-centre basis can be gleaned just by looking how high the stacks of votes are for the respective parties.
I had NEVER supported PAP.
ReplyDeleteNow, I am further piss off with CRONYISM and the MOUNTING LAPSES IN THE VARIOUS MINISTRIES AND GRASSROOT ORGANIZATIONS.
As citizens, I feel that we have the Duty to prevent the Incumbents from committing further mistakes.
patriot
The latest coffee talk about the disappearance of Joo Chiat constituency especially that PAP is damn 'chow kuan' or damn 'horrible' as the old man must have been the main talking point. All those talk about level playing field is simply BS.
ReplyDeleteAnd when you look at that today's Shit Times photo showing one Cocky Minister talking to a group of old folks, you know what I mean. One cannot help notice that some of the old folks are so engrossed in their eating their free meals as if they have not eaten for days, they don't appear at all interested in what the Minister seem to be talking cock. And where has the young folks gone ?
PAP must really good at deceiving the public a free plate of mee hoon is all that is needed to show that PAP has a lot of support. You can bet that Kee Chiu will be busy organising free meals and chartered transport to fetch the old folks to attend those PAP election rallies.
What a joke that PAP has evolved to become such a cheapskate political party !!!
2011 maybe watershed, but don't let 2015 be a woolshed of the sheeple.
DeleteRemember, even assuming WP wins all the 10 wards, (5 GRCS 5 SMC) they are only just barely on the fridge of 1/3 of the parliament! So the fear monger ing that they will vote out PAP accidentally ain't going to happen IF they really win them all. We still can't stop them from expediting the PWP and more harmful policies.
Pinocchio said level playing field wor...
ReplyDeleteDid everyone know when EBRC was formed? Who was 2 months more well- informed than the rest?
Did everyone know the reasons behind the redistricting? Where is the explanation and transparency?
Is the EBRC independent fromthe PMO office? Is there random personnel or opposition candidate or outside consultants present to task the committee?
Are the voters from their precincts really have a choice in choosing their representatives, or the represtatives are pre-selecting the voters they can win to serve?
Are the voters being blackmailed that priorities will only be given to their constituencies IF they vote for the incumbent party? If not, tough luck?
Is the FPTP system not lead to large political majority (wether earned or not) results in massive shifts in seats gained or lost?
Isn't the GRCS is yet another through train for weak candidates (whether earned or not) into the parliament, forcing electorate to choose between Parties rather than just Candidates?
Doesn't the system disenfranchise voters and entrench "monetization growth" syndrome that only compel party to extravagant expenditures to keep votes or winning new ones?
Gosh..the field is so well leveled that those list of inequalities that fail the basic test of any democratic system of government , we might as well start penning LHLs new book and titled it first world to third. Don't bother to call it any shamocratic, just called it Dynasty and save us all the international humiliation.
Mr. Goh is concerned and afraid. He maybe embarrassed for the things to come. He has achieved Singapore 1st multi Millionaire PM Guiness record, and still yet to fulfill his promise of Swiss Standard of Living for Singaporeans after 35 years in CABINET. Marine Parade is vulnerable. If he participate and lose, he will set a new record for PAP...ex-PM lost. If he retreat & Marine Parade falls to WP....he has not done a good grooming job. He is stuck.
ReplyDeleteTowards an inclusive singapore. Inclusive for who? The family, own kakis and network of supporters!
DeleteTowards a. Swiss standard of living? For whom?
The politicians, the elites and aristocrats and imported millionaires.
Does Swiss standard living include old, frail and back bending elderlies cleaning tables at humidly hot hawker centers or cardboard collection for exercise?
Would there be any PG pioneers goodies if not for the impending death of LKY , loss of GE 2011 ? The answers are clear. They were forced to provide some semblance of Swiss standard for now until SG50 is over or no one will even be bothered to show up and mourn the old fart or celebrate his evil stingy deeds for the last 50 years. How many who perished in bedok reservoirs have had a chance to even see this?
All the wayang will be over once SG 50 is over, and the Mean spirited PAP will go back to its DNA leopard spots. If they can gerrymander the voters they want to keep, they can PWP the foreigners in and locales out of their way.
In the absence of any transparency, we are all mere digits. Simple as that.
Lau goh should just retire. Why risk his own legacy now which is probably top of his mind. Nothing to gain, everything to lose. After old fart has claimed all the glory and success, what else is left for him other than a seat warmer? He could have been a Lee Teng Hui but he didn't or couldn't under the watchful eyes. He missed that chance and now we continued into this limbo with the son who will never dare do anything close to Chang Jingguo, unless on his last ending term. Which will leave the daunting mess to LHLs unfortunate successor, whoever he may be. Meanwhile, we can all enjoy the TIME article of how taiwan potentially new mayor is the first female president to lead a Chinese democracy. And voters didn't pay her million dollar.
DeletePAP has been telling the public a lot of untruths :
ReplyDelete1) We need more foreigners because population is ageing. But why are we allowing new immigrants to bring their old folks to worsen our ageing problems. Make sense or not?
2) We need target 6.9m population because the birth rate is low. But when we bring in the immigrants and their dependants, the new immigrants while not producing enough but will also eventually become old in 20~30 years time. Our future generation will be in a vicious cycle of facing a perpectual ageing problem, so how PAP?
3) Our CPF funds are neither used by Temasek or GiC. Our PAP govt is actually making use of our CPF funds to make more money for themselves rather than for the good of CPF members over all these years. That is probably why they don't give a damn to explain why they can keep excessive investment returns (the meat) for themselves while CPF members should be more than satisfied with the 2.5~4% interest (the bones) declared by PAP govt.
4) For our PAP Ministers to remain honest, million dollar salaries is a must. It is as if LHL and his team are not paid these obscene salaries, they maybe tempted to be corrupt. If we use the same argument, then why are our bank tellers, cashiers, financial controllers etc who handle large sums of monies not paid top salaries so that they may not be tempted to be corrupt also?
5) Election candidates are not permitted by law to spent beyond a certain limit on election campaigns. But why is PA allowed to spend millions of dollars in organising concerts, dinners, gatherings, all disguised as community events under the patronage of PAP MPs & grassroot leaders for each PAP constituency? How about those paying $1 each in exchange get a goodie bag worth much more in value? Is this a form of disguised bribery or not?
If we seriously look at all these issues, has our PAP leaders deliberately breached any of our existing laws by using legal loopholes? What do you think? Should we still vote for PAP if they are such pariah leaders if we were to judge them by international standards?
Elections are held just to allow venting.
ReplyDeleteIn the process, it provides real ground feel for the incumbent.
The end result is first past the post... and its guaranteed to have more than 45 seats out of 89.
Huff & puff all they want.. the hustings lend an air of festivities in an otherwise bland life.
The circus has come to town!
PAP is lightly to win, because gerrymandering is almost a mathematical certainty and the margin of safety is so wide. Legitimacy of the government, however cannot be settled in a democratic vote. It is clear from the glaring lack of touch of our leaders, and the wide disparity in living standards between the rulers versus its citizens, this government has lost legitimacy long ago.
ReplyDeleteDon't take it lightly - they are equally likely or unlikely to win because of gerrymandering. It is a two-edged sword. Already, the PAP winning margins are thin overall, and very thin in some constituencies. By wanting to win most seats, they will have to carve out strong PAP precincts to the weaker ones. This will homogenize the wards - diluting the winner wards and strengthening the loser wards - and thus bringing the overall winning margin lower. If the citizens are pissed off enough, and the younger voters voted more for the opposition, the PAP may lose a larger chunk.
DeleteMarine Parade, East Coast and Bishan GRC look dicey and can go either way.
E W Barker had the common touch, unlike some fakes that queue for chicken wings. He used to bring his guitar to jam and whoop it up with his buddies at Sandy Pub in Paramount Hotel in the old days. I would rather vote for a good-hearted down-to-earth drunkard than a sanctimonious cow or a duplicitous natural aristocrat.
ReplyDeleteNg Eng Hen: "Putting candidates in early is a political risk. We know this - other parties may not choose to play it this way and can indeed gain an advantage - but we did this because we think this is ultimately a better type of politics that PAP wants for Singapore."
Better type of politics? Don't be a hypocrite lah. Call a spade a spade. You put up your candidates early so that you can work the ground early, as you yourself put it: "...the new candidates have been working the ground for the longest period, for any GE..." Jeez.
"I personally will tell my new candidates, no negative campaigning." Let's hope so, because as I recall in 2011, it was your candidates that started all the mud-slinging.
Haha. Ok, no negative campaigning, for new candidates. But the old candidates can still start all the gutter-sniping. As they say in the Army, samula.
DeleteWe roughly know who will be leading this Charge of the Longkang Brigade (apologies to Lord Tennyson).
Delete