Comments on: SDP trips itself up even before Punggol East starting gun

By: yawningbread

yawningbread — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:16:11 +0000

I have the same feeling. The rising number of comments that the WP is too “soft” is another sign that there is a section of Singaporeans who want a more robust opposition. How numerous are they? That’s the question.

By: George Lam

George Lam — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:57:31 +0000

” I think a large majority of people in Singapore do not like SDP’s confrontational style, and SDP should really have shown some more political nous to read the current mood. ”

One shouldn’t be too sure about this. There are a lot of people,esp. the younger voters with ideals who would want a more ‘go-getting’ style to respond to the seemingly arrogant and resistant to change political stance of the PAP. If the PAP do not see what’s coming at it in the horizon, or refuses to accommodate, instead still insisting that it can contain, bottle up or even turn away or commute such a challenge, then it deserves to go down the history book of local politics as an has-been great political party.

By: yawningbread

yawningbread — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 04:17:48 +0000

Please don’t go further. I will consider this diversion of the thread to be off-topic.

By: The

The — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:55:37 +0000

I take your bet. How much? Or, is your last dollar literally one dollar?

By: phylej

phylej — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:52:08 +0000

Are there any good candidates left for a credible liberal opposition? SDP may have the heart, but this episode has been so damaging to their image, I doubt it can be rehabilitated in time for 2016. The younger generation of voters have been left with a bad impression from this flip-flopping.

Between the ruling party and the WP, I detect little difference. In that case, I’d stick with the one with the proven track record at governance. I feel extremely sore that in 2016, the only credible choices may be between two conservative camps.

By: bee

bee — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:49:12 +0000

actually, your choice of words on chee isnt amusing and absolutely unwarranted. kj possesses more intellect and would have more guts in parliament than anyone from wp. but life’s never fair and singaporean are politically naive. i bet my last dollars than pap will win. you can therefore save the money on the champagne.

By: The

The — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:13:12 +0000

So, CHEE says BYE to BY-erection.

If KJ insists on contesting, he will lose his deposit.

Congrats, Li Lian, on your overwhelming victory.

Let’s pop the champagne.

By: LC

LC — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:22:49 +0000

“We knew that all along, we are going to just have to do it, do whatever we have decided and go on,” said Dr Chee. He was speaking to reporters last night, after a two-and-a-half hour meeting at the SDP headquarters to select the party’s candidate for the coming polls. – Channel News Asia

I don’t know about you, but this looks like yet another incredible statement by Dr Chee, showing that the “campaign” for unity was simply a staged show for public consumption on the part of SDP. Furthermore, the premature press releases even before WP could reply is simply calculated to obtain just such a WP response. The SDP had asked the WP for a meeting on Saturday, then proposed to bring it forward to Friday, but already on Thursday they claimed that Sylvia Lim had given them a non answer, so the Friday meeting was off. What about waiting till Friday, if you are sincere? And SDP doesn’t show Sylvia’s email. This just gives the horrible image that the SDP can’t be trusted. Their image problem just gets worse.

By: yuen

yuen — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 03:16:10 +0000

while people argue about SDP, SDA has decided to field Desmond Lim, making all talk about opposition unity moot

you could laugh at him for getting less than 5% in 2011, but it should be remembered that SDA was active in Punggol for some years, till WP muscled into Punggol East SMC just before the 2011 election, and its brand name squeezed SDA to the margin; in the short term it was kudos for WP, and the long term effect is still to be seen

By: LC

LC — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:26:59 +0000

Unfortunately the image of the SDP has been damaged by the grandstanding of Dr Chee in the past and now by Mr Jufrie and Dr Chee, who essentially are trying the WP make look bad in the press by portraying their “intransigence”. I think a large majority of people in Singapore do not like SDP’s confrontational style, and SDP should really have shown some more political nous to read the current mood. The current SDP press campaign to call for unity with the WP is just more grandstanding in the people’s minds. This is very damaging to their image. The image in the minds of many of Dr Chee and by extension the SDP is that he is trying to claim top dog status from the WP, very much like how he engineered the takeover of SDP years ago. This may not be true, but it is the perception that counts. Similarly, while the SDP has come up with great policy
proposals, their negative image will take much more to dispel. In contrast the WP is seen as being reasonable, non confrontational, hardworking and can get things done despite obstacles in their path, for eg putting their own TC system in place despite AIM attempts to obstruct them. This may seem irrational, silly or even primitive, but this is Singapore.