Bukit Batok By-Election

[richardg]

Originally Posted by Auratus

Using car as a measurement of wealth, is not correct. How do we define Rich? A man in a village can be considered rich as he has a Yamaha, as nobody else have it. However he is poor compared to a city folk that owns a Mercedes and it goes on. So Rich is a relative term, a measurement depending from which level one is making the reference.

Who determine that Singapore is the richest in the world? If we seek the answer from poor families here, we will arrive at a different result. However, if we seek to glorify ourselves as being riches in the world then just reference to the super rich here. According to research, the majority of the world wealth is in the hand of only 10% of the population. So is the glorification correct?

Is Singapore really rich? Are we at Swiss standard of living? Do you really feel rich looking at the CPF statement? Do you really feel rich that our apartment/HDB is being valued at hundreds of thousand to million? What is the level of our domestic debt?

It is the future that is important, not the report of how rich is Singapore. The national pledge we take everyday from young till NS, has become very deceiving.

i just want to say my post wasnt intended to be how you interpret it to be.
nothing more to say
cheers

[AlvinLeong]

As long as our member of parliament double up as an estate manager, Singaporeans will continue to vote for the PAP.

[Robson]

Originally Posted by globalcookie

Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan said the Bukit Batok by-election campaign was an uphill battle, given that he was up against the combined might of “the media” and “the state machinery” in an “undemocratic society”.

Chee said his fellow party members could hold their heads high as they had run a clean campaign, unlike the PAP which had campaigned on “false headlines”.

He added that he was “very encouraged” by the vote swing towards the SDP and also pledged to continue to be active in Bukit Batok, in order to garner more support for the party.

The political veteran won 38.8 per cent of the vote in the Single-Member Constituency, losing out to the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate Murali Pillai’s 61.2 per cent of the 23,570 valid votes cast.

This was a significant improvement on the results from the 2015 General Election, when SDP candidate Sadasivam Veriyah garnered just over 26 per cent of the vote.

After the results came in on Saturday (7 May) night, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrote on Facebook: “This is not just a win for Bukit Batok, but shows all Singaporeans, and others too, that the government and people are united in a building a better nation together.”

Speaking to reporters at a doorstop, Chee responded to Lee’s comments: “If you wanted to say this and you campaigned on this, and you won on this, it’s a very different story. But when you campaign on false headlines, what else can you say? When Wanbao does things like that and people start all these kinds of smear (efforts)… and then you say you want to appeal to a better nation?”

The SDP chief was alluding to a Lianhe Wanbao article that had said Chee was proud of his “crazy past”. The headline was later amended when Chee denied uttering that phrase.

He added in Mandarin: “I cannot understand it, how the journalist and editor managed to print a headline based on something I did not say. If we had a professional media with high standards, this would be a sackable offence.”


Bukit Batok by-election: SDP Polling Day highlights
Watch highlights from the Singapore Democratic Party gathering site at Bukit Gombak Stadium on Polling Day (7 May) for the Bukit Batok by-election.
(Video by Jeremy Ho)

The supporters speak

A party volunteer, who declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media, said he was disheartened as he thought Chee had a “fighting chance” against Murali. He added: “We will carry on doing the ground work, and see what the next party objective is.”

Actress Neo Swee Lin, who spoke at one of the SDP’s rallies, told Yahoo Singapore that she was hopeful despite the result. “I know Dr Chee will keep coming back. I have hope because there were more voting for the SDP this time,” she said.

View photos
SDP supporters react following the release of the by-election results. (Photo: Joseph Nair)

Analysts weigh in

Sharing his thoughts on the by-election results, National University of Singapore political scientist Reuben Wong said: “I think the SDP’s vote share was disappointing for them because they were playing to win and… were quite far off the mark. For me you need to hit 40 per cent.”

He noted that the vote swing was “not a big deal” as the “by-election effect in Singapore is strong”, with the PAP having lost every by-election for single-seat wards since 1981.

Regarding Chee’s leadership of the SDP, Wong said: “If he (Chee) continues leading the SDP and they continue to have these kinds of results in elections, there will probably be numbers in the party looking for a change in leadership. People don’t want to be in a losing team.”

He added: “My suspicion is that somebody who doesn’t attract that kind of negative vibe as Chee Soon Juan would have done better.”

Also weighing in was Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan, who said that the SDP “came out better” for all their efforts in the by-election.

“Given that he (Chee) was able to move one out of 10 voters who voted for the PAP just eight months ago, (which) contributed to his best electoral performance … he can claim it was a successful campaign,” he said.

Despite not hitting the 40 per cent mark in terms of the vote share, Tan said the results give the Chee a “good base on which he can build”.

“I think he (Chee) needs to stop moving around… He needs to show his sincerity and commitment to one constituency,” he said.

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whats your take on the results?

Has e Screwig other ppl Wife hit voters?
The familee spat?
Ppl whom voted for Dr Chee trust he can put in tough questions?
Swing in percentage within your expectation?

I seems to wonder if that Rubeun Wong is a mouthpiece for them to sow discord among SDP?

I think the vote swing is down to BE. Dun think David Ong issue has any impact. In a GE between Murali and CSJ, I expect Murali to win probably by 65%. No more. David won big against an unknown.

[DinOBeeR]

Q1. if Murali is not from miw contesting against CSJ, who do u think will win this BE?

Q2. if this BE is contested fairly& democratically between Murali vs CSJ without PM, DPM, Ministers, MSM hitting below the belts, gutter politics, character assasination & smear campaign, then who do u think have a better chance to win?

IMHO, Murali is a good man no doubt but CSJ is a notch better qualified as a more capable MP in all aspects; eg check & balance, debatining policies and contesting of ideas in the Parliament.

Voters need to overcome the 3 Ks before we can see change:
1. KiaSu
2. KiaSi
3. KiaZenghu

[tian ya ren]

Vote opposition wont against the law but if dont vote any party than is against the law ... I really dont understand why got people vote with fear ? Just do what u want no need to scare this and that .. 人生短短几十年 if lets say miw know u vote opposition what miw can do to u and they can tekan u how long ?? Just do it and make the thing right with out regret .

[loveikan]

Not bad liao. 12% swung over and this result is better than the one lost to ex MP for BB in 2015.

So let us see what will be the outcome from SDP's sowing bwtn now till the next election in BB.....

Or maybe BB no longer a SMC come next election...hahahaha

[Ong88]

Originally Posted by globalcookie

Lorkon, that's not enonly bad spot... The loading unloading Bay behind NTUC, opposite e Swimming pool also like some third world kampung.

This area under which GRC?

Sam Tan
Smc

sam_tan@mom.gov.sg

[Ong88]

Originally Posted by Auratus

.

..
..
According to research, the majority of the world wealth is in the hand of only 10% of the population. So is the glorification correct? .


..
.

Glorification not correct.

But I have this view, not politically correct in this day n age but I belief strongly in :
Since the beginning of organised society, roughly 1/3 were slaves or indentured labour.

That's always been and always will be.

In current modern democracy and capitalistic society, it is not so apparent.
But the modern slaves are those who are indentured by their debts : bank/finance company/pawn shops or ah longs/employment agents/pimps or employment bonds.

I am just glad(for now), we have no ah sums or coolies. Also women here not selling their bodies or working as domestic workers overseas.
But I belief, given time, there will be Singaporean going to China and India as foreign workers : when SG is really doomed.
A matter of time only.

[amkbettafan]

Originally Posted by Ong88

I am just glad(for now), we have no ah sums or coolies. Also women here not selling their bodies

Don't be sure of this, bro.

I have read of SG and MY gals doing this trade in the middle east before....

[Ong88]

Originally Posted by amkbettafan

Don't be sure of this, bro.

I have read of SG and MY gals doing this trade in the middle east before....

Tokyo too

But these are voluntary willing workers.

We have not been doomed until women need to as a last resort.