SDP eyeing Tampines GRC

Singapore Democratic Party is eyeing Tampines GRC in the upcoming General Elections, reported The Straits Times.

"The Straits Times understands that the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has approached the NSP, saying it may be keen to contest in Tampines GRC."

Other than the National Solidarity Party (NSP), the Reform Party and the Workers' Party are also interested in fielding candidates for Tampines GRC.

In the General Election 2006, the GRC was contested by both PAP and Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), which the NSP was part of it then.

NotMySDP understands that the Tampines GRC turf has been worked by NSP and the WP over the years. NSP has fielded candidates in the Tampines GRC, while WP has always been active in the Northeast region. SDP has never contested in the area before.

As to why SDP is jumping on Tampines GRC, the best explanation is:

Asked about the opposition challenge, Tampines GRC MP Ong Kian Min said: ‘They are interested because this is a small and compact space. With their limited resources, it helps when they don’t need to spread out to cover the area.’

What else to expect from opportunistic SDP? Besides selling the party newspapers, visiting prisons, and attending international forums, the SDP has not did their ground work in Tampines.

SDP wants BAN on news reports during GE

Singapore Democratic Party's Chairman, Gandhi Ambalan wants a complete ban on news reports during GE. This was in response to the proposed cooling-off period mooted by the PAP.

A complete ban would mean that Singapore be shut off from external world. Thousands of news network would be disallowed to mention Singapore in their reports. Sounds silly? Wait till you hear more!

Gandhi Ambalan writes, "Direct communication through rallies and groundwork have been opposition's mode of reaching out to voters."

Gandhi should speak for himself or for the SDP instead of speaking on behalf of the opposition. Workers' Party and Singapore Democratic Alliance members does groundwork before GE. When Gandhi Ambalan writes that, it gives a feeling that the SDP had not been doing their ground work. Would a longer campaigning period help? One wonders.

One reader of the SDP website had this comment to make about the SDP:

"SDP repeatedly prides itself on its ability to bypass the ruling party's control of the MSM through its mastery of the alternative media.

Complaining is just a (further) indication that it has run out of imaginative ideas to reach the electorate. More importantly, it should worry about what messages it wants to convey rather than raise hue and cry over the restrictions over the means."