Grace Fu questions SDP’s ability to deliver on campaign promises

SINGAPORE — She began with an apology to Bukit Batok residents for the resignation of its former Member of Parliament (MP) David Ong, saying the People’s Action Party (PAP) was “deeply sorry to have (brought) this on you”.

Then, Culture, Community and Youth Minister Grace Fu swiftly moved on to challenge the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate Dr Chee Soon Juan, the party’s chief, asking if the SDP was resorting to the race card as an election tactic, and questioning Dr Chee’s credentials and ability to deliver on his campaign promises.

The party’s maiden rally last night was attended by PAP heavyweights, including Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is MP for Jurong GRC, as well as Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, a long-time Jurong GRC MP before moving to Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC for the General Election last year.

Rising to speak after PAP candidate Murali Pillai took the stage, Ms Fu said the resignation of Mr Ong — who is alleged to have had an extramarital affair with a grassroots volunteer — had led to the by-election, and apologised. But the by-election was necessary, because the PAP believed in party discipline and in “setting the right example as a role model for our lawmakers”, she said.

Urging Bukit Batok residents to “get the better person into Parliament” and vote for Mr Murali, Ms Fu noted his dedication to Bukit Batok, where he served for 16 years in various capacities, including branch secretary for PAP’s Bukit Batok branch.

“In fact, you should choose the candidate who truly represents Singaporeans of all races,” she said. “Beware of anyone who plays the racial card, asking Chinese residents to vote for Chinese only ... I hope this is not the position taken by SDP.”

The SDP, she said, should clarify its position on this “loud and clear”.

While Mr Murali, a lawyer, has served the community, Dr Chee, noted Ms Fu, has not held down full-time employment for some time.

Taking a jibe at Dr Chee’s promise to serve the constituency full-time if he is elected, Ms Fu pointed out that he was not “giving up a full-time job” to serve. “As far as I know, he hasn’t held a steady job for many years,” Ms Fu said. While not taking up full-time employment was Dr Chee’s “personal choice”, his lack of work experience is “a relevant fact when we consider the credentials of the candidates”, said Ms Fu.

If a “referral letter” was sought from SDP founder Chiam See Tong, it would be interesting to see “what Mr Chiam will write about him”, said Ms Fu, taking another jibe at Dr Chee, who at one stage fell out with his one-time mentor Mr Chiam, culminating in Mr Chiam leaving the party in 1993.

Mdm Halimah, the last speaker at the rally, recalled how Dr Chee heckled then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong during the 2001 General Election over an alleged loan to former Indonesian President Suharto.

Calling the incident “quite unbelievable”, Mdm Halimah said candidates — regardless of their party affiliation — must show due respect to the Prime Minister.

Turning to Dr Chee’s transition plans should he win the election, Ms Fu, who is also MP for Yuhua SMC, noted that in some constituencies, the task of establishing a town council has “consumed management attention for many years”.

Earlier this month, the SDP had unveiled a four-man transition team — which includes a chartered accountant and a lawyer — to ensure a smooth transition of town council management if elected.

Ms Fu said that although she did not doubt the transition team’s credentials, she was worried that the SDP does not “fully understand the complexity of the task”.

She also questioned why there was a need for the SDP to offer the Workers’ Party management of the Punggol East Town Council while it retained chairmanship, as part of a proposal for a joint campaign in the 2013 by-election. “If you’re so confident, why do you make a statement like this?” she asked.

Noting Singapore was facing an economic slowdown, Ms Fu reminded voters that the election was an important one: “We need a pair of known and trusted hands who can be effective on the ground immediately; not having to learn, but immediately. Your neighbours or maybe your relatives who need help to get a job cannot afford to be left in the lurch or live on empty promises.” KENNETH CHENG