PAP - THE WEAKEST LINK

IDENTIFY PAP'S WEAKEST LINK IN TANJONG PAGAR GRC - VOTE NOW! (Updated - Lee Kuan Yew, Chia Shi-Lu included)

For a long long time the Tanjong Pagar GRC has been regarded as “untouchable” for the Opposition because of the presence of Lee Kuan Yew. However in the last few years the Minister Mentor has been losing the aura and respect

that once surrounds him through a long series of gaffes and unnecessary jibes at Singaporeans. With the diminishing of his standing in the hearts and minds of the people, the impregnable fortress has become like the other GRCs become a potential battlefield

A sudden sense of urgency is detected in the PAP’s recent unveiling a $34 million five-year renewal masterplan for Tanjong Pagar. Hoping to shore up support in case the hitherto unthinkable happens, the Minister Mentor has roped in the rare popular PAP MP Dr Lily Neo and former Chief of Army MG Chan Chun Sing into his team. They replace RAam Lui Teck Yew and Sam Tan have who left to contest in other constituencies, and A/P Koo Tsai Kee who has retired.  Making up the numbers are the outspoken Indranee Rajah and Baey Yam Kam.

Could a surprise Opposition challenge actually materialise? If so, who might actually be the chink in the armour.

Who is The Weakest Link? Let us know what you think.

Update 27 April:

The PAP and Lee Kuan Yew escapes with a walkover in the Tanjong Pagar GRC on nomination day. But it also pulled a surprise by moving Baey to the Tampines GRC and replacing him with SGH orthopaedic surgeon and former President Scholar Dr Chia Shi-Lu, who admitted that he was only informed the night before of his candidacy. So much for PAP being serious about the elections.

Despite the walkover and the disruptions, we decided to continue and re-start the game for Tanjong Pagar, with Chia replacing Baey in the running for your choice of The Weakest Link.

While we firmly oppose octogenarians running for any office, we thought Singaporeans may relish the chance to give Lee Kuan Yew a reality check on his political health in what might well be his last term in office.

Candidate 1: Indranee Rajah, Senior Counsel

Indranee is a director at one of the top local law firms with practice in civil and commercial litigation and international arbitration covering disputes in energy and utilities agreements, multi-jurisdictional frauds and contractual claims, shareholder disputes, civil conspiracy actions, corporate commercial disputes, property disputes and employment & labour disputes. Mind boggling? By her own admission, Indranee said inducted into politics by Ho Peng Kee on the basis of her singlehood in 2001 when the PAP was looking for representatives of a growing constituency of single women. Stranger still is the logic she used in 2009 when she dismissed as “simplistic” Low Thia Kiang’s argument for a stronger Opposition presence in the parliament to prevent and check a government from becoming corrupt. How does a person who twice entered the parliament through walkovers pretend she has a stronger mandate than elected Opposition politicians is truly bizarre?

Highest Education Qualifications

Degree of Bachelor of Law (2nd Class Honours, Upper Division), NUS

Career

1990	Senior Legal Assistant, Drew & Napier
1992	Junior Partner, Drew & Napier
1993	Partner, Drew & Napier
2001-Present	Director (Litigation and Dispute Resolution), Drew & Napier

Board Directorship

Director, Agency for Integrated Care Pte Ltd (subsidiary of Ministry of Health Holdings)

Other Key Appointments

Board Member, Land Transport Authority

Member, Advisory Board of NUS Faculty of Law

Chairman, Indian Programme Advisory Committee

Advisor, Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce

President, Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA)

Candidate 2: Baey Yam Keng

Baey is the Managing Director of one of the largest public relations firm in Singapore. At the height of the debate over Section 377A of the Penal Code, Baey spoke up passionately at a forum against the law banning homosexual sex, saying he would vote to repeal it if Parliament took a vote. Baey was later lambasted by members of the public, who reminded him of his responsibility as MP to represent the will of the majority, and not his personal view.

Highest Education Qualifications

M.Sc (Distinction) (University College London)

Career

1995-2003	Economic Development Board, last appointment was as Director (London)
2003-2006	Director, Creative Industries Singapore, Ministry of Information, Communications & the Arts
2004-2006	Second Director, Planning, National Arts Council
2006-2008	Vice President (Corporate Marketing) / Vice President (Corporate Social Responsibility), CapitaLand Limited
2010-2011	Deputy Managing Director, Hill & Knowlton
2011	Managing Director, Hill & Knowlton

Board Directorship

Board Director, STET Homeland Security Services (part of ST Electronics)

Other Key Appointments

Exco Member, Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC)

Director, Chinese Development Assistance Council,

Member, REACH Supervisory Panel member

Director, Asian Civilisations Museum

Member, Advisory Council Avelife (Limited)

Founding President, The ETCeteras

Candidate 2: Chia Shi-Lu

Career

Present

Orthopaedic surgeon, Singapore General Hospital

Candidate 3:  Dr Lily Tirtasana Neo

The Medan-born doctor has been described by netizens as a “rare breed” in the current generation of PAP leaders. She has on several occasions spoke up fiercely in Parliament for the welfare and rights of needy citizens, drawing fire from her own colleagues.

Highest Education Qualifications

MB Bch BAO (Royal College of Surgeons, University of Ireland)

Career

1985	Medical Practitioner (self-employed), Tanglin Halt Clinic

Other Key Appointments

Board Director, NTUC Eldercare Co-operative

Member, People’s Association Board of Management – Member

Candidate 4: MG Chan Chun Sing

The Chief of Army gave little thought about giving up the appointment that he took up only a year ago and abandoned his Green uniform for the White. An elite of the Scholars Armed Forced who started off his career as a SAF (Overseas) and President Scholar. Has only been in the army and school since 1987. Probably has never applied for a job in his life and no measure of experience in the jungles in the real world.

Highest Education Qualifications

Master of Arts (Economics) from Christ's College, University of Cambridge

Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Career

1987-2011

Officer in the SAF. Previous appointments included: Commander 10th Singapore Infantry Brigade Head Joint Plans and Transformation Department Commander 9th Division Chief Infantry Officer Chief of Staff-Joint Staff Chief of Army (Mar 2010 to Mar 2011)

Candidate 5: Lee Kuan Yew

Career

1959-1990	Prime Minister, Singapore
1990-2004	Senior Minister, Singapore
2004-Present	Minister Mentor, Singapore

Other Key Appointments
Chairman, Government Investment Corporation (GIC), Singapore




(Note: As you are participating in a free and open forum, you would agree to take full personal responsibility for the contents of your contribution. Defamatory statements, unsubstantiated allegations, unwarranted vulgarities, racist comments, denigration of other contributors and other posts of no relevance will be removed.)