8/30/2015

Has the PAP abandoned Aljunied GRC?

Tharman said the PAP’s team or suicide squad for Aljunied GRC has a fighting chance. Boon Heng also said he is quietly hopeful. These are most uncharacteristic of the PAP. PAP always sent a team to win, the strongest team they could gather. What is this talk about a suicide squad? The team, other than super talented Yeo Guat Kwang, is all newbies. Has PAP running out of talent or ministers, or if not ministers of state, to helm this GRC, the fortress of George Yeo and Lim Hwee Hua?

In 2011, the PAP team had two ministers and a minister in waiting. That was the confidence it had then, and thinking that Ong Ye Kung would get an easy ride into Parliament with George Yeo anchoring the team. Now the strongest candidate is the most industrious MP, famous for the 64 appointments he held in Yeo Guat Kwang.  Yeo Guat Kwang is now the leader and anchor of this suicide team, meaning ‘pau si’ team, to go on a mission and not hoping to come back alive.

What would the people of Aljunied think of this team? Is this the best the PAP can afford or willing to sacrifice to take back Aljunied? Or the PAP has already concluded that there is no point putting in a serious challenge? Or is it that no minister or minister of state would want to risk themselves going to Aljunied?

What about Aljunied voters hoping to be represented by a minister? No minister would want to represent them? Has the PAP abandoned them?

What about the daily barrage at the WP failing to do a good job in running the town council? Does the PAP believe that they have cooked up a convincing case to demolish the WP as incompetent? If so, should not the PAP be confident enough to send in a serious team led by a minister to retake Aljunied?

Maybe they are still hoping for a minister to step forward to lead this team. Boon Heng said the team is still not finalised, meaning it can change. Maybe they are tapping the ground and if the feedback is favourable, they will put in a minister. If not, at most they could lose is their most industrious MP whose defeat would lead to 64 vacancies to be filled, and a few newbies that can be the next batch of nomads in the 2020 GE.

This is the first time in the history of the PAP that they have fielded a team in a GE with the presumption that it would lose. How things have changed and how the fortune of the PAP has changed.

If I read Victor Lye’s comment in the press interview, he did not think so. He took the press to task for calling the WP’s team as heavyweights and the PAP team as lightweight, underdog. Obviously he disagreed. In his view the PAP is a heavyweight team and the WP team is not.


I just got this feeling that the writing is on the wall. Aljunied GRC would remain as the WP’s stronghold after the GE. Maybe they would field Boon Heng on nomination day to make a difference. His highly charged emotion would touch many hearts and win him many votes just like LKY’s tears on Singapore being kicked out of Malaysia. Boon Heng’s tears could have the reversed effect, instead of being kicked out of Aljunied, he could win Aljunied for the PAP just like Hsien Loong did in 2011. Looks like Boon Heng is PAP’s secret weapon for Aljunied. A former minister is still a minister.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Aljunied GRC would remain as the WP’s stronghold after the GE.
RB

Tiok. And not to be so will be a all PAP Parliament, which majority voters also do not want.

Hence my gut feeling is that only Aljunied and Hougang will remain as opposition after Sep 11. Even Punggol East is only a 50-50, as I do not underestimate PAP Charles Chong.

The opposition cannot do any better than GE 2011, simply because in making opposition do better, majority voters are also very scared to accidentally vote PAP out. And if PAP is voted out, and to quote Hsien Loong, Singapore will sink. And for this, I believe Hsien Loong, except to add that it will sink even faster under opposition as govt.

So it is basically a choice between making Singaore sink, or sink faster. I, like the majority 60%, will choose the lesser of 2 evils.

Goh said...

To kill little chicken why need to use big knife meant to slaughter ox.
With past experience one has to be more careful talking to reporters .
To say having a fighting chance is just being humble.
This shows that we are having leaders who are more careful and humble. Humble does not mean Pow Soo.

Anonymous said...

" Has the PAP abandoned Aljunied GRC? "

- who the fuck cares?
- we are rebuilding Singapore without PAP
- who cares where PAP wants to contest?

Anonymous said...

The PAP team in Aljunied is a joke. ROFL.

Anonymous said...

Rb, put in this way. Aljunied is 50/50 with the fixing reported daily. My relative told me he believed what the press reported and so are many other voters. My relative has first class honours from nus plus MBA overseas holding
Important job with Mnc. So if he such intelligent person believed many less well educated will also believe lar. So it's 50/50. But then to be fair which VIP wanted to test that chance sacrificing million in the process. No one wanted to be hero lar. Best is to get a team that is not earning million so win or loss no big deal lar. Tio bo?

Anonymous said...

/// My relative has first class honours from nus plus MBA overseas holding
Important job with Mnc. ///
August 30, 2015 2:49 p.m.

You tell your PAP loving relative.
If really got any crime committed by WP.
Long ago, CAD and police would already have arrested WP tio bo?
Once and for all, the entire WP heavyweight team would have been wiped out tio bo?

So if really got any wrongdoing, PAP would have sent their heavyweight Ministers to Aljunied to contest in this elections tio bo?

Anonymous said...

Long ago, CAD and police would already have arrested WP tio bo?
Anon 3:40 p.m.

100% tiok, after knowing PAP for so long.

Anyway, PAP will still win big big lah, whether entire WP heavyweight team wiped out or not.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

I too have spoken to some well educated citizens. My impression, politically the political dullest group of Singaporeans are the so called educated fools. They could not see what is really happening. I bet if he is a CEO he would also promote people based on merit regardless of nationalities.

These are people living in their little ivory tower and trying to believe that all is fair is objective. The people on the ground are the ones that would make the difference. Your relative types will come crying one day when they are replaced by fakes and cheats and still believe the fakes and cheats are better than them. And they would believe that they are not good enough and would go and drive taxis.

Anonymous said...

They do not have the courage of their quickly mustered convictions. Even the new general has not the courage to go there. How can the nation rely on these paper generals and admirals to defend us in time of war?

Anonymous said...

/// How can the nation rely on these paper generals and admirals to defend us in time of war? ////
August 30, 2015 4:14 p.m.

100% very tiok.
We cannot depend on PAP and PAP's paper Generals to defend Singaporeans.
We must do it ourselves.
That is why I support Worker's Party Manifesto "Empower Your Future"

Seems to me like PAP has become like an LKY parrot party.
LKY say this. LKY say that.
LKY do this. LKY do that.
And we pay million dollar salaries for the LKY parrots some more.

It is time Singaporeans do things for ourselves.
Depend on ourselves.
Like our Pioneer Generation.
Vote Opposition.
Empower Ourselves to do things for ourselves.

Then we no need to waste time queuing up to meet our PAP MPs anymore.
Empower ourselves.
Do things for ourselves.
Dismantle all the chains that PAP has put upon us and our children.

Anonymous said...

agongkia, Sir. Humility is not part of the traits of PAP MPs.

As for Mr.Guan for having 64 directorships and he is either the sharpest most organized effective Director ever in Singapore or his hobby is to gather directorships and gain directors' fees.

If he is the former, he should have been Singapore PM, not Mr Lee.

As for Mr. Charles Chong, this is likely a try, try before he retires. If he wins probably he will get 2 or 3 directorships in some subsidiaries of TM. He he fails probably he gets a directorship. Trying and saying Yes-sir has its rewards.
Our girl next door Lee Li Lian, hardworking and sincere good work at Punggol East will likely be rewarded by the residents. My bet is on Li Lian.

This election likely the following will be winners:
1. WP Aljunied
2. WP Hougang
3. WP Punggol East
4. WP East Coast
5. WP Marine Parade (if Nicole Seah is last minute insertion).
6. WP Macpherson....Ms He Ting Ru
6. SPP Potong Pasir
7. SPP Mountbatten...Ms Jeanette Chong

Anonymous said...

Even the new general has not the courage to go there.
Anon 4:14 p.m.

Alamak, got courage but also must have brain to use it at the right place and right time in order to achieve victory mah.

This type of common sense, don't say general, even soldiers also know. Or else they will die for nothing.

patriot said...

I dont know, really dont understand
the PAP Strategy.

Just has the Hunch that Aljunied
will be for the PAP if Lee Hsien Loong,
Teo Chee Hean, Heng Swee Keat, Khaw Boon Wan and Masagos or Halimah Yacob stand there against the Incumbents from Workers Party.

Which Ward can stand against the Heavyweights who are in position
to grant the Best for their Constituents.

PAP should not allow the Chance to
slip by.
Bear in mind that if Low Thia Khiang and his Team get kick out, it is as good as ending Workers Party for good.
patriot

Anonymous said...

Singaporean replaced PMETs are making a wrong assumption that there is always a $4k to $5k taxi driver job for them.
They will find out the hard way, that yes the job is available but the earning is going to drop to 2k or 3k per month.
You will find a lot, lot more taxis in Singland than passengers.
Go and check it out in Tokyo & Osaka.

This thoughtless poorly planned and executed PAP FT influx policy eating into more and more Singaporean PMET jobs will rear its ugly head as the days unfold.

This is the PAP created Tsunami that is going to destroy and hollow out Singapore core of Middle Class. Policy takes time to show its effects. This policy bad effects are going to show up in its full FORCE soon.

So much for For You, With You, For Singland. So sad.

Anonymous said...

They have not abandoned Aljunied GRC.
Whatever they can't win on the battlefront, well their usual tricks
Today comes in the form of senior servant from the MND in connivance with the MSM.
Which makes you wonder what kind of leaders we have -ones who have to win at all cost or if they don't, to slime down the victors together.

Well for these civil servants and LEEDERS, about time they need to know who's paying their wages come 911

Anonymous said...

More foreigners will become taxi drivers and our poor PMETs will have no where else to go. As they keep issuing pink ICs to foreigners, these foreigners will move into the taxi driving jobs and take over the last bastion left for the PMETs. Then all the PMETs can retire and not add to the unemployment statistics.

Anonymous said...

Uncle Rb, wp has announced all the new candidates and Nicole is not one of them but I still hope that she can help in the marine parade grc

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Yes, I was hoping that Nicole will be fielded in Marine Parade. I hope she is the card in WP's sleeve. Until nomination day, anything can happen. Even Boon Heng of PAP said so.

Hope WP would not waste this trump card. The stake is too high not to make an exception.

Anonymous said...

Strategist Redbean: Element of surprise.

Goh said...


What happen if niko is being introduce in marine parade and sit besides the You Know Who, in white..hahaha...

Anonymous said...

Gong kia kong siow way.

You are not doing anything good for your master for what you are paid.

Anonymous said...

I totally won't be surprised if limboonheng is fielded last minute in aljunied. It will be hilarious to see him cry again. hahaha...

As for Victor Lye, check this out:

http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/08/11/paps-victor-lye-the-heartfelt-hypocrite/

Enough said. Big-head-no-heart like him is the last thing we need in our parliament. Isn't it so sweet of pap to make it so simple for the aljunied voters to decide who to give their vote to? Wow, I never thought I could connect pap and sweet in 1 coherent statement and actually mean it. LOL!

simple said...

Lee Hsien Loong at a cabinet meeting: I want a volunteer to take over the Transport ministry
Silence.....................

I want someone ..... to lead the AHPETC GRC. Before he could finish the sentence, they all went to the toilet, including himself. Haha.

This a prequel when SIN is under attack. The generals will all take cover and NS boys will be made to line the front line and ..... KAPUT.

Anonymous said...

2;05
Maybe worst. Scenario: When some info on impending attack, paper generals' wives & children flew out in SIA business class to NZ or Australia. Then paper generals resigned & retired also via SIA business class to Auckland or Melbourne.

Hokkien peng & our jelly legs NS boys, got no money, so stay behind & then surrender.