Sylvia Lim: Will powerful ruling party model meet S’poreans’ needs?
WP Chairperson Sylvia Lim. Photo: Wee Teck Hian/TODAY
SINGAPORE — In today’s increasingly complex environment where the Government does not have the answer to everything, will a “very powerful” ruling party model still be able to serve Singaporeans’ needs?
That was the question Workers’ Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim put to the electorate today (Aug 27), in response to a journalist’s query on how her party is able to offer voters a better choice, as compared to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
Several PAP leaders have framed the General Election (GE) on Sept 11 in terms of leadership renewal, and the need to have strong leadership amid a fast-changing external landscape.
On its part, the WP, at a press conference to introduce its first batch of candidates today, pointed to the importance of having an entrenched Opposition in Parliament, as Singapore moves into an unknown future, and for Singaporeans to be aware of how their voting powers can serve as a check on the Government.
Speaking at the press conference to introduce the WP’s second slate of candidates at its headquarters in Syed Alwi Road, Ms Lim said today: “Because of the more complex environment ... even the Government doesn’t have the answer to everything.
“Therefore, the question will be whether Singaporeans will be better served by a ruling party that’s very powerful or another model?”
Reiterating the WP’s slogan of Empower Your Future, she noted that it refers to a Singaporean voter’s bargaining power with the Government.
“Through (exercising) of (their) vote, the people can express their views on whether they’re happy or not with the government policies, and thereby become empowered because we would expect that the Government will respond to the results of any General Election,” she added.
And as the WP unveiled its first new female candidate today, Ms Cheryl Denise Loh, Ms Lim acknowledged that there is still some way to go in terms of ensuring sufficient female representation in the party.
She noted that it is always a challenge to get female candidates, as this could be due to societal expectations of women, or politics is still not being seen as a mainstream choice in Singapore’s society.
“All parties should do their best (and) try to have sufficient gender representation, and the WP will still try to do that,” Ms Lim said. “We have been lucky that we have been able to get (a few), but in my opinion, much more can still be done”.
Asked to comment on the PAP’s announcement today that its candidate for the newly-carved Fengshan Single Member Constituency is long-time grassroots leader Cheryl Chan, Ms Lim said the WP has been working on its “likely line-up”, and the PAP’s choice does not change its plans.
So, will Ms Lim still be enjoying her orh luak (oyster omelette) in Fengshan then?
“It was not even my orh luak ... I just went there to lend support to the team on the ground there. I think people are reading too much into my food craft,” quipped Ms Lim, in reference to the buzz generated by her Instagram post of herself having oyster omelette at a Fengshan hawker centre.
