Why it is important for a by-election to be held at Cheng San-Seletar
September 30th, 2010 | 
Author: By a quirk of fate, a Singapore and a Malaysia lawmaker both passed away on the same day from the same illness.
Singapore MP Dr Balaji Sadasivan of Ang Mo Kio GRC passed away on the morning of 27 September 2010 from colon cancer. Hours later, a Malaysia state assemblyman from Kelantan Che Hashim Sulaima died also of colon cancer. (read article here)
However, the outcome is radically different in both cases.
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has declined to call a by-election for Dr Balaji’s ward of Cheng San-Seletar on the grounds that the other five MPs (including himself) in the GRC can share the workload among themselves.
In contrast, under Malaysian law, the Kelantan Speaker will have to inform the Election Commission which will then call for a by-election wtihin 60 days which will be Malaysia’s 12th by-election since its general election in 2008.
Both Singapore and Malaysia were previously one country and inherited the same set of laws from the United Kingdom.
While Singapore may have higher GDP per capita than Malaysia, it is definitely not more democratic than it.
By-elections or any elections are important for the will of the people to be expressed via voting for their representative to speak up for them in Parliament.
In 2008, a by-election was similarly not called by Jurong GRC MP Dr Ong Chit Chung passed away. PM Lee explained then that a by-election would distract the government from its daily task of running the country.
Going by his logic, shouldn’t we scrap the general elections altogether as it will use up large amount of public resources?
By-elections are important for the following reasons:
1. They give the people an opportunity to elect their own representative. Residents of Cheng San-Seletar may like Dr Balaji Sadasivan, but not necessarily the other PAP MPs sent to take over his duties.
2. A care-taker MP is nowhere as good as a MP designated to take care of a constituency. The five other MPs have their own wards to take care of as well and may not be able to attend to the needs of Cheng San-Seletar residents as well as a MP stationed there “full-time.”
3. It provides both the ruling party and the opposition a rare opportunity to assess the political temperature and public sentiments in between the general elections.
Years of one-party rule have slowly “depoliticized” Singapore to the extent that politics are now treated with disregard and contempt by the lawmakers as mere nuisance to their daily routine.
However, we must remember the fact that Singapore is a country and not a corporation and it is of paramount importance that citizens are empowered to choose their own representatives in parliament as well as their preferred team of men and women to lead the country.
Regardless of how well a government may have performed, it cannot continue its job without support from the people. For example, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard did a remarkably good job during his many years in office, but he has to go when the voters signal it is time for a change.
PAP strongman Lee Kuan Yew once proclaimed that he is not ashamed to admit that “the PAP is the Singapore government and the Singapore government is the PAP.”
He cannot be more wrong.
The PAP is only a political party which happens to win a simple majority in the previous election to form the government of Singapore. It must not and should not be allowed to rule “automatically” without first seeking the consent of the people who are ultimately the real owners of Singapore.
Like other political parties, the PAP must adhere to electoral laws stipulated under the Singapore Constitution as well and should not subvert it to serve its own partisan interests.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The PAP is able to ride roughshod over Singaporeans right now with impunity is largely our own doing. It is time to redress our earlier mistake by voting wisely in the coming general election.
Related articles:
>> PM Lee: nothing automatic in calling for by-election
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Posted in Opinion
Over in Malaysia, they will have a bi-election. Here we will not. Exactly the same situation on both sides of the causeway but 2 different positions taken by each ruling government. Which is democracy? Which is democratically correct? Which of the 2 will the people of the constituent want? The Singapore way or the Malaysia way?
Food for thought.
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I don’t think the terms for a by election are enshrined within the Parliamentary Elections Act of 1988 (I might be wrong here), which means the convention extends that it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to call for by elections, in the event of a sitting member not able to carry out his or her representative duties.
If this is accurate, I assume that the logic behind this convention lies in that since the Government commands the confidence of Parliament, and if he (the PM) is able to maintain this confidence in the light of deciding not to call for by elections, he is then able to exercise his prerogative with conviction.
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SINGAPORE IS A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS BECAUSE OF THIS MAN LEE KUAN YEW WHO HAS BETRAYED THE TRUST OF SINGAPOREANS.
SINGAPOREANS ARE IN THE MAIN IDIOTIC TO KEEP VOTING FOR THE PAP AGAIN AND AGAIN. YOU SINGAPOREAN-PAP-VOTERS ARE SILLY AND SELFISH TO VOTE FOR THE PAP IF YOU WORRY ABOUT YOUR FLAT NOT BEING UPGRADED.
WITH 98% OF THE PARLIAMENT UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PAP, YOU STILL WANT TO VOTE PAP?
PAP CHEATS BY NOT HAVING A BY-ELECTION. IF NO BY-ELECTION MEANS THIS SEAT IN PARLIAMENT IS REDUNDANT.
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How can we expect a kiasu/kiasi PAP to hold by-elections…? Look at all the bogus reasons they give. The only reason is the fear of losing to the opposition.
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Cast PAP out. Cast PAP out Cast PAP out. Father in law….come n meet me now. You are simply a troublemaker in Singapore. F**K u…come now.
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The only saving grace for the Pro Alien Party not conduct a by-election for Cheng San ward after on the death of PAP MP Balaji – is that the General Election is probably a month of two away.
However, it was shameless that a by-election was not called on the death of PAP MP Ong Chit Chung in 2008, and left the constituents without an MP to represent their interests.
It is disingenious for the Pro Alien Party to claim that the remaining MPs in the GRC can takeover the role of the deceased MP for such a long period from 2008 to the next General Election.
Any MP – even from a GRC of any number – who must attend to the ward of the deceased MP, can only do so at the cost of the same quality time spent away from his/her own constituency.
It is a false argument propounded by the Pro Alien Party, when it is simply clear that it has no courage to face the reality that its existence is due to its lack of legitimacy from any real genuine or even real sincere support from the Singaporean heartlanders.
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to PAP, its the BYE-election, they are scared of losing, so we can forget abt a by-election..
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Isn’t Jeremy AuYong some ST political correspondent?
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I think the law that requires an MP to give up his position if he decides to leave the party is also wrong. This makes the MP not important and evertything is decided by the party.
If the MPs have a right to switch party without resigning from the MP post, they will also have more backbone.
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I am waiting for Kojakbt the PAP mole to ask PM and LHL will answer.
This seems to be the trend on how PAP answers netizens these days.
Which begets the question ,why won’t our PAP MP.Mininsters and etc would never answer any netizens other than PAP mole Kojakbt?
Isn’t it obvious?
Like our sham parliament?
Everything is scripted so one PAP MP will raise the right issue by asking the right question so that the PAP minister will deliver the right answer.
Similarly in the net.Only Kojakbt questions would be answered because it is so scripted by PAP.To give an illusion to the netizens that the PAP minsters indeed listen and bother to reply.
It’s time PAP gets to be a little more sophisticated by answering by creating a few more PAP moles to shadow box.We are getting a bit tired of the this routine.That is Kojakbt asks and PAP ministers reply.
But the only problem for PAP is; that if they started to answer too many moles than the answers cannot be the same.It’s hard act to follow .
So PAP created this figure of imagination called Kojakbt ,who works around the clock without a life outside the cyber space.
Oii,Kojakbt is a moniker and there are many people behind it working in shifts.
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They “HAVE” “SCREWED” up the constitution and that is why they don’t need to call for masturbation.
Very soon, you will all be “ONE”, that is, no need for anything, just type in nric and all things will come to you, food,job,school,money,casket(do you really need one)(someone will come to sealed your house, no smell, no noise, and if staying with family, no problem, someone will come to seal your body and put under the bed, no smell, no adour, very clean, reason why all flats have bomb room, thats for the dead, anytime can pray to them too, “all in one”
Why is transport out of the above list, because all you need to do is click,click, click and all will come to you, video conference in classes but at home, no one should be out there, as all will be “CHAINED” in. Medical problems, click, doctor will attend to you, only need laptop with 2mp cam and just talk, cannot talk, no problem, sign lauguage interpreter will be there, all you need is laptop with 2mp cam.
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Why, because all are from Africa, as someone said, so in olden days, they just leave the dead to in the attic,under the bed, sleep with them, leave them at cliffs, etc etc, so why not, running out of land, too expensive to use for bury or built crematoriums, better used them for “once in a year”, “PARTIES” and it will be BIG, that i can guarantee.
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I live in the Cheng San/Seletar constituency and have voted for the Opposition since the 70s. When the late JB Jeyaretnam stood with Tan Liang Hong in the then Cheng San GRC, we were all very sure they had won. All their rallies were jampacked with people and supporters. On the other hand, the PAP rallies had to summon union members and party supporters from all over the island to make the numbers. Even then the number was not even half the crowd at the Workers Party rallies. Well in the end the result (which co-incidentally was the last announced – wonder why?)was a narrow victory for the PAP.
In 2006, an unknown team of young WP candidates took almost 40% of the votes against PM Lee and his team in the yet re-drawn GRC of AMK/Yio Chu Kang. Cheng San/Seletar was absorbed into this GRC because it was potentially risky for the PAP.
My take is that even if there is no by-election, the people of Cheng San/Seletar will support any Opposition that takes on the PAP here.
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Doesn’t it suck? Even when it is something basic such as voting for someone to represent us, they shut us up. What we do most of the time the time is just sit down and complain among our close friends but otherwise all of us have been trained not to go against the government in any other way except by writing in formally or giving a speech at speaker’s corner. Even when that is the only avenues legally allowed, they will come up with a firm no. If they can work with one man less, why did we need the additional minister in the beginning? Haven’t we been paying extra for nothing. The additional money could be better used to subsidize parking fees, build new infrastructure for the disabled and old, build better sports facilities and many other projects which could improve people’s lives in Singapore.
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The PAP will not call for by-election for fear of losing the ward to opposition. They are the cowards. Secondly, they have to think of new solutions to “fix” the oppostions as their popularity is almost zero. Thirdly, old fart is hospitalised and the PAPies are more concerned of his well-being at the moment.
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isn’t the writer a journalist from ST?
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There is a difference when the public wants a bi-election and the government ignore by saying that …
‘by-election would distract the government from its daily task of running the country’…
Which stupid and uneducated person will ever say such things, i guess only someone from PAP regime.
If fact the public will be so excited for once that a bi-election is conducted.
The only reason I see this not happening is because GE announcement is around the corner within 60 days of a bi-election.
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Can TR please conduct a poll here or preferably national-wide.
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a waste of resource and taxpayer money??? if they can spend near to 400m for yog and now they say waste of resource and money for a by-election, what logic is that? when come to issue concern singaporean everything is a waste of resource and money, when come to bringing them face, putting them in a good light and making money for their own pocket, it not a waste of resource and taxpayer money.
they are the god and the devil.
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they know they will lose.
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how to change
when those in power does not want to change
but the funny thing is
66.6% are happy with that decision
so are we crying wolf
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To Lee Kuan Yew and his “ardent” followers,
You are NOT GOD ALMIGHTY the Creator of the whole universe and of even more that we have yet to know and all will be made as it is written. Neither are you the Devil Lucifer more commonly known among the Christian community as Satan, a fallen angel.
And I am saying this IS because you, Mr. Lee, once said on TV that you “do not believe either the Quran OO the bible has the last word about life. though you were honest about yourself, I take angst because to me you’ve made an exception of yourself in your own “Sedition Act”in law you see! You mus know as a lawyer that no one is above the law. Not even the one who enacted it right? Or am I logically and legally wrong? Am sure I AM NOT!
A. PROOF OF Your HUMANESt & VULNERABILITY:
You fell down in Russia on Monday. And you ARE NOW in SGH with a chest infection. Thus, as a man – YOU ARE just a man like any other man that ever lived, is NOW living and will be LIVING when they are born IN THE FUTURE.
B. CERTAINTY:
Therefore “YOU” WILL DIE in the not too distant future determined BY the FORCES of GOD in what you can now only regard as “Mother Nature” at best. It IS because at your age, and anyone else, you do have more years BEHIND you. Than there are years ahead. THIS is a FACT and NOT and argument nor a deliberate act of attack against you like you like you are most fond of doing to US.
THOUGH WITH DUE RESPECT, BUT SORRY, LIFE IS NOT WHAT WE NATIVE SINGAPOREANS KNOW WHAT YOU THINK IT SHOULD “BE”!
C. BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT:
1. Granted that even if we give you the beneift of the doubts we natives Singaporeans have formed of you over more than 5 decades of acute observations and going right back to 1956. But then…
2. Your “No Nonsense” manner carried right TO THE EXTREME, does more than IRK ALL of US you know! Because…
3. YOU HAVE DILUTED and CONDITIONED the CREATIVE and POTENTIALS in many of US BY YOUR most dogmatic, singular and myopic views. Views about “Civil Society” being “achievable” only BY your and ONLY your “epoc” ways to impress on everyone in this whole wide world that “Lee Kuan Yew’s “new” in ground-breaking and unheard of in history. But we know your self-righteous and self-glorifying purposes as we fathom in sense and senibilty. Thus we doubt that so many US can be wrong “seeing” you so thoroughly from the same perspective. As we certainly are not circumspective like you and your partison way. WE ARE TO SAY THE LEAST “NOT daft” as you HAVE said of to National Geographic Magazine. As you DID say of us to an International Publication the way you did, we view it as treason of OUR patriotism to Singapore and Singaporeans hor!
For your son made PM said after his 2066 GE “victory” said of us to be “An open and inclusive civil society”? ARE we REALLY and COLLECTIVELY I mean and ask of you!
Your son PM DID NOT even give a proper and forerightly JUST reason as in justice for “no need to have a by-election”. How often do you and your ardent followers need to give “explainations” in circumspection? And yet you ust bragged to the Russian of paying for “talents” deserving as “you see and deam it” but without your defining it as well! Is this where your own “talent” ends as I, “this daft” Singaporean you have deamed as is, seek your clarification about these things of contradictions that came from yourself.
Thank you and may God bless you for your speedy recovery from your chest infection. And more importantly is for you to be humbled and know that you are not alone in being very subordinate to a “Higher BEING” I shall name HIM for now for your sake. And Amen.
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If same thing happen to CST or LTK, PAP side will cry by-election, can anybody point to which part of our constitution that by-election is not required for GRC? As I understand, we vote for the MP in that constituency not GRC or other MPs in GRC to serve us. If there is no statement in constitution stating that by-election is not required, that case PM had committed technical a crime for not calling by-election since he has to call the shot when by-election is require constitutionly, can AGC or anybody provide us an answer?
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That’s because PAP knows it will lose the by election.
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Ah GOng
you are too complacent
your wife or mother will be send overseas to be maid
you must be so daft as not able to read our constitution
dont you get it
it will be history repeating itself
laws will be changed
for the better but
for who
that is the question
the main problem is many singaporeans dont care and dont give a damn
so what are you guys fighting about
if the majority wants this country to head a certain fate
then let it be
after so many years and elections
the results are still the same
therefore dont you get it
singaporeans just dont care
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“Absolute power corrupts absolutely”
Well said!!
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#picknose
so are you crying wolf yourself?
are you for real.
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If the oppositions win a GRC in the next election. And if, unfortunately, one member could not carry out his/her duty due to health problem or death, does the PAP government have the power to call for a by-election in the oppositions ward?
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we are what you have socio-engineered us to be
right down to our bed
and yet you blame us for being complacent, not hungry for success, not competitive
you dont want us to think for ourselves so that we can be governed easily and
now after you have created us (have the cake) and rule us like animals (eat the cake)
turn around and abuse us both emotionally and intellectually
you believe in Sai baba
he once said
what goes around comes around
and i hope you are prepared
do the right thing for the singapore you so love
let us be citizens that you can hold you head up high for the world to see
thank you
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Where SR Nathan? He is supposed to protect our constituition and he has the right to demand the government to call for a by-election.
Why are we paying a roti prata man $3m plus every year if he can’t even protect our constitutional rights?
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@picknose: September 30, 2010 at 1:31 pm
“you are too complacent
your wife or mother will be send overseas to be maid”
Who you are to comment this.
“you must be so daft as not able to read our constitution”, you must have time to and have read it, I am daft, so you please tell me what it says.
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@picknose: September 30, 2010 at 1:31 pm
For you info, the constitution state that by-election is required when seat vacant due to death.
http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=1999-REVED-CONST&secid=931158660-001779&date=latest&method=sect&query_words=by%2delection
http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=2007-REVED-218&secid=1175481667-000918&date=latest&method=sect&query_words=constituency%20vacancies
The current GOV and PM has breached in upholding the constitution under oath. The President has breached in upholding the constitution in correcting the GOV’s mistake under oath too. Only the AGC and Court system can take them to task but they are not there too….
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didn’t dpm said we must encourage our young sinkies to FACE COMPETITION?
IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR DPM TEO AND HIS COLEAGUES TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
THE OPPOSITION ARE READY TO COMPETE,I BELIEVE.
LET’S SHOW OUR YOUNG THE REAL STAFF NOT THE REEL SAY-SAY STAFF.
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“nothing automatic” means “nothing systematic”
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The GRC was set up with this intention that if one MP passed on, by-election is not necessary for the PAPies.
What will happen if Opposition control 1 GRC and if one MP passed on, will PAPies, as government insist on by-election.
We will not know until at least one GRC is lost in the next election.
Head they win Tail we lose. Pau Chiat
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@Chin Tu Lang:September 30, 2010 at 5:28 pm
GRC was setup to ensure balance of races in parliament, not setup that when MP pass on, the by-election can be done away. Nothing in Singapore’s constitution mention that an MP for a constituency can double as MP to serve another constituency. In fact by-election is a must when a MP pass on, refer to my post earlier.
In fact if an MP in a GRC can double for another MP of another constituency within the GRC, this mean any MP within the same GRC should be able to service our needs, that is not the case, I have tried to even get my MP to talk to another MP who is a Minister to resolve my problems, I was told they only service their own resisdent within their own constituency who voted them, so what PM tried to tell the public and what happen on the ground are very different.
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It’s timely prick to true blue S’poreans to reassert their rights and take ownership of their future.Papies throughout the decades don’t really have the mandate from the people but by underhand tactics and orchestrating the constitution thereby ensuring their hegenomy.It’s great shame that our govt in running such a small country are having the highest salaries in the world and not to mention the waste of tax payers’ money by having 2DPMs,SMs,MM and a great number of MPs.The call of justice is happening soon as we witness the number of incidents ocurring that are detrimental to the Papies.
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The prerogative to call or not to call a by-election must not be that of the Prime Minister. As the writer rightly pointed out, the elections commission in Malaysia is notified by the Kelantan State Assembly Speaker of the vacancy and a by-election would be called within 60 days.
Similarly, Singapore’s Speaker of Parliament must officially inform the Elections Department of the vacancy in Cheng San. The Department must then set a date for a by-election within the stipulated period under the Constitution. It is not the business of the Prime Minister – notwithstanding that the Elections Department comes under the PM’s Department – to decide or is it?
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I will sack this PM for interference. It’s none of his business. Vacancy needs to be filled, cannot wait forever.
My citizens have spoken, a by-election must be called.
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ABOLISH GRCs
FIGHT ONE-ON-ONE
DON’T BE PUSSIES
ADMIT IT THAT IF U R NO GOOD, U DONT DESERVE THE SEAT
SO IF U DESERVE IT, FIGHT FOR IT, DONT COME IN BY THE BACK(SIDE)
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The PM may be right – maybe we really don’t need so many people in the GRC. Afterall, if he thinks 5 is enough then maybe we have been having too many MPs in the GRC.
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so, by their logic….MPs are dispensible? not very important?
then, why do we need 5 or 6 MPs in a GRC since can so easily cover missing people’s duties? why not have just 3? we can half all the GRC MPs and save half the payroll immediately!!
so, please consider reducing the number of MPs since we don’t really need so many of them, as informed by our PM not once, but TWICE….
as well, in Jalan Besar, with the least people to MP ratio….at least SIX MPs for a small population of constituents…very important people live there is it? must have so many MPs there?
not cheap you know
remember : we need to be cheap cheaper cheaperest
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Ah Gong:
September 30, 2010 at 2:21 pm
@picknose: September 30, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Yea,that guy has no common sense at all.
dun noe wat he is grumbling.
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guys I have complained so many times to the moderator that there is an imposter here trying to be me
so i do read tr everyday so
suddenly i get whack
from now on my contribution will start with a
“P” ………….
Mod’s note: Please register your nick to prevent this.
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hypocrites are like to lie too.
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TO PAP & PM LEE HSIEN LOONG: BECAUSE THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
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@Ah Gong
You said “Nothing in Singapore’s constitution mention that an MP for a constituency can double as MP to serve another constituency.”
In fact, Article 47 of the Constitution precisely forbids this double role for an MP:
47. A person shall not be at the same time a Member of Parliament for more than one constituency.
The constitutional requirement for by-election (Article 49(1)) for the Jurong constituency was not fulfilled for dubious reasons (even if it is delivered by the prime minister in parliament). It has been more than 2 years now.
No provision in the Parliamentary Elections Act (PEA) can negate the supremacy of the Constitution which clearly and plainly requires a by-election (see Article 49). With the passing of Dr Balaji, it appears that Lee Hsien Loong intends to violate the Constitution yet again.
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@Steve Wu
You have specifically pointed out that MPs cannot double as MP for another constituency other than his own, that case PM had committed a more serious of not upholding constitution under oath by breaching Parliamentary Elections Act on multiple clauses, he and PAP should be brought up and charged in International Court since our President, AGC and Court system is not able to right his mistake and the fact that PM ha willfully committed the offence on multiple occasions shows that he has intent to commit in breaching Singapore’s constitution which in this case making him a questionable character to be PM of Singapore.
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You must be a daft to allow daft to vote.
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