Opposition gunning Tampines GRC to kick unpopular Mah Bow Tan out of office
January 27th, 2010 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
At least three opposition parties have expressed their interest to contest in Tampines GRC in the next general election helmed by National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan who is becoming an increasingly reviled figure in Singapore due to his failure to curb the sky-rocketing prices of HDB flats which is causing tremendous hardships to ordinary Singaporeans, especially first time home buyers.
According to a Straits Times report today, the National Solidarity Party, Singapore Democratic Party and Reform Party may be contesting in Tampines GRC though the latter’s Secretary-General Kenneth Jeyaretnam declined to comment further when contacted this week.
Leaders from the opposition believe that rising unhappiness on the ground over the hike in the prices of public housing will give them a chance against the incumbents led by Mah Bow Tan.
Mr Mah first took part in the 1984 elections when he lost unexpectedly to SDP’s Mr Chiam See Tong in Potong Pasir. He subsequently entered Parliament in 1988 via Tampines GRC where he had held ever since.
Under his charge, the prices of HDB flats have rocketed over the last few years, contributed partly by inadequate number of new flats being built in the face of rising demand fueled by mass immigration during the same period of time.
Though Singapore was supposedly to be in recession in 2009, the prices of resale flats increased by 8.2 per cent with median COVs doubling to $24,000.
New launches for Build-to-order (BTO) flats are grossly over-subscribed, an indication of how severe the housing shortage crisis is.
Instead of acknowledging his mistakes and seek to rectify them, Mr Mah lashed out at first-time home buyers for being “choosy” and asked them to be “realistic”. He later admitted that he was “caught off guard” by the spike in prices as well.
Despite evidence suggesting otherwise, Mr Mah is adamant that HDB flats remain “affordable” to Singaporean and urge “Singaporeans to play their part by buying a home within their means.”
Quoting the affordability benchmark of 30 per cent used frequently by HDB to show that HDB flats remain affordable to ordinary Singaporeans, Mr Mah said a family with a monthly income of $3,000 can buy a flat worth up to $250,000 and spend only 30 per cent of their income every month on the mortgage.
“Similarly, a family with a monthly income of $4,000 can afford to buy a new flat worth up to $333,000 without spending more than 30 per cent a month on the mortgage. This means they can comfortably buy any of the flats offered in the latest BTO projects this month,” he added.
However, Mr Mah fails to take into account the bank interest rates and inflation over the years which will lead eventually to the family spending more than 30 per cent of their monthly income on the mortgage.
Furthermore, after depleting their entire CPF for these over-priced 99-year leasehold HDB flats, they will have little or no savings left for their retirement.
It appears that Mr Mah and his colleagues are unable to comprehend the hardships and sufferings of ordinary Singaporeans, especially first-time home buyers who are under great stress to afford a roof over their heads.
Besides Mr Mah, his colleagues are equally unsympathetic towards the genuine concerns of Singaporeans. Ms Grace Fu, the Senior Minister of State for National Development claimed that rising prices of HDB flats help to “create wealth” for Singaporeans.
Law Minister Shanmugam said he had a “hunch” that Singaporeans are the “culprits” for the predicament they find themselves in today.
While many Singaporeans are unhappy with Mr Mah, it is unlikely they will cast their vote for the opposition if they field a weak team there without any concrete plan for the nation.
Political anaylst Eugene Tan told Straits Times in an interview that “it would be a ‘narrow and self-limiting’ strategy for any opposition party to pick an electoral ward based on the minister’s portfolio.”
“It will have some effect only if housing is a problem with Tampines GRC voters, thus making it ‘a useful lightning rod. To make the ‘national issue’ strategy effective, opposition parties have to raise the same issue across all constituencies they are contesting and give concrete alternative proposals,” he added.
The rising costs of public housing linked together with the relentless influx of foreigner will be the single most important issue in the next general election.
The opposition has to come together under a common umbrella standing on a common platform with a common manifesto and alternative vision for Singapore like Malaysia’s opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat to stand any chance of denying the PAP its traditional two thirds majority in Parliament.
Posted in Editorial
“Law Minister Shanmugam said he had a “hunch” that Singaporeans are the “culprits” for the predicament they find themselves in today.”
Yes…who cast the votes in the first place? [rolleyes]
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Anyone gunning fort he big one at Tanjong Pagar ?
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Any opposition candidate (even a donkey) can’t be worse off than the incompetent and arrogant Mah Bow Tan !! He is one of the worst MP ever in the history of mankind !
Why are we paying this MORON millions of dollars for ?? Everytime he opens his stupid mouth, he spews nothing but rubbbish !! Time for him to be booted OUT once and for all !!
VOTE WISELY AT THE COMING ELECTION or you may find yourself having to pay a million dollars for a HDB pigeon hole in future while Mah Bow Tan enjoys life in his $6.5 million villa in Sentosa !!
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It would be very unwise for more than one opposition party to stand against the PAP in each constituency. Such a move would only split the “protest” vote, allowing the PAP to retain a plurality. The opposition should either form a single alliance or agree among themselves on a common strategy for distributing their candidates without contesting one another.
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singaporeans not producing enough babies each and every year for the last dunno how many years already (unless someone show us the raw data).
is this a vote of no confidence about the future?
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Agree.. The opposition shld form a coalition and contest against pap
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“The opposition has to come together under a common umbrella standing on a common platform with a common manifesto and alternative vision for Singapore like Malaysia’s opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat to stand any chance of denying the PAP its traditional two thirds majority in Parliament.”
The opposition should work together, afterall it is for a better SIngapore. Compewting against each other in the same GRC would inevidently benefit the PAP, as voters for the opposition will be split among the parties if there are more than one opposing team. Not really a good strategy.
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I’d love to see 6 low-profile opposite candidates fighting LKY in TP. It will be a suicide squad of unknowns with nothing to lose, but everything to win. Like the Samurai 7.
Even if LKY loses and uses some underhanded means to get into power, at least this suicide squad proves something – that the old man is useless in the eyes of his electorate.
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So far, I saw overwhelming negative views on PAP on the cyberspace, which appears that quite many voters are against the ruling party. But when you see the last GE result, there were still only 2 opposition MPs. So, what has gone wrong? How come the same negative view in the virtual world was not reflected in the real poll? Will we have the same disappointing poll result again in the coming GE?
For the record, I have always voted for opposition, even when they field a bunch of ku-ku. Because in my opinion, we must have some check and balance.
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The Opposition shldnt just target one GRC, they shld contest as many as possible. Better odds of winning at least one GRC.
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By Hook or by Crook, the residents of Tampines, please vote this useless Chap out .Time is running out. This is your last chance before they import another 1 million NEW CITIZEN after this Election to sustain thier votes. For the Opposition Party, please put up a Strong and Credible Candidates to challenge him. For the Residents of Potong Pasir, I salute you for voting him out during the 1984 Election, Well Done. Cheers.
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wah…MBT is the golden boy of PAP leh…everywhere he goes $$$ will follow….when he is transport minister everything go up like COE and ERP but roads are still as jam as ever…then go to hdb all the houses pricing go up also…he must be the top scorer/earner for PAP, definitely one of the ministers that is truely worthy of his million dollar pay because he can bring in many times more….if he is health minister i bet he will charge for public toilet to ensure its cleanliness….minister for home affairs he’ll charge for police protection money for the wealthy….should put him as chaperon for NKF or Ren Ci he sure can rake in money money then golden toilet bowl and gay monk…
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Opposition parties will always have a coordinating meeting before nomination to sort out the overlapping interests of each party. It is quite remote to have 3 or multi-corner fight.
I have done a study of HDB’s “affordability” claim, even the press release they made a couple of years back. I have found that that they are being misleading with the claim of 30% of household income to pay their mortgage. What they have omitted from their press releases and statements is the fact that their calculation is based on 30 years mortgage!
As for the comments from political observers and analysts, they have overlooked the fact that such HDB enslavement policy will affect almost everybody’s sons and daughters, even grandchildren! This is the crux of the matter.
Goh Meng Seng
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The opposition should keep quiet on where they’re going to contest in the next GE. This way, the pap can’t do their preparations and everything for a counter on their part.
The oppositions will not form a single alliance for unknown reasons, but i’m pretty sure they are smart enough to talk to one another as a party, and make sure they spread their contests against pap alone, and not to waste resources on a 3 way fight.
The opposition is our only hope now. If PAP doesn’t go, then Singapore will be worse than Laos in 10 years.
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MBT golden boy? try showing me he can earn money outside Singapore than I say he is a golden boy.
In Singapore its so easy you dont succeed simple change the rules to make sure you do good example is COE, they saw it plunge so they just tweek the number of COEs release and waahlah the prices are up, this sort of tricks can be done by even a primary school kid.
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someone sad for singapore,
Heard about the chinese saying, hit east attack west?
You only tell what you want your enemies to know which in most cases are not the truth but for MBT is dead easy he is such a common sense target that it is no secret.
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We all know there are too many reasons for change.
These issues and questions alone justify for change.
But then the game is played like this. The people have to make the right decision. They have been making 1 kind of decision for the last 50 years.
How can they change?
CSJ was interviewed by an western radio and you can hear his voice on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Du5Z1tY4mg&feature=related
Can we volunteer to be volunteers to count the votes?
New year means everyone gets older. That is good news.
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Please Opposition, gather a few good men, we want to give you that opportunity. The time has come.
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To: jedimaster,
Wah, man!
You totally hit the nail right on the head!
That guy suck, man.
For better or worse, they knew it and do nothing!
Please, Tampines, please get him off our back!
I have not yet hear anyone (lesser mortals) praising him…
Must be our forefathers’ karma
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Joe Yeo,
To answer your question, please read my comments on article ” Are singaporeans ready for civil disobedience” Laurent Xavier on Mon, 25th Jan 2010 3:49 pm
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I hope Tampines can be the new beacon of hope for all Singaporeans, just like Hougang and Potong Pasir.
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Mr. Mah! Please move quickly away from Tampines GRC becos so many people is eyeing there. Something is very wrong.
So, maybe you should move to a single ward constituency and stand alone yourself in next GE 2011. Try your luck Mr. Mah.
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“VOTE WISELY AT THE COMING ELECTION or you may find yourself having to pay a million dollars for a HDB pigeon hole in future while Mah Bow Tan enjoys life in his $6.5 million villa in Sentosa !!”
$6.5m can’t buy a villa in Sentosa Cove, it can only buy a normal condo unit. If MBT willing to top up, he can buy a penthouse condo at $10m and a bungalow house at $20m at Sentosa Cove.
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KICK THIS SON OF A GUN OUT!!!! LOOKING AT HIS FACE IS WORST THAN
LOOKING AT SHIT!
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honestly, no one likes MBT. The question is why on earth he is still there after so many years. Its a question only god knows.
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I love to take on MBT at Tampines GRC as an opposition candidate becos I graduated from the same Oz uni as MBT except different year – a junior fighting a senior?
I love to contest at Tanjong Pagar GRC as an opposition candidate becos my cousin is one of the PAP MPs there – a face off between two clansman?
Whichever GRC I go, it will be a headline news in both state mainstream media and alternative online media.
But the problem is I do not know which opposition party to join?
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yea opposition.
show the red dot you are worthy and i will go all the way out to vote for you even when im overseas.
i can, right?
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Singaporean!
Show us your guts in the next GE
Or forever be label Chow Ag Gua.
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One of the issue for oppositions to contest is the election deposit.
we should encourage singaporeans who do not want to involve directly with the party,could contribute funding by buying the parties’ publications, memorabilia and T-shirts.
If they want to donate money to the party but afraid to put down their name and nric as required by the law,a few main person can be appointed and money to collected and be given to them,and donation collected would be donated under their name.
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I dont think the opposition can win there , it has become tampinoy , there is very large population of pinoy there, they have replace the malay and soon the chinese will be replaced.
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mbt will become pap’s sabo king! he’s on the people’s hate list now. he should quit asap, rather lky shd sack him asap before pap lose votes haha…
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Who to come in to collect the MP’s pay for 5 years, mess it all up (worse still abscond with the TC funds and run off to some no-extradition treaty countries like Indonesia) and then say bye-bye to us suckers.
Can we have our own you-know-who David Copperfield? All the jobless wannabe MPs now waiting by the wayside?
We’ll go for track record. 45 GOOD years already relative to other countries around we can all SEE.
Shalom.
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Tampines GRC will be one of those places toget carved up into single wards. They will do that to all the perceived “weaker links”
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pap never reveals their plans, so the opposition would be stupid to reveal theirs.
just work the ground, that’s more important.
and if the opposition does not unite and work as one come election time, the only winner is pap.
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Just get MBT out !!
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Sooner than we think, all Singaporean workers will have to kow-tow (pay respects) to so much foreigners here.
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I am Resident of Tampenis, I welcome any opposition to our ward but not those opposition link with terrorist & their member from IMH.Very Dangerous.
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Is not Tampines more middle class compared to the western & northern Spore in terms of income profile? The point I am making is that the higher the income, the more apathetic the voters get.
Areas with a stronger working class would be western areas like Chua Chu Kang, Jurong East & West and northern areas like Sembawang and Yishun.
But whatever it is, is very very tough to win a GRC due to the sheer size of the electorate coupled with the fact that Spore is so small and all issues affect every citizen, you just cannot isolate one issue from the rest.
And Spore is so small that there is always a domino effect in terms of how voters think & vote, it reverberates fast. Its not like USA which is so large that it allows different thought processes due to its social, economic, political set up.
So what the political analyst said is correct, no point gunning on a specific policy under the minister in charge of targeted GRC.
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The oppo parties should target to contest in ALL 84 seats
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I regretted voting for pap in the last election when pm and his team decided to reward themselves with millions of dollars for serving the country shortly winning the election.
This time round, I will vote for any colour except white.
44 years of track record? The Qing dynasty ruled China for more than 400 years. It also has a very good track record under the first few emperors.
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PAP will just redraw the boundary and put Tampines under Tanjong Pagar so that MBT can hide behind LKY and walk over at elections!!!
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AM on Wed, 27th Jan 2010 7:51 pm
ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH YOU.
Even cannot win, this is also one way to show the people that the opposition speaks out for them.
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MM ,
You better do something good for your singapore citizens who have previously voted you and given you wealth . All this while been one sided protecting your party and your Lees . At your age , you must quickly help singaporeans so that you will be greatly blessed .
Thanks
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>>
#$$face on Wed, 27th Jan 2010 8:21 pm
>>I regretted voting for pap in the last election when pm and his team decided to reward themselves with millions of dollars for serving the country shortly winning the election.
>>This time round, I will vote for any colour except white.
>>44 years of track record? The Qing dynasty ruled China for more than 400 years. It also has a very good track record under the first few emperors.
>>>
Absolutely, me too. This is the one and only disgusting reason why I will not vote PAP! Any party except $PAP$!
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Vote MBT out because he has failed in his duty to provide affordable home to Singaporean !
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I am trying my best to move to Tampinese GRC so that i can vote him ??? (cannot say. not diplomatically correct wor. how? i singaporean wat.)
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Isn’t Mah Bow Tan the minister under whose watch the foreign workers’ dormitory was set up right in the middle of Serangoon Gardens residential estate?
Can you imagine allowing the setting up of a foreign workers’ dorm, housing over 1000 foreign workers, right in the middle of a residential estate full of elderly, women and children, a few minutes walk away from a all-girl primary school?
Who in their right mind would even contemplate, let alone allow that to occur?
And now he let this whole HDB mess happen. Charging people tons of money for tiny HDB apartments that cost next to nothing to construct.
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The other big catch is WKS – immigration. All said, the bigger the fish caught out, the bigger will the our celebration.
Voters should aim to catch the “big” ones
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MBT got in thru hiding behind someone’s apron strings anyway.
He didn’t make it on his own in Potong Pasir, and he’s already shown how incompetent he is.
Why is this fella still an MP?
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MBT : HDB resale prices to rise, but still “affordable” …..pay until you die……
as they are “subsidized” …. not enough to cover cov …..
No matter which ministry he goes….he is the most unpopular minister ……I wish him good luck!
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I dont need a Minister who is well paid and yet keeps complaining about Singaporeans complaining. Btw, did he ever won an election on his own as a single candidate?
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Oppo should now just aimed for all 84 seats.
We need to “thin” down the “resources” of Pape.
Wear them down mentally from Left,Rught and Centre.
Throw all kinds of debate topic, get them “confused”
Get them to work their “asrk”.
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Tampines a great place to lived in. We dont need any change.
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Instead of telling the Opposition what to do…maybe we can help in 2 ways –
1. To prepare all and any statistics in key issues like Foreign Immigrations issue, Rising HDB Prices and Temasek / GIC losses
Unless I am mistaken, these must be the top 3 issues in the next elections.
2. Money – Donate wisely and effectively to the Opposition Parties, do your part.
If all Singaporeans do a little bit, these efforts will snowball.
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The opposition should unite under the same platform “United Singapore for Singaporeans Party” Oh yes, U.S.S.P.
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■SimpleSingaporean on Wed, 27th Jan 2010 10:46 pm
Tampines a great place to lived in. We dont need any change
Oh really, is it really the kind of life you want for the next generation too? Do you really think the policies now will be better for the next generation? All the best regards!
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Affordable housing? I’m seriously worrying for my 7 years old son future here in our own homeland. Sight…..
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Tampines is a great place to stay because of the town council lah . Any town council with a normal leader can keep the estake clean . No need to pay millions .
What we need is having good job for all young and old . The rest will come natually . Without jobs , nothing will come ( including babies )
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Looking at the amount and the rate the money is lost in investment, it time to give the ruling party a wake-up call. While I do not believe that any other parties is better than the ruling party, I believe it is timely to put check and balances in view of the these investment lost. People become complacent after years of victory and easy money.
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@ PAPNOANUS
Yes, I totally agree with you. Not only tampinoy but also tampdehli and tampbeijing. There are a lots of Pinoy, India and China New Citizen at Tampines. THAT IS THE MAIN REASON WHY THEY ARE IMPORTING A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE TO ENHANCE THIER VOTES.Maybe, the Reform Party can try the Big One at Tanjong Pagar by putting the 2 Scholars to deal with the old man.
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You dont need any degree from any university to tell yourself that the main reason why the prices of hdb is shooting up even during recession is because the government is artificially imflating the prices.
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The wise choice for LHL is to drop MBT so he won’t become a liability to the party.
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If this joker loser is fielded in any Single Ward, he will still lose it even if the opposition fiels a donkey!
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All the talk has been on Aljunied, Jalan Besar, Tampines and Bishan-Toa Payoh GRCs…
I do hope opposition are paying attention to Sembawang, Hong Kah, Jurong and West Coast GRCs…
West coast did not vote in 01 & 06.
Jurong and Hong kah did not vote in 06.
And Hong kah don’t really have anyone PAP MP we can consider a heavy-weight.
SDP in Sembawang did respectably get 23% votes in 06.
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Hmm, MBT is related to Emperor Lee Kuan Yew is it not? Some distant relative. WKS is nephew in law. So easy to unseat the emperor’s relatives? u all joking.
@that guy who said, i won’t vote for oppo that is terrorist or from IMH, u another PAP back crack licker? See what happen to Eric How or you wanna see the karma facing them?
Anyone is better than PAP now. Open your eyes and sEE. You pay million dollar salary to ministers who puts all economic losses on you. Maybe you still have a job now, but a lot of singaporeans are jobless coz of YOUR million dollar PAP minister who open the floodgates to foreigners. D
Do you know in Taiwan if you apply for Canada PR you get Singapore PR FReE through an agency. That’s how cheap your beloved Singapore is. cause by who? Opposition? or PAP?
OPEN YOUR EYES.
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A few clowns that I would love to see being boot out of PAP.
1) Mah BT – For his contribution of high priced HDB. In the future young Singaporeans can only afford 1, at most 2 room flats.
2) Raymond Lim – For his statement in oil prices not linked to the increase in electricity bills. Oil price up, electricity bill up a lot, oil price down, bill drop a bit only.
3) Lim BH – This joker is the best. During recession when many ppl are being retrenched, he supported a 8mth bonus to a senior civil servant and said it is justifiable.
4)…. The list goes on….
Pls don’t be blinded by the carrots given by PAP during the elections.
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@CruEL…
This is something new to me…hahaha
Apply Canada PR get Singapore PR free… very interesting….hehehe …I don’t believe, where got so good deal one!!!
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I believe the day opposition will succeed is the day when they all unite together as one with a common view and manifesto. Opposition must stand strong together against the strongest. Right now I see that opposition have different views though they have a common goal of booting papa out of the office. If there are 3 parties contesting…. voters supporting ‘opposition’ as a whole would be confused with who to vote for. Please avoid 3-way or 4-way contests if u can. Please do not confuse voters. WP or RP or SDP? How to choose if I just want to vote papa out? Please rethink…
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I am very disturbed by the word “create wealth” used by MPs who think rising HDB costs is ‘good for singaporeans’. So what if HDB costs are rising and our ‘assets’ (99 years only) rises and hence ‘create wealth’? They nv consider that we use the flat as our main housing and hence not be selling it unless upgrade. So if the MP saying of ‘creating wealth’ is true, then where do we stay if we sell away and get huge sum of money? (of which most went back to CPF and hence CPF life?)
Best is their benchmark of 30% of income and concluded it is affordable… With an empty CPF till 62… am I ‘wealthy’? Even though my flat may cost $600-700k in future, where do i live if I sell it? Simply myopic of the multi-million dollar leaders.
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Do not vote MBT out just because you don’t like him. Housing is inclusive of private condos, …as well. Over the years many have been displaced due to the enbloc laws. With the ‘windfall’ from enbloc many could downgrade to HDB apartments or smaller apart. They can afford a higher premium for a resale HDB pushing its price higher. Then you start to complain about high resale price instead of the housing program. Is enbloc a good policy? Was it meant to give condo owners a chance to make a windfall?
Vote MBT out only if his housing program is faulted that your sons and daughters will one day be slave for 30 years servicing loans. Their lives will be that of a foreign maid in their homeland. Vote for the future of our children.
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Hello MenInBlue.
What’s wrong with the word “create wealth”?
They are saying create wealth for themselves la, not you la.
不要自作多情！
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Mah BT’s master plan is to make every HDB owner a millionaire.
That’s right! Those who cash out will have $M ++ cash.
After that, the new millionaires can rent a room from the new owners or pitch a tent in a designated camping site for the homeless. And you guessed it, you have to pay rental fees for the HDB camping site.
As to speculation whether Mah BT is related to LKY, their relationship is like “drinking kakis” or drinking buddies.
Think about this. Imagine yourself as LKY. Would’nt it make sense for the much much taller LKY to have Mah around when he is having his pint of beer ? Mah will come in handy as a table top for LKY. And of course we also know what else Mah is doing for LKY while the latter is sipping his beer, right ?
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MBT will be damn malu if he lost again in the GE somemore this time round it’s a GRC not SMC, potong pasir!
If he lost again, he will be the first PAP man to lose twice in the GE!!
May be after that he will enter parliament again from the “back door” as he is the most “talented” man with straight As in his GCE ‘O’ Level. This time round he will hide behind a superheavy-weight minister (SM) in a SGRC – SuperGRC, only 4 SGRCs in the whole S’pore – North SGRC, South SGRC, East SGRC and West SGRC, every SGRC will have 1 SM, total 4 SMs!!!
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mah bow tan has already made millions during his service to the republic of singapore. it doesn,t matter if he is booted out of Tampines. he can always depend on his foreign wife and migrate if the heat becomes unbearable.
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@Sure or not?
that’s y i have to ‘blame it on my karma and forefathers’? And complain becoz i’m ‘champion grumbler’ and that i’m not ‘hard striving’ enough to ‘create wealth’ for myself. Now that ‘housing is still affordable’ that takes up only ‘30% of my income’, the govt say they ‘cannot control housing prices’. While one say ‘foreigners are necessary’, the other say ‘nevermind the Gini coefficient’, my income stay stagnant with the govt trying to ‘curb living costs’. Meanwhile, they say ‘we have to pay ministers wages competitive to the private sector’. While having the same ‘A grades’ as MBT, he’s earning millions now but i’m still earning ‘peanuts’.
So the conclusion is, if only we’re born on the other side? Be the cursed one rather than the cursing one…
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serious lah.
i ain’t going to vote someone in just to criticise and get paid $12k a month.
any donkey can do this kind of job.
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@Ponderosa
The folks who get paid $150k+ a month didn’t do much either.
Any donkey can do this kind of job too.
There’s one folk who’s paid $250k/mth who admitted his job nowadays is to ‘predict’? Any fortune teller at waterloo st will be able to do that too…
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So MANY S’poreans criticise PAP in the cyberspace, but not that many are willing to step out and join the opposition party…including me. That’s sad, isn’t it…
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MenInBlue on Thu, 28th Jan 2010 2:38 pm
“There’s one folk who’s paid $250k/mth who admitted his job nowadays is to ‘predict’? Any fortune teller at waterloo st will be able to do that too…”
Well, you got to tell tat to dummies. We no FOOLS lah. Maybe you say this tiny, resourceless island, etc., we can still believe you but . . .
We’re 1st World, 4th highest world per capita income, amongst the world’s best seaport, airport, education system, transport infrastructure, housing, etc. The envy of the entire world. Leaders around the world evn pay to listen to our MM at his old age.
Fluke?
Please we no Sinkees like like bodoh. The REAL Santa Claus is our beloved MM.
Facts & truth always triump.
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I have an idea. The opposition parties can tell the ppl they are the examinors now and they need to rate the performance of our gov for the last 5 years or more.
The people must ignore any proposals brought up during GE. These proposals will only be rated when implemented and only at the next GE 5 yrs later.
The opposition can ask diff qns at diff GRC (depending on suitability like older or new generation topics) or for diff opp party like:
1. Vote the oppostion if you want to tell the gov that someone needs to be accountable for mistakes like Mas Selamat escape, TH/GIC losses.
2. Vote the opposition if you want TH/GIC to provide full accounting details including assets and liabilities to the public just like a public listed company.
3. Vote the opposition if you want to tell the gov that the flat is very very very expensive. Or MBT must quit.
4. Vote the opposition to tell the gov you don’t want so many foreigners to take away your jobs.
5. Vote the opposition to tell the gov PRs should not enjoy almost the same benefits as a Sg citizen.
6. CPF
7. Medical
8. Minister salary and ordinary citizens salary
..
..
..
Also, just one opposition party and not two diff opp parties to let the ppl vote. The opp parties are giving themselves a disadvantage by dividing the opposition votes into two groups. Whichever opp party we vote for you will still lose because there is only 1 PAP for the pro PAP to vote for.
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Quoting the affordability benchmark of 30 per cent used frequently by HDB to show that HDB flats remain affordable to ordinary Singaporeans, Mr Mah said a family with a monthly income of $3,000 can buy a flat worth up to $250,000 and spend only 30 per cent of their income every month on the mortgage.
“Similarly, a family with a monthly income of $4,000 can afford to buy a new flat worth up to $333,000 without spending more than 30 per cent a month on the mortgage. This means they can comfortably buy any of the flats offered in the latest BTO projects this month,” he added.
OMG! I just did *facepalm* myself! Is this guy for real or is he for real? He’s obviously totally out of touch with the majority of the masses (who are NOT anywhere near wealthy like the higher income group is) who are struggling daily/monthly to pay their numerous bills and what nots (don’t even get me started on the TV license fees!)
He needs to earn my meagre monthly salary, and I wanna see if he’s able to buy a $250,000 flat.
Mister Mah, affordability is when my parents who earned my kinda salary in the 1980s; could buy a $35,000 brand new 3-room flat. Those were the days when the Government truly ensured that we can truly efford to buy HDB flats. These days, it’s plain and pure madness.
I am so totally giving up on this current Government. Totally out of touch and living in their own world of a bubble. May the bubble, one day; burst.
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Time for Mah Bow Tan to declare his property holdings in Singapore. Please include all other properties under his dependents’ name, such as his wife and his son Adrian Mah’s.
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#Dean Joe :I am so totally giving up on this current Government. Totally out of touch and living in their own world of a bubble. May the bubble, one day; burst.
No problem man, when the bubble burts one day soon, they will blame it on the people not themselves, as usual.
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A few of my contemporaries who have no children and are now servicing a $250,000 mortgage admit very honestly that they need a combined husband and wife income of at least $5,000 to make ends meet. Reasons:
1) a 30-year housing loan for HBD is not advisable.
2) all other living expenses would average up to at least $50 per day per person. For a family of 4 (2 school going children)it would mean $200 per day and that would be $6,000 per month (without car)!! where is the money to pay for the HDB ?
3) I like to suggest an experiment to Mr Mah Bow Tan. He takes $50 with him one day, leaves his car at home and go about his normal work routine without taking his official car and honestly tell us how much he has got left in his pocket at the end of that day. Don’t forget the money left in his pocket has to pay for electricity, clothing, water, income tax, mortgage payment, general household, HDB maintenace, occasional visits to the doctor and basic health insurance.
It is very sad that decision makers do not thoroughly understand, or pretend not to understand for hiden agenda, the facts of simple day-to-day basic personal finances.
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Live in Tampines. I WILL definitely SUPPORT ANY Opposition.
Even if they send a dog to contest Mah Bow Tan, I will still vote for the dog.
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I am very angry, why no OPPOSITION at TANJONG PAGAR GRC yet! Have wait loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong enough.
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Its commendable that several parties are aiming for Tampinese.
But i suspect the results won’t change much.
Here’s why:
1. even questions like HDB pricing which affects 85% residents are not being asked by the majority, what kind of change can we expect when there is practically no change in this aspect which is i suppose why the status is the quo?
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MBI and MIW would come out with a $350m to upgrade, renovate and spruce up the estate of Tampines GRC. Value of HDB up, Singaporeans votes $$$$ face. You think who they will vote. Agree with Hock Choo, the results would not change much. Very difficult unless one to one single seat which is getting extinction
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so it can be concluded, ppl vote Mah no because they like him, actually they hate him but love the money. its hard to choose when your wallet become heavier. but ppl tend to forget, Mah takes it back… with interest…
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Dear Jiangbao
I agree with your logics and good reasoning. That is precisely a sad fact of life in Singapore. Singaporeans love $$$$ and MIW would shower them with higher HDB prices, grants, upgrading costing hundred and millions of $$$ to satisfy their greed and fear.. Yes, they will frigthen the voters and discredit the opposition candidates and our majority Singaporeans are easily taken by all these and you can see election after election, they endorse it and showing their weakness. Are Singaporeans wakening up?
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two things could be done urgently.one, someone has to create a database and recruit 6 singaporean voters for each GRC/SMC,to stand in as proposer,seconder and 4 assentors,for contesting opposition candidates.
Political should be transparency to voters about their kitty.If not enough,appeal for donation.do not keep mum about it.Singaporeans will surely help.
Also create a volunteer list.these volunteers list could be used by opposition parties to request help during their election campaign period.
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