GE2015: On the ground (Sept 2)
SINGAPORE — With a record 181 candidates vying for 89 seats in Parliament, Singapore has entered what will be its most intensely fought elections ever. Here are updates on what's happening on the ground.
10pm: Rallies end
More rallies will be held tomorrow. Details at our rally schedule page.
7.50pm: PAP rally kicks off
Can't be at the rallies? We will be live streaming today's People's Action Party and The Workers' Party's rallies at this link: http://tdy.sg/1NXmn2D
Minister Chan Chun Sing introduces speakers for tonight, including Tanjong Pagar candidate Ms Joan Pereira, Tanjong Pagar incumbent Ms Indranee Rajah and Radin Mas candidate Mr Sam Tan. Former Senior Minister of State Sidek Saniff will also speak. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is also expected to join the rally. Here are some scenes from the PAP rally at Delta Hockey Pitch. Follow live updates here.
Photos: Wong Pei Ting, Robin Choo
Meanwhile other parties continue with their walkabouts.
7pm: WP rally kicks off
Can't be at the rallies? We will be live streaming today's People's Action Party and The Workers' Party's rallies at this link: http://tdy.sg/1NXmn2D
Here are some scenes from the WP rally at Hougang Central. Follow live updates here.
Photos: Ernest Chua
6pm: Rally preparations
Can''t be at the rallies? We will be live streaming today's People's Action Party and The Workers' Party's rallies at this link: http://tdy.sg/1NXmn2D
Spotted: Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing arrives for the People's Action Party rally. The PAP rally will start at 7.30pm
Photos: Wong Pei Ting/TODAY
The Workers Party has been preparing for its rally tonight. More rally details here.
The crowd is beginning to stream in at Hougang Central ahead of the WP rally.
5pm: NSP manifesto, walkabouts
The National Solidarity Party has released its manifesto on its website. Its slogan is "Singaporeans deserve better". The party said in its manifesto that it wants to push for change in four "critical" areas: "Protection of Singapore jobs", "over-population", "return of CPF personal life savings" and "danger of widening inequality gap".
Singaporeans First (SingFirst) candidates are on a walkabout at Commonwealth, while the Reform Party's West Coast GRC team will be conducting a walkabout at Teban Gardens in the evening.
SingFirst tanjong pagar candidate Melvyn chiu.
SingFirst chief Tan Jee Say greeting a resident at Commonwealth
Photos: Lee Yen Nee
12pm: Destroyed posters, Party Political Broadcast preparations
Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC resident Xu Rong Fu told TODAY he saw several People's Action Party (PAP) posters torn off along Sengkang East Way. The damaged posters, located just outside an SPC petrol kiosk, were replaced by around noon.
The opposition party contesting the GRC, Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), told TODAY that they were not aware of the damaged posters. SDA's Desmond Lim said: "In politics anything can happen. Sometimes actions happen below board as a means to distract parties and the voters. We experienced the same in 2011, so this is not new to me. The key here is to stay focused and keep your eye on the prize."
Photos: TODAY reader Xu Rong Fu
The destroyed posters at Sengkang East were later replaced. Photos: Ray Chua
Photo: Ray Chua
The Singapore Democratic Party held a press conference to address the PAP's Dr Vivian Balakrishnan's claims that their policies would lead to bankruptcy and that they were “copied and pasted” from other countries. SDP chief Chee Soon Juan said the Dr Balakrishnan should “take a look at his own party’s record on such practices”.
Here's a sampling of candidate pamphlets:
Photos: Kelly Ng, Louisa Tang
A People's Action Party vehicle was spotted canvassing for support in a neighbourhood at Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.
The younger generation gets in on the campaign action.
Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang is spotted taking a selfie while on the campaign trail.
Photos: Amanda Lee
While most party candidates held walkabouts, the PAP's Tan Chuan-Jin decided to have a "runabout" instead in Marine Parade GRC.
Parties prepare for their party political broadcasts. The first of two broadcasts will be aired tomorrow. The Reform Party's Kenneth Jeyaretnam and Noraini Yunus were spotted at MediaCorp, while Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong posted a photo on Facebook of him getting ready for the recording.
6.30am: Campaigning starts
Candidates started their campaigning early this morning. Over at Mountbatten MRT station, the Singapore People's Party's Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss started as early as 6.45am to hand out flyers.
Photo: Valerie Koh
The People's Action Party (PAP) team for Bishan-Toa Payoh, led by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen conducted a walkabout near Bishan MRT.
Asked about the PAP’s response after the WP said the Government had u-turned on its policies, Dr Ng said the considerations the Government takes include feedback from the PAP Members of Parliament and that its planning norms are 10 to 15 years ahead. “Whether the opposition MPs' feedback is important for policies, some of it is important but because our PAP MPs are quite vigorous in their views because they have to meet their residents, I would say that we give a lot more weight to our PAP MPs,” said Dr Ng. "So in all the polices that we have seen changed, it really has been the own Govt's thinking over the say 10, 15 years horizon, and our PAP MPs that have made a difference.”
Dr Ng said support on the ground has been “quite good”. “People are coming up saying, "We will support you", more of them are coming up compared to 2011. I just thanked them and said we'll continue to work hard and we'll leave the vote to you,” he said.
The PAP's Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC candidates and their activists having their breakfast at a coffeeshop in Bishan.
National Solidarity Party president Sebastian Teo was at a coffee shop in Tampines talking to residents, while The Workers' Party team was seen conducting their walkabout in Hougang.
Responding to criticism made by People’s Action Party (PAP) leaders yesterday, Workers’ Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang today sought to turn the tables on the PAP, by accusing it of being a “flip-flop” on policies.
Photos: Hon Jing Yi, Amanda Lee
PAP candidates for Sembawang GRC Mr Ong Ye Kung and Mr Khaw Boon Wan were out and about speaking to residents at Woodlands. They also distributed their manifesto.
Speaking to the media, Mr Ong said cost of living was among the issues residents are most concerned about. "Prices are going up - food prices especially, because you drink your coffee everyday, you're reminded (of the rising cost of living),” he said. He cited how the Government is trying to help by building more hawker centres and having social enterprises, as well as offering subsidies.
Said Mr Ong: "Voters know that NSP is contesting this area...So we cannot assume that victory is certain. We have to do our best and encourage voters to continue supporting us. Because every constituency is being contested, so whether or not PAP can form the government... That is not a given.”
The Reform Party team for West Coast GRC was on their walkabout in Clementi. Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam said yesterday's error at the Nomination Centre was a "ridiculous technicality". "We thank (Minister) Iswaran for pointing out (the error), but is the PAP so scared that they have to win through a technicality, and get a walkover?"
Photo: Kelly Ng
Our reporters on the ground will be tweeting the latest happenings. They are on Twitter at: Hon Jing Yi ( @honjingyi), Valerie Koh ( @valeriekohsf), Amanda Lee ( @_leeamanda), Ng Jing Yng ( @jingyngtoday), Siau Ming En ( @mingentoday), Tan Weizhen ( @weizent), Tang Chee Seng ( @tcs0202), Louisa Tang ( @LouisaTODAY).
