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SINGAPORE : The battle for votes is gaining momentum in the lead-up to Singapore's General Election on May 6.
Politicians from the People's Action Party (PAP) and the three opposition parties have been stepping up their visits of electoral districts over the May Day weekend.
It was hardly a lazy Sunday morning, as the politicians were out in force as early as 7am.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his team mingled with residents at two markets in Kebun Baru, part of Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency (GRC) - which has not been contested since it was formed in 1991.
Over at East Coast GRC, the PAP team - led by Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar - was also out in force at a community event.
One concern raised was the Workers' Party's recent party political broadcast, which called the PAP's upgrading strategy divisive.
Professor Jayakumar said, "If you look at their manifesto for East Coast GRC, what do they say? The first item is upgrading, the second item is self-renewal, and as I've said at the rally yesterday, they've done nothing but try to hijack what the PAP MPs have done in East Coast and elsewhere.
"So they cannot say on the one hand it's divisive, and on the other hand try to hijack our own plans, and say this is what we're going to recycle and present it to you. So it's absurd."
At another walkabout with PAP team mates in Aljunied GRC, Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo spoke out against what Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim said about his negotiations of free trade agreements.
Mr Yeo said, "She said what's so important about FTAs? I was a little startled when I read that. I didn't know how to respond - you know - when our FTAs are fully implemented, it makes a big difference to trade and investment, thousands, tens of thousands of jobs and she said what's so important about FTAs?"
The campaign trail also saw a war of words, with Workers' Party candidate James Gomez in the spotlight.
The 41-year-old admitted on Saturday night that he did not put in an application to the Elections Department for a minority certificate - a document needed if a minority candidate is contesting a GRC.
The issue surfaced after he charged that he did not receive his certificate, claiming he had submitted the application.
But the dust has not settled just yet.
Mr Yeo, whose team faces Mr Gomez's in Aljunied GRC, said such political games could land innocent civil servants in trouble.
Mr Yeo said, "I would like to move on too, but please give us a proper reply. Don't think Singaporeans are such simplistic, gullible people. You go to a supermarket, you take a big item and put it in your shopping bag. Having walked out, you get caught with your hand in the bag, and you say it was an honest mistake. I don't think it's that simple."
Mr Low Thia Khiang, Secretary-General, Workers' Party, said, "I think people do understand and...Singaporeans are intelligent enough and sophisticated enough to look at the thing....I mean the footage, the apologies, my explanation...and decide for themselves. I don't think there is a need for us to jump the gun and to be overzealous about what is going to happen."
In Jalan Besar GRC, the PAP team criticised the Singapore Democratic Alliance's (SDA) plan to help needy residents.
Information, Communications and the Arts Minister Lee Boon Yang said, "I cannot imagine how they can promise the people here they will get international Voluntary Welfare Organisations to come here to help support their social service or their community service - that's what they say they will do.
"When asked how they're going to fund this programme that they have promised to the people, they said 'We'll get international voluntary welfare organisations to support us.' What do you mean? Get Oxfam? Medecins sans Frontieres to come and support the people here in Jalan Besar? I would think it's just a big electioneering slogan, it's just a big hype."
The opposition camp got another blow when Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said Singapore Democratic Alliance's (SDA) Chiam See Tong had been making empty promises.
Mr Goh was out visiting a market in Potong Pasir, a constituency held by Mr Chiam since 1984.
The 71-year-old SDA leader is gunning for his sixth victory and just last week promised lift upgrading for all blocks there.
Mr Goh said, "It is an empty promise. I have looked at the accounts, he does not have the money to upgrade all the lifts. Last year, the budget surplus for residential property (was) in fact negative."
The PAP says if it wins back this constituency, lift upgrading will be completed in this old estate within five years. - CNA/ms/de
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