"3 Members of Parliament to step down ahead of GE - CNA 07 August 2015
The most significant of the 3 has to be ex-Minister Mah. The man some would even go to the extent of singling him out as the cause of the votes lost in GE2011 due to his, obviously endorsed by the Cabinet and the PM, 'pricing new HDB flat with reference to the HDB resale flat' policy.
Lessons for me are:
1. people come and go in life. There is no difference in political life. So, life goes on regardless. Even with some initial inconvenience or unfamiliarity;
2. as old and existing MPs retire from the political scene, it will be interesting to observe who will be replacing them and how will they be performing in the coming GE. The PAP candidates announced thus far are STILL predominantly from the public sector and the armed forces. Are there troubles with attracting committed Singaporeans who are 'successful' and want to serve the people? If so, it is an area for the government to work on after the GE!;
3. With the GRC, while the so-called anchored MPs are normally cabinet Ministers, there is, it appeared, no guarantee that 2-3 anchored members will mean the whole GRC team will win! That is perhaps the scariest part for the dominant ruling party, the PAP! After the loss of the Aljunied GRC in GE2011, the taboo and the self-limiting constraints created by the opposition parties NO LONGER exist! So, it is very probable that EVERY GRC will be hotly contested IF the opposition parties can provide candidates of high credibility, at least on papers with the 'typical qualification of a PAP candidate MINUS the public and armed forces links'!
Again, as I had said before, it will be an interesting GE to watch and comment on!!
SINGAPORE: Three Members of Parliament (MPs) from the People's Action Party will be stepping down ahead of the next General Election.
Mr Hawazi Daipi, who is also Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower, will retire after 19 years as a Sembawang GRC MP, his fellow MP and National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced at a National Day dinner celebration organised by Marsiling constituency.
Mr Khaw said that Mr Hawazi had asked Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to let him retire from politics.
Mr Hawazi has been an MP of Sembawang GRC since 1996. His Marsiling ward was carved out to become part of the new Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.
Two MPs of Tampines GRC also announced their resignations. Mr Mah Bow Tan, who has served the constituency for 27 years and was the Minister for National Development from 1999 to 2011, said on Friday he will be retiring from politics.
Addressing his residents at a Tampines East National Day dinner, he said: "This will be the last National Day I will be speaking to you. It's time for me to step aside and make way for the younger generation. I've decided I will not be standing in the next GE. I have informed the Prime Minister and he has agreed."
Fellow MP and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat, who was also present, thanked Mr Mah for his contributions to the nation and to Tampines.
In a separate announcement, Ms Irene Ng said she will be stepping down after serving for 14 years. Speaking at a community event, she said she had requested to step down last year.
Education Minister Heng Swee Keat, also MP for Tampines GRC, said that Ms Ng had served her Tampines Changkat ward with "a lot of heart". Ms Ng started many programmes for the elderly and disadvantaged, he said.
“She asks good, relevant and important questions in Parliament,” Mr Heng added. “She has a deep understanding of what will be needed to take Singapore forward.”
Three MPs remain in the five-member Tampines GRC: Mr Heng, Mr Baey Yam Keng and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Masagos Zulkifli. There has been speculation that Jurong GRC MP and Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, who was present at the Tampines East National Day celebration, may be fielded in Tampines GRC for the elections."
The most significant of the 3 has to be ex-Minister Mah. The man some would even go to the extent of singling him out as the cause of the votes lost in GE2011 due to his, obviously endorsed by the Cabinet and the PM, 'pricing new HDB flat with reference to the HDB resale flat' policy.
Lessons for me are:
1. people come and go in life. There is no difference in political life. So, life goes on regardless. Even with some initial inconvenience or unfamiliarity;
2. as old and existing MPs retire from the political scene, it will be interesting to observe who will be replacing them and how will they be performing in the coming GE. The PAP candidates announced thus far are STILL predominantly from the public sector and the armed forces. Are there troubles with attracting committed Singaporeans who are 'successful' and want to serve the people? If so, it is an area for the government to work on after the GE!;
3. With the GRC, while the so-called anchored MPs are normally cabinet Ministers, there is, it appeared, no guarantee that 2-3 anchored members will mean the whole GRC team will win! That is perhaps the scariest part for the dominant ruling party, the PAP! After the loss of the Aljunied GRC in GE2011, the taboo and the self-limiting constraints created by the opposition parties NO LONGER exist! So, it is very probable that EVERY GRC will be hotly contested IF the opposition parties can provide candidates of high credibility, at least on papers with the 'typical qualification of a PAP candidate MINUS the public and armed forces links'!
Again, as I had said before, it will be an interesting GE to watch and comment on!!
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