A letter to TOC from Ms Michelle Tan.
I am disappointed that the Elections Committee disqualified Mr Ng Teck Siong from contesting in Tanjong Pagar on the basis of him submitting his form late by 35 seconds.
We know that for any measuring device, there is a percentage error. When you measure something as relative as time, different clocks may measure time differently. very precise clocks may register very good accuracy but to for a clock to be off by 35 seconds, it is all possible due to clock drift. That is why clocks have to be periodically synchronized. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_synchronization ). Hence, there is a possibility Mr Ng may not have been late in the strict sense but that the clock was off by a few seconds.
Secondly, in school exams, even after the examiner says ‘Stop writing’, I still see students scribbling for up to a minute after that. Yet, the examiner does not say anything. Does this mean all these students broke the law and the examiner is negligent? Should we haul up all the students that broke the law by a few seconds now, and the examiners who did not stop them? I believe not.
There is something called a few seconds grace.
The grace of a bus driver when he pulls his bus out of the busstop, and then he sees an old lady hobbling towards the bus she is about to miss; he stops for her.
In primary school I remembered very well my school song had this line “To give always with a gracious heart”. It stuck with me. The government keeps urging Singapore to be a gracious society, for example The Singapore Kindness Movement. We are not machines and to penalize somebody who wants to play his part for Singapore in an election is not gracious nor public-spirited.
If Mr Ng had qualified, he may or may not win the election. But I believe he deserves to have a chance, especially after the effort he invested in the paperwork. I beg the Elections Committee to give Mr Ng Teck Siong a few minutes grace.
Regards,
Tan Minxuan Michelle
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paiseh..i mean result instead of reason.apologise.
It’s got nothing to do with 35 seconds late. I’m ok with it. No one can argue with it. Late is late. You can’t say that the clock is not accurate. Who knows it could be 2 minuts late but the clock register 35 minutes, late is late.
so the real issue is not 35 minutes late as consistently broadcast in the mainstream media to gain sympathy from logical thinkers.
The real problem is what UncleYap recorded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s-WieTi420
According to this eyewitenss, the nomination papers were filed PRIOR TO CLOSING TIME. Therefore, even if it is 1 second before closing time, it shall be accepted, in the same way that if filed 1 second after closing time it shall be rejected.
What makes matters worse is that the election officers were actually handling the nomination, it was work in progress, and Mr Ng was called away by another election officer to settle some matter and suddenly the nomination was voided.
This is really sick. The mainstream media need to report this matter as it is and let readers decide whehter the video message of unlce yap makes sense or not.
zero
While I agree that 35 seconds is clearly within the margin of error and the reasonable person would allow this slight discrepancy one must pose the question why was Mr Ng Teck Siong not there an hour (or even 2 hours) earlier. Did he have some more pressing engagement? Was there something more important on his agenda?
The campaign will be an uphill battle on its own, without handicapping oneself in such a manner.
You opposition parties are up against PAP lay, don’t play play, must give 200% careful mah….
Dr Chee has been “slap” left and right by breaching laws, in the end who benefitted.
Only give chance for PAP to slap them.
Never learn from past mistake mah?
You guys are playing on PAP field and rules, better wake up your idea!
RUBBISH…MAKING A MOCKERY OUT OF ELECTION AGAIN N AGAIN!
in tennis terms Mr Ng Teck Siong’s team committed an unforced error.
they willingly place themselves in a difficult position out of their own doing.
they do something like this then they expect favors from officials to get out of the situation, when they did not get the favors they wanted, they make a lot of noise.
if u do this u open yourself to doubt whether u are genuinely interested in contesting or u r just there to create controversy to ‘prove’ that the system is unfair.
Before you guys get a biased and wrong conclusion, please read the other side of the story by SDA supporters themselves:
http://ge2011theonlinecitizen.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/toc-exclusive-why-sda-team-missed-deadline/
For such an important and serious event, the submission of paper, in my opinion should be at least 15 min earlier completed.
As a junior staff myself – I also know the importance of punctuality. When attending meetings, presentations – always be there 10 min earlier.
The team representing SDA are senior staff, veteran politicans (even though they were never being represented in parliament) – NOT JUNIOR STAFF!
The chairman of SDA has just made a mockery of himself. I suggest it is better that he retires from politics, otherwise he would only remain as a black sheep among the opp parties.
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tr-out-loud/big-brother-is-you-watching/3938?tag=nl.e550
this is the age of aquarius and DAFT locals must, repeat, “MUST” vote for change as this gov had LOST it’s MIND, in all kinds…….
VOTE FOR CHANGE, UNLESS YOU PLANNED TO LIVE IN CHANGI BEACH….
KICK THEM ALL OUT !!!!
DUDS RULING YOU WITH DUD POLICIES……….EVEN ON NOMINATIONS DAY, THEY WILL CHEAT YOU OF 35 SECONDS, 35 MISERABLE SECONDS……..
YOUR LIFE IS NOT WORTH 35 SECONDS , REMEMBER YOU ARE DAFTS,
AND WHO MADE YOU INTO DAFTS, LKY, GCT, NATHAN, ALL TRAITORS, EATING AND SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY DURING WW2, EATING FISH HEAD CURRY, CHICKEN RICE, WHILE YOUR PARENTS AND GRAND PARENTS EAT SWEET POTATO AND TAPIOCA.
THEY SLEEP, SNORING AWAY, WHILE YOUR PARENTS ARE WATCHING, WHERE THE JAPANESE BOMBS WILL FALL, HOPING ITS NOT ON YOU OR SIBLINGS.
Terrible!
Our team proposed standing for election in Tanjong Pagar Consitiution was made possible by TRUE SINGAPOREANS. We would like to thank all well wishes, supporters and monetary contributors for the trouble they took to make this a success.
We were as disappointed as our supporters, for the disqualification of our nomination papers, whereby we need to rewrite the forms all over again due to absent of our proposer who was threatened, who was absent at that critical moment.
We are grateful and would like to thank you again, all our well wishers’ and supporters for the understanding for not being able to contest in tne Election.
We have not give up hope, lets’ hope other opposition parties success and speak up for all Singaporean.
If the Opposition Nominate Parliament fallen by other PAP wards to the oppositions please make very sure walk over Tanjong Pagar Team are answerable to all the flawed policies.
the opposition and our democracy is stronger without these wayang people.
the form not yet completed filling and countersigning properly go up and give to the officer means submitted already meh?
then the uncle yap guy still got the cheek to imply it’s some sort of trick by the commissioner of oaths to get the guy to go back to the table so he will be late.
and was it really 35 seconds difference only? could they really have finish up everything in 35 seconds or was it an exaggeration to make things seem more dramatic? if it’s really 35 seconds only then they are even more to blame for “wasting precious minutes” by their own confusion, as reported.
these people really make me mad, cheated 140,000 Singaporeans of the opportunity to exercise their vote either because of their incompetence, or because they just wanted to put up a wayang show. not sure which one is worse.
and what happened to the hard-earned money Singaporeans and even the Dim Sum Dollies helped to raise to cover the election deposit? it was promised to be returned if the team end up “unable to run for any reason.” any word on that?
To those condemning the SDA Team, answer me this ONE question:
If the positions were reversed and it was PAP who was 35 seconds late, would their nominations be accepted or not accepted? YES or NO??!
PAP is just throwing its weight around. They are selfish, arrogant and big bullies. This is yet another example among millions of ways in which PAP takes brutal advantage of us Singaporeans, we who pay their big, fat, over-bloated salaries. Classic mafia behaviour!
Answer me another question:
If PAP is so great and wonderful with their so-called ‘track record’ and boasting of how experienced and capable they are, then WHY are they so paranoid about an Oppo team with little-known members??
Shows they have no confidence in themselves and their past (lack of) performance. They must be feeling guilty and very nervous. All they know is to bully and play dirty tricks. They do this all the time to us. E.g. if you can’t pay your town council bill, you have to attend court and get fined on top of your arrears (which you still must pay somehow) or you go to jail in lieu of! Do you know how many of such families there are in Tg Pagar alone? Every town council has hundreds who all get hauled up to court every month. Yet they pay themselves multi-million dollar salaries and bonuses!
So do you think they will be excused for 35 seconds late OR NOT???
LKY has bullied, bashed and battered others (even literally, as in ISA) ALL HIS LIFE! Even till now, as this shows! This is his legacy! A f**ked-up govt and a f**ked-up country led by his f**ked-up son!
If the whole nomination process is at the whims and fancies of election officer who could take his own time to decide when and how a valid nomination form is submitted, such a nomination is subject to delberate dragging of feet to cause a submission to be late.
It is as simple as this. There is no need to be overly concerned with whether the lateness if 35 secs or 1 minute.
Where a law is subjected to tweaking like the GRC, so as to allow any party to tailgate any favorite candidate into parliament bypassing the normal voter scrutiny as has happened to Dr. so and so,BYK or TPL, it will lead to malpractices and abuses.
Leaders have to lead by examples. By talking down and taking actions to disqualify candidates on minor grounds on procedures when so many shortcomings on their own are not yet corrected, this is not rule of law.
Correct all the shortcomings in all the laws first before slamming anyone for non-compliance on the ground of lateness or some imperfect particulars on the form.
I dun want my minister to be late for anything. If he is 35sec late, its also considered late. that is the rule. Did’nt the army teach you that?
Yes i accept we were 35 seconds late, what those commence about being late by 35 seconds and commented that we should be much earlier, I assume and take it that they were never late in their life. This episode will not have happen if we need not rewrite the forms all over again, due to threats to Our Supporters.
Understanding appreciated, for those who really knows.
Just for a laugh, if MM Lee and his team is sporting enough to accept the contest graciously, I will not be suprise to think he and his team may lose the constest in this Consituency.
To others like me who were wondering, I see the money raised has been promptly returned: http://www.straitstimes.com/GeneralElection/News/Story/STIStory_662732.html
Good, honourable show on that, at least.
ngpy, can you elaborate on these “threats” you mentioned?
Quote: “Yes i accept we were 35 seconds late, what those commence about being late by 35 seconds and commented that we should be much earlier, I assume and take it that they were never late in their life. This episode will not have happen if we need not rewrite the forms all over again, due to threats to Our Supporters.
Understanding appreciated, for those who really knows.”
None of my life events come as serious as this event.
On top of that – I dare say the majority of us will never turn up late for important events like exam, marriage …
And on top of that – knowing there is hardly any time left, the team would still accept interviews, wasting precious times, disorganised …. in short, the team is a group of jokers.
Quote No Hope:”To those condemning the SDA Team, answer me this ONE question:
If the positions were reversed and it was PAP who was 35 seconds late, would their nominations be accepted or not accepted? YES or NO??!”
Assertively, PAP will never allow such things to allow. I am NOT saying PAP members are never late for any events, but they will NEVER be late for such an important event.
Secondly, even if the PAP submission was late, and the election officer disqualified them – I dare say PAP will not protest – rather the question is whether the election officer dares to disqualify PAP members!
Sorry, even though I am extremely dissatisfied with the SDA team, I would still like to thank them for taking the first step and wanting to contest in the GE (be it for personal or national interests).
Seriously, this is GE, not PSLE. If you are going to bloody run in an election, you jolly well make sure you leave a very wide margin for error and make your submission well ahead of the deadline. Knowing that the bureaucracy is that gniau and bent on thwarting them, why would they cut it so close to the deadline? What’s wrong with being kiasu and planning to submit an hour or two in advance? To me, this shows a lack of seriousness of that opposition team. Given this sorry display of unprofessionalism, why should Singaporeans entrust leadership to them? I dislike PAP’s policies as much as anyone, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to surrender my vote to incompetents.
By the way, if you are counting on grace from the authorities, you are absolutely playing the wrong game. You are better off borrowing eggs and raising sheep on Farmville than standing for election. Election is war; in war you don’t take gentlemanly turns at shooting at your opponents.