Singaporeans are none the wiser after PM Lee’s “explanation” of why PAP candidate for Tampines was dropped at the last minute this morning.
Implying that Steve Tan’s withdrawal had to do with a “weakness” that had slipped through the PAP selection system without specifying what exactly it was, PM Lee said:
‘We’re looking for many attributes, strengths and capabilities, and also testing for weaknesses, and there’s no process which is 100 per cent accurate’.
Further indicating that there was a significant problem with Steve Tan’s candidacy but continuing to sound vague, PM Lee continued: ‘the party and Mr Tan could have ‘pretended there was no problem and just carried on’. The obvious implication was that there was a “problem” with Steve Tan.
Bad as the Steve Tan debacle looks now, unless PM Lee acts swiftly to openly and thoroughly explain why Steve Tan was withdrawn, the backlash to the PAP will go far deeper.
A “rigorous selection system”?
After spending a significant amount of media oxygen querying whether Worker’s Party (WP) leader Low Thia Kiang had done his “due diligence” on star candidate Chen Show Mao, this is the most embarrassing and emphatic last minute candidate withdrawal in recent election memory.
The debacle was so comprehensive that when Mr Baey Yam Keng was switched to take Steve Tan’s place at the last minute, Mr Baey’s grassroots leaders were reported in the mainstream press to be left in a state of shock, many in tears. The election posters in Tanjong Pagar could not be deployed as a result, as they had Mr Baey’s face on them.
The natural conclusion Singaporeans will come to is that for such a ground-breaking decision to have been made, the Steve Tan’s “problem” must have been a significant one.
Singaporeans will ask the natural question: if Mr Steve Tan came within minutes of getting on a PAP slate and entering Parliament on the coattails of senior GRC Minister Mah Bow Tan, who else on the PAP slate might be inadequately vetted?
Already, Singaporeans have been outraged by the selection of Ms Tin Pei Ling to stand with the popular SM Goh Chok Tong in Marine Parade.
This will now be exacerbated by another unintended consequence of the Steve Tan debacle: the fluke entry of a complete unknown into Parliament, Dr Chia Shi Lu.
Not yet as bad as it gets
Ironically, Dr Chia is the only candidate of any party not introduced to the public to date, and yet has had the good fortune to have been fielded in the only uncontested GRC in Singapore. Even the eccentric Zeng Guo Yan who turned up at a nomination centre today and tore up his nomination forms has given one interview on RazorTV, albeit with a parrot on his shoulder.
Dr Chia’s entry into Parliament could come to exemplify the worst excesses of the unrepresentative GRC system. It also completely neutralizes the PAP argument that the opposition only turns up during election time: Dr Chia only turned up on nomination day!
Finally, Mr Baey’s grassroots leaders and constituents deserve an explanation. They have had no chance to size their new MP up, let alone vote for him. To the broader electorate, the refusal so far to give a forthright explanation can come to remind them of the least likeable aspects of the PAP’s style of decision making: its’ opaque and condescending tone.
Unless a full and frank accounting for what went wrong with Steve Tan is given, this debacle has the potential to set a very inauspicious note for the PAP’s election campaign.
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Just focus on the GE on hand, and not distract the candidates on trivial issues. No one is perfect, and no system can be 100# full proofed. If anyone can claim he is totally perfect, let him throw the first ‘shit’ at the candidate/s he/she is not happy with…..
Its lopsided and bias, that the media or the straits times did not state details – obviously to cover up for PAP. we have all the reasons to call The Straits Times – The Shit Times.
There is certainly something more than meeting the eyes. PM should have come clean and tell us why the last minute change, given the party apparatus has bragged about how good and thorough is the selection process. Simply saying that the no process is 100% accurate will just get people suspicious and start guessing if there are things that are taboo and cannot be let out into the open.
there is a reason for everything, if u make a bold claim, u r inviting ppl to examine u in a robust manner when the opportunity presents itself.
when that happens don’t cry unfair.
if u say your selection process is very stringent, very good, u have the A team becos u draw from the best talents,
u will be made to live up to the billing of best becos u claimed it.
if u were humble, nothing like this will happen to u.
I thought PAP said they had a complete and robust selection and screening process ???
So where is our future ??? Vivian may be can explain ??
Someone from current regime said that their party is “open”. So you call this open when you don’t even dare to explain why this guy “dropped” out. Shameful party.
Great article. Like dirty laundry, some things may never get aired in the open. So lest we dig too much and spill the closet of skeletons, let’s try to get on with the show? Kudos to the incumbent party for its rigorous system of sieving out Outstanding candidates and rejecting the unsuitable… albeit the close shave! There are some things we need to know; some we would perhaps rather not.
We were told the PAP has the best and most stringent system of selecting, testing and screening candidates to become potential MPs, what has happened??? This is very scary.
The good thing out of this debacle is that PAP can no longer claim high moral ground for the integrity of it’s candidates or it’s rigorous selection process…
Surprisingly, PAP has a rather weak and flawed slate of new candidates, from a doctor who never serve NS, to a 27 years old bimbo to a Ah Beng Hokkien speaking army general to Steve Tan.
Has PAP and LHL lost it’s mandate from heaven to rule?
@pitiful-singaporeans
You ‘DOG’ or something? If we could carry sign boards walking in the streets, you think anyone needs this site? Do more studies on the history before you sound.. Never judge an apple by the skin..
Please do not pursue Mr Steve … He is NOT an Issue for voters now… I think he may be a legal minefield to bait the opposition… Be clever… focus on the real issues!
As an undecided, I come to find out more. This is a biased double-standard article… The same thing can be said about the credentials & commitments of several opposition candidates and their parties’ selection criteria… In the same token, why would I vote for many of the opposition candidates who are appearing just recently, even A-Team Chen? At least Chia served in the grassroots for x number of years.
Pitiful singaporeans,
i so sorry I could not reply you any further least i vomit blood and could not attend opp party election rally. I will like to attend your favorite party rally but after sensing so many invisible brothers and sisters of netherworld are attending PAP rally, I become afraid and hence choose not to listen further garbage from your paid master.
Better axe him now than doing a Ris Low.
koh 29 April 2011
As an undecided, I come to find out more. This is a biased double-standard article… The same thing can be said about the credentials & commitments of several opposition candidates and their parties’ selection criteria… In the same token, why would I vote for many of the opposition candidates who are appearing just
………….
indeed well spoken..
did you do a headcounts the numbers of supporters @ the houghang rally lastnight
and di you managed to snap a picture of admiral teo rally?
admiral teo count…
only TEN?
Some OPP party should read or broadcast this article in youtube soon for all to see as not all locals visit this site. Share the info around in the most visited sites.
How many cups of tea?…still found a dud!
The public will want to know the true story of Steve Tan, but the ruling party, as always, will not talk about it since they have decided they don’t owe the public an answer.
Same goes to raising Ministers’ Salary i.e. Strong objections from public but they think they are right.
Same goes to 10,000 investors who lost their life savings in the structure product schemes with govt deciding the investors [old and young] were at fault as they signed on the dotted lines with their eyes opened. Not the fault of banks or MAS, even though Structured products were created by foreigners with layers and layers of lies. Good job, Hong Kong regulators. Paid less but showed determination in doing the right thing.
Should KPI be the interest/welfare of citizens instead of GDP? If this is the case, need not have to pay millions to achieve KPI, any tom, dick and harry can be a minister and just keep bring in investments like Casino, prostitution, drug cartel, gangsters etc.
@koh
many of those in grassroots are there with ulterior motives. either want to get special priority in pri school, specials housing provision or are biz owners hoping to get gov contracts. you may be surprised that alot of town council projects may somehow has some kind of link to their biz owners or relatives. It the same that alot of the PAP MPs are holding multiple directorships (as high as 12) in many companies. you need to think deeper and talk to more people who have left the RC.
PAP crumbling… making mistakes in the last 5 -10 years is bad enough. Now still making mistakes till the 11th hour…
Well at least you could say they are “consistent”…. consistently making mistakes!
This is another case to remind all that one no one is perfect. Thou shall not judge lest one be judged.
Look at the YOG, Mas Selamat, NKF, and the millions lost in foreign investments, there are many problems.
These may be only the tip of the iceberg.
It is time to look at the mirror before trying to judge others.
On complaints that last-minute PAP candidate Chia Shi-Lu became an MP overnight because he was fielded in his Tanjong Pagar GRC which had a walkover, MM Lee said: ‘He’s not an untested person, we’ve interviewed him. He’s a president’s scholar, he scored straight A’s.’
Wow, President’s Scholar can liao ah.. No wonder lah, Chan Chun Sing. But look what happened to Mah Bow Tan, Vivian Balakrishnan.
Steve Tan had a character flaw. His problem is now an open secret and known to many including, presumably, the TOC. But it is the kind of problem that is frequently swept under the carpet and would have been difficult to find out by any normal assessment of his qualifications.
But the fact remains that even though his flaw only came to light at the 11th hour, the PAP dropped him. So kudos for that. They are not mind readers. Those that were aware of his “issue” did not highlight the problem earlier.
Why are people comparing Steve Tan to Yaw? Tan harrassed 2 ladies in the past. Yaw had an alleged affair which was probably consentual. Please don't confuse the 2 issues and call TOC hypocritical. There is a difference here
This is an obvious case of TOC cherry picking again. Steve Tan NEVER stood for election and obviously NEVER got elected. Why does he owe anyone an explanation. At the sametime talking about transferring of Baey Yum Keng is again cherry picking. The opposition candidates jump ship in every election. How come they never question the commitment shown by thus candidates who never seem to contest in the same location. Yet at the same time an elected MP Yaw Shin Leong as rumored to have an affair with his own colleague and almost confirm it himself by choosing not to comment was played down by TOC. Compared to a candidate who chose to step down BEFORE the election and categorically denied any involvement in said rumor. Who needs an explanation, U tell me