'Everyone has the right to express their feelings': WP candidates address four-cornered fight in Tampines GRC, Singapore News
The stage is set for a four-cornered fight in Tampines GRC on May 3, with three opposition parties fielding teams to contest against the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) team.
Three of the Workers' Party (WP) candidates for Tampines GRC - Faisal Manap and newcomers Dr Ong Lue Ping and Jimmy Tan - appeared on The Usual Place, a podcast by The Straits Times, on Friday (April 25) where they discussed a range of topics, including WP's decision to contest in that GRC against three others.
During a rally speech on April 24, People's Power Party (PPP) chief Goh Meng Seng said that WP contesting in Tampines is not a good strategy.
He claimed: "They want to make sure Goh Meng Seng does not go into Parliament." WP candidates respond
The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah kicked off the episode by asking her guests about Goh's comments.
"Everyone has the right to express their feelings and their sentiments so WP has always taken this stand that we have to agree to disagree.
"We have to respect people's views so, to me, Mr Goh Meng Seng has the right to express his sentiments, and we respect that," Faisal said.
Ong echoed Faisal's points before adding: "If that's his [Goh's] views, then so be it."
During his rally, Goh also said WP chief Pritam Singh did not provide a response to residents regarding PAP's walkover in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.
WP was expected to field a team in this constituency.
Tan disagreed with Goh's statement, stating: "I think it's wrong because Pritam did put up a post explaining why the leadership made the decision.
"I think all of us stand by the decision by the leaders."
The issue of opposition vote being diluted in Tampines GRC was also brought up to WP candidates during the podcast.
Tan noted that the WP team had spoken "at length" with Tampines GRC residents on this matter and his advice is clear.
"There are three choices for you. Choose the one that you think can best represent you in Parliament and this will be a mandate that really represents what the people of Tampines want," he said.
When pressed on the topic, Faisal noted that as WP candidates, they need to "answer to [their] conscience".
"We give the people a choice, it's part and parcel of democratic society." Showdown in Tampines
The incumbent Tampines GRC MPs are Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng.
Newcomers David Neo and Charlene Chen completes the team.
In the 2020 General Election, PAP celebrated a win in Tampines GRC with 66.41 per cent of the votes over National Solidarity Party's 33.59 per cent.
For this year's general election, the constituency will have 147,904 voters.
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