Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing on Thu (Apr 14) refuted allegations that the People’s Association (PA) was involved in political campaigning for the ruling party, saying that the association does not mobilise individuals for any political party.
On Wed in Parliament, Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim had questioned if the association had deviated from its mandate. She had alleged that some quarters of the PA saw its role to include the political advancement of the ruling party. She cited the mobilisation of PA activists to campaign for the People’s Action Party’s candidates during elections as an example.
In his response, Mr Chan, who is also the PA’s deputy chairman, said the Association is an apolitical Organisation that “executes the directions for the Government of the day as per any Statutory Board”.
Chan Chun Sing: 'I will not allow PA to be politicised'
Aljunied MP and Workers' Party Chairman Sylvia Lim raised her concerns about the role of the People's Association (PA) during MCCY's Committee of Supply debate on Wed. Labour chief and Deputy Chairman of PA Chan Chun Sing addressed her concerns in a speech yesterday.
While we understand that the 2015 budget was much larger than usual due to the SG50 activities and building residents' facilities, the 2016 budget is still very high at nearly $900 million.
This is a significant 34% increase from 2014. How is the high expenditure justified?
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PA works for the govt but is non-partisan: Chun Sing
The People's Association (PA) plans to upgrade 24 Community Clubs to cater to the needs of the increasingly sophisticated population but it remains a non-partisan Organization.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing said this in reply to Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC), who questioned the "ever-increasing" budget and asked if the PA had "deviated from its mandate" of fostering social stability.
Ms Lim, the Workers' Party (WP) chairman, said during the debate on the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth's spending plans on Wed that some PA activists may have felt that their role included "advancing the ruling party politically and undermining the work of opposition MPs".
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Association has to cater to more sophisticated population
The People's Association (PA) has to cater to an increasingly sophisticated population, but remains non-partisan, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing on Thu (Apr 14).
Mr Chan, who is the PA's deputy chairman, underscored these roles as he explained the statutory board's budget and mission in response to Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC).
During Wed's debate on the Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth's spending plans, Ms Lim questioned the PA's "every-increasing" budget and wondered whether it had "deviated from its mandate" of fostering social stability.
related: PA works for the govt but is non-partisan: Chun Sing
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People's Association is not partisan: Chan Chun Sing
The People's Association (PA) is a Statutory Board and its participants are average Singaporeans from all walks of life, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing said, refuting claims from Workers's Party MP Sylvia Lim on the PA being partisan.
Mr Chan, who is also the Deputy Chairman of the PA, said the Statutory Board does not check on the political allegiance of the participants of its activities, nor does he or anybody know their voting preferences. "It is not relevant to our work," he said.
The PA's mission is to strengthen the social fabric of the nation, Mr Chan added.
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Merchants’ association’s Chairman is Bukit Batok RC Chairman and PA member
The Association co-organised a carnival yesterday (17 Apr) to benefit about 360 lower-income households in Bukit Batok with Mr Pillai. The carnival organisers gave selected households 30 points which they could use to redeem groceries, free hair-cuts and job-search assistances.
The Chairman of Bukit Batok Merchants’ Association is Mr Ong Gee Hong.
related:
Grassroots leader says collusion between PAP and PA is bad on the ground
Why is Bt Batok Merchants’ Association rallying behind PAP’s candidate?
BBMA throws weight behind PAP’s candidate for Bukit Batok Muralidharan Pillai
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Minister Masagos: PA programmes funding belong to the PAP
In a media interview held at Eunos ward of the Opposition Aljunied GRC, Minister of Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli openly equated taxpayers-backed funding of the People’s Association to that of the ruling party PAP. Minister Masagos also proudly claimed that even though Aljunied GRC residents voted for the Opposition Workers’ Party, they have also been reaping benefits from programmes made possible only by the PAP.
“Aljunied GRC residents have continued to benefit from programmes and services run by the People’s Action Party, despite being under opposition hands. Their focus is to bring services the People’s Association(PA) brings to residents all around Singapore.”
The People’s Association (PA) is a local political community organisation directly under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Although the PA is a statutory board, it’s personnel appointments of PA is appointed only by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and hence Opposition Members of Parliament are the only exception who are disallowed to be PA grassroots adviser. In Singapore, Opposition MPs have no access to tax-funded resources of PA, while the ruling party candidates could freely use the taxes to fund programmes which are in turn proven very useful during election campaigning period
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Andrew Loh Facebook - 11 hours
Well, this from CNA on PAP candidate Murali's outreach activities 2 days ago:
"The event was organised by the People's Action Party's (PAP) Bukit Batok Branch Chairman and by-election candidate Murali Pillai and the Bukit Batok Merchants' Association."Who is the chairman of the Bukit BATOK Merchants' Association?
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Chan Chun Sing shoots his own foot with rebuttal to Sylvia Lim’s claim on PA
Today in Parliament, Deputy Chairman of the People's Association and Minister in the Prime Minister Office, Mr Chan Chun Sing retorted Ms Lim's claim by saying that he has seen participants of PA activities supporting both the incumbent PAP and the Opposition during the General Election.
"When I see my own residents, participants of my PA activities, supporting the Opposition, I can only ask myself: 'How can I work harder to win them over?'" said Mr Chan and added, "The PA is a statutory board. It executes the directions for the Government of the day, as per any statutory board. The PA does not allow any political activity or canvassing on our premises or in our activities. And we certainly do not mobilise anyone for any political party,"
Mr Chan went further to defend the good name of PA, by saying, "If Ms Lim has any such evidence of wrongdoing, you can let me know, and I guarantee you I will follow up. I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised."
related: TOC speaks to a member of the audience at PAP rally
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Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss at 15 April 1:21pm
According to Mr Chan Chun Sing, the People's Association (PA) is not partisan. He even declared: "I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised." But how is the PA is non-partisan when only PAP MPs can be Grassroot Advisers, a non-PAP MPs cannot?
Condominiums (condos) generally do not welcome politicians. But when the politician is a PAP MP, he becomes PA Grassroots Adviser. The PA will organise and help him to access condos. During GE2015, Mr Lim Biow Chuan spoke of his difficulty in getting access into condos:
- "These condos are difficult to get into," said Mr Lim. At the mid-point of the nine-day election campaign on Saturday, Mr Lim said had visited 28 of the 56 blocks of HDB flats in his ward. But he was not able to visit a single condo because the residents' committees frown on political activities in their compounds." (Straits Times, 8 Sep 2015)
To say that the PA is not politicised defies logic, Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss
Referring to what Deputy Chairman of the People’s Association (PA), Chan Chun Sing said:
“The PA is a statutory board. It executes the directions for the Government of the day, as per any statutory board. The PA does not allow any political activity or canvassing on our premises or in our activities. And we certainly do not mobilise anyone for any political party.”Singapore People’s Party (SPP) candidate for Mountbatten at the last General Election, Jeannette-Chong Aruldoss said, “Mr Chan’s words cannot be right. As the MP for Mountbatten Mr Lim Biow Chuan had pointed (at his GE2011 Rally Speech), the logic of voting PAP is that a PAP MP will have “a team of 300 Grassroot Leaders” to help him run the constituency, whereas a non-PAP MP will not have such resources at his disposal.”
Mrs Chong drew references to two Youtube videos of rally speeches by the MP for Mountbatten.
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“Saying the PA is Non-Partisan is Calling a Spade a Bucket”: Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss
JEANNETTE CHONG-ARULDOSS: According to Mr Chan Chun Sing, the People’s Association (PA) is not partisan. He even declared: “I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised.” But how is the PA is non-partisan when only PAP MPs can be Grassroot Advisers, a non-PAP MPs cannot?
Condominiums (condos) generally do not welcome politicians. But when the politician is a PAP MP, he becomes PA Grassroots Adviser. The PA will organise and help him to access condos.
During GE2015, Mr Lim Biow Chuan spoke of his difficulty in getting access into condos:
” ‘These condos are difficult to get into,’ said Mr Lim. At the mid-point of the nine-day election campaign on Saturday, Mr Lim said had visited 28 of the 56 blocks of HDB flats in his ward. But he was not able to visit a single condo because the residents’ committees frown on political activities in their compounds. ” (Straits Times, 8 Sep 2015)read more
The PA is non-partisan? Serious?
YOU can hear the snickering…
So Minister Chan Chun Sing is practically swearing that the People’s Association (PA), where he is the deputy head, is non-partisan. “I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised.” Sure, it’s not an arm of the People’s Action Party (PAP). It’s just a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and executes the orders of the G.
“The PA does not check on the political allegiance of the participants of our activities, nor does anyone know their voting preferences. It is not relevant to our work,” he said.
I was wondering how he would respond to Workers’ Party Sylvia Lim’s question on Wednesday about whether the PA, which did start out as a mobilisation arm of the PAP way back in 1960, had deviated from its original objectives of building social cohesion that “transcends sectional loyalties’’.
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Mr Chan, here’s the proof of grassroots mobilized for political purpose
Well, there appears to be ample proof that PA people were utilized for political purpose. In fact, not only the grassroots activists help to campaign for PAP’s candidates during elections, they also help to campaign for independent candidates too!
Everyone knows that in a 3-cornered fight, it can only benefit the PAP.
Alex Au, a social media commentator was in fact at the nomination centre for Bukit Batok during the GE2015 last year. He was there to act as one of the assentors for an SDP candidate.
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PAP’s Government Whip Becomes Whipping Boy for Grammar Nazis Who Say He has Confirmed the PA’s Partisanship
“This chap is touted as one of the contenders to be the next Singapore PM? You must be joking. He is going to make us a laughing stock on the international stage. I think we better stick with Heng or Tharman.” says Devan J G.
Devan was referring to Maj-Gen Chan Chun Sing, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and PAP whip.
Maj-Gen Chan’s statement, “I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised” has drawn loud guffaws from the public, simply because of his choice of words.
related: 1 Foot Step 2 Boats: Sorry Aljunied, Ah Mu “Never Really Left Bukit Batok”
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Chan Chun Sing asks Sylvia Lim for evidence of wrongdoing by People’s Association
“When I see my own residents, participants of my PA activities, supporting the Opposition, I can only ask myself: ‘How can I work harder to win them over?'” he said. “The PA is a statutory board. It executes the directions for the Government of the day, as per any statutory board. The PA does not allow any political activity or canvassing on our premises or in our activities. And we certainly do not mobilise anyone for any political party,” Mr Chan explained.
“If Ms Lim has any such evidence of wrongdoing, you can let me know, and I guarantee you I will follow up. I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised,” Mr Chan reassured.
related:
“Blur King” Chan Chun Sing doesn’t know PA=PAP
Chan Chun Sing knows – social media gets abuzz with evidence of PA’s partiality
People’s Association is not partisan?
Chan Chun Sing asks Sylvia Lim evidence of wrongdoing by People’s Association
Limits in copying S'pore's experience
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People’s Association is not partisan?
I refer to the article “People’s Association is not partisan: Chan Chun Sing” (Channel NewsAsia, Apr 14).
It states that “The PA is a statutory board. It executes the directions for the Government of the day, as per any statutory board. The PA does not allow any political activity or canvassing on our premises or in our activities. And we certainly do not mobilise anyone for any political party,” Mr Chan reiterated.
“If Ms Lim has any such evidence of wrongdoing, you can let me know, and I guarantee you I will follow up. I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised.”
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Chan Chun Sing: “I will be the Last Person to Ever Allow the PA to be Politicised”
Maj-Gen Chan Chun Sing, who’s also the PAP’s Party Whip and Deputy Chairman of the People’s Association, said in parliament today that:
“If Ms Lim has any such evidence of wrongdoing, you can let me know, and I guarantee you I will follow up. I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised.”He was responding to Workers’ Party Chairman and Aljunied MP Sylvia Lim.
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Minister Chan Chun Sing: PA is not PAP
“The PA was not a partisan organisation and it did not check on the political allegiance of its members and their voting preferences. The latter was not relevant to our work.
I will be last person to ever allow the People’s Association to be politicised.”
To prove his point, Minister Chan Chun Sing even claimed that some of his PA volunteers are Opposition supporters, and challenged anyone to come out with evidence to prove that the grassroots leaders are PAP supporters:
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People’s Association is not partisan, really?
“If Ms Lim has any such evidence of wrongdoing, you can let me know, and I guarantee you I will follow up.
I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised.”
PA is “not partisan”?
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KEECHIU CHAN CLAIMS PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION IS FAIR & NON-POLITICAL, OH REALLY?
It states that "The PA is a statutory board. It executes the directions for the Government of the day, as per any statutory board. The PA does not allow any political activity or canvassing on our premises or in our activities."
And we certainly do not mobilise anyone for any political party,” Mr Chan reiterated.
“If Ms Lim has any such evidence of wrongdoing, you can let me know, and I guarantee you I will follow up. I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised.”
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PA is not partisan – Chan Chun Sing
The PA is a statutory board….The PA does not allow any political activity or any canvassing on our premises or in our activities. And we certainly do not mobilize anyone for any political party….If Ms Lim has any evidence of such wrongdoing. You can let me know and I guarantee you I will follow up. I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicized.’
Chan Chun Sing made this comment in Parliament in reply to Sylvia Lim’s question that the PA is being politicized. And it is expected that he would come under scrutiny and attacks in the social media for saying such a darn truth. Many are questioning him that what he said was blatant lie, actually no one dares to call it a lie, something like they did not believe him. I would only want to caution those who said they did not believe what he said to be a bit careful here. If you said you don’t believe what a person said, you are indirectly calling the person a liar. And one can be sued in court for defamation to a minister.
There is already a legal precedent set in the past in
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Sylvia Lim was wrong! PA never drifted from its original mandate
WP MP Ms Sylvia Lim asked in Parliament if the People’s Association (PA) had drifted from its mandate. Ms Lim said: “An unhealthy culture seems to have developed within some quarters of the PA, who see its role to include advancing the ruling party politically and undermining the work of Opposition MPs”.
Ms Lim also cited an incident when she was seeking information from the MND on plans for private-estate upgrading projects in her ward, Ms Lim said: “The ministry referred me to the CCC. I then wrote several times to the CCC, but it seems that my letters do not even merit a reply.”
Ms Lim’s is of course wrong if she thought that the PA drifted from its original mandate. In stonewalling and undermining the work of Opposition MPs and advancing the ruling politically, the PA is actually fulfilling its mandate – its ORIGINAL mandate as set out by the first of our Founding Fathers, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
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PAP MPs, LKY and the CIA contradict Chan Chun Sing’s arguments about the PA
Never has the job of an Opposition Politician been easier
Minister Chan Chun Sing, in a grandiose Parliamentary speech, argued that the PA was not partisan. He then went on to add that he would be "the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicized." He even challenged Ms Sylvia Lim of the Workers Party, who first raised the issue, to cite evidence of the PA's partisan actions, promising that he would follow up.
At that point of time, the only problem Ms Lim would have had was to decide which examples to cite from the cesspool of incriminatory evidence that lay before her. Even though the Workers Party had their fair share of run-ins with the PA's partisanship, she didn't have to look far to contradict Mr Chan's claims.
In fact, there were 3 sources of information that, when cited, would make Mr Chan to appear either extremely naive, or, like a pathological liar. Out of the three that would expose his arguments to be pure bunkum, 2 came from his own backyard.
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