9/18/2026

Never say issues do not matter and can just brush them aside or ignore as noises

Same as who really cares about Hougang in 1991. Just a single constituency of poor Teochew people. A backwater place of little significance. Devoid of the upgrading frenzy and left to fester, it slipped out of the ruling party's hands in 1991. The ruling party has been trying to regain that ward for more than three decades.

How in the world can they expect do it by sending in unknown unknowns trying to dislodge a legendary guy. The big guns of the ruling party knew their chances are slim in terms of winning if they stand in Hougang, so they sent in the little lambs to be slaughtered. Letting go of the ward was not an option as it means they lost Hougang forever.

Even when the legendary guy left to contest in Aljunied GRC, those compatriots that came after him were able to retain the ground. That goes to show what kind of people there are in Hougang. Proud, tenacious, cannot be bought even by dangling the upgrading carrot in front of them, unlike in other wards. They thought pressuring Low Thia Khiang to leave Hougang will leave the hanging fruits in Hougang ready for them to harvest. It was not to be.

The biggest loss was to come when the Hougang tree spread its branches to Aljunied GRC and the ruling party panic, after a top-class clique of ruling elites fell to an almost rag tag team of WP candidates put together by Low Thia Khiang. Instead of hoping to put Low to pasture, they created a bigger problem. What was to come was made worse by the loss of Sengkang GRC later plus the low winning margins garnered by the ruling party in many other constituencies in the East.

Never say that issues do not matter and the ruling party can just brush them aside and that whining by those suffering are just noises to be ignored. The ruling party can keep pretending that people will just keep absorbing the punishment quietly, unable to do anything. That will be a wrong assumption.


Anonymous

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