Press statement issued by Tan Jee Say
I welcome the Prime Minister's decision to call for a by-election in Hougang.
In addition to allowing the people of Hougang to be represented in Parliament, the Hougang by-election has also put the issue of opposition unity into focus. Our first priority is to ensure that Hougang remains with the opposition and not fall into the hands of the PAP. At this juncture of our political development post-
Opposition unity is the concern of every one and is not a one-way street. All must play their part. Supporters of opposition unity rightly expect all opposition parties to work together, cooperating and complementing each other to maximize their chances of success at the polls to advance democracy in Singapore.
There is much for every opposition party to do to ensure victory in the 2016 GE. Going forward, voters want more than a mere opposition voice in Parliament. They want alternative policies to be presented to them to deal with the pressing issues facing Singaporeans that the ruling party seems unable to handle. The next GE will be fought on quality of candidates and coherence of policy proposals. We have the responsibility to offer good candidates with well thought out policy alternatives to our fellow Singaporeans. We should concentrate our resources on recruiting the best candidates to join our ranks and together formulate good policy alternatives. Intruding into fellow opposition parties' wards will dilute our resources and not maximize our strengths.
The Hougang by-election is an opportunity to demonstrate oppositon unity and build opposition co-operation towards the next general election.
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