4 May 2006

WP says Health Minister Khaw avoiding questions on C Class ward means-testing


Really catchy title. Why not just say, "PAP avoid Means Testing Questions"? Oh yeah 140 out of 167 and its CNA.

SINGAPORE : Workers' Party Chairman Sylvia Lim has accused Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan of avoiding her questions on means-testing for C Class wards.

Ms Lim, who is WP candidate for Aljunied GRC, says he should answer them before polling day on Saturday.

However, Mr Khaw says he will be consulting Singaporeans on the issue before it is introduced in two years' time.

Speaking at a rally on Wednesday, Ms Lim says: "The Minister of Health has announced in Parliament that they intend to introduce means-testing for C Class wards in the next one to two years. In other words after this elections means-testing is going to come to us.

"The Workers' Party has asked him to clarify to Singaporeans how they're going to judge how much money we're going to pay for C Class wards because you should know this before Saturday when you cast your votes. But he has not answered this question. Instead, he says we will consult the people before we implement this.

"My question is what kind of consultation is this going to be? Is this like the consultation they had for the casino? So, the Workers' Party is repeating this question for the third time. Minister, please tell Singaporeans what criteria you're going to use for means-testing before Saturday."

Then the article mentions gomezgate. Tricked into reading an article that cannot decide whether to deal with the 'bread and butter' issues or continue to undermine the PAP in the eyes of the electorate. The CNA is so biased against the PAP. ;)




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was at this particular WP rally at Nee Soon Central. If someone managed to get a shot of the crowd, you will see that it’s déjà vu – easily 60,000 or more people crammed into a field with some spilling onto the street pavements and onto balconies of nearby blocks.

Police, Traffic Police and even two trucks of riot police were at hand to control the crowd and traffic situation. Their services were not needed the night earlier at the PAP rally at the same field, where, from what I saw and estimate, maybe a couple of thousand people trickled in.

The moods were also different. At the PAP rally, you get a contrived, almost-robotic and “staged” sort of performance. I saw two big coaches of PAP supporters pull up at the side of the field and the supporters dutifully made their way to the front of the stage to take their positions as cheerleaders.

At the WP rally, it was a “people’s” rally with streams of people walking from different directions, out of their different lives, walking from Yishun Central and Yishun Avenue 2 to converge and walk on a common path towards the field. The journey was long and the destination a little disconcerting (the field was soggy with mud potholes at some places; I was standing ankle-deep in the muddy water at one point before managing to find a slightly drier patch to stand on) but the people came and they saw the WP. Men egged on their somewhat hesitant wives / girlfriends who were anxious about getting mud on their shoes and feet but the fair maidens took the plunge. On the sidelines, people bought WP souvenirs like little flags, wrist bands and the manifesto books like mementoes for keeps.

After the speeches were made and the WP made their stage exit, there were WP supporters who while making their way out of the field onto the main road broke into spontaneous “Workers’ Party” chants. Strangers joined in the chants, lending their collective voices and in unison their voices grew louder especially when they realized that a cameraman was pointing his equipment at their direction or that a policeman was looking their way.

It was a night of hope, spontaneity and bravado for ordinary citizens and Yishunites who brought the WP festivity out into the people’s streets. At one street corner, traffic came to a virtual stop as people leaving the rally spilled onto the roads, waving their WP flags at passing motorists, many of whom returned with friendly waves and horned in approval. I am one of those Singaporeans who does not know her neighbours beyond the friendly lift smile exchange but on this night, I, a 30-year-old Indian, hi-fived a virtual stranger on the main road waving the WP flag and joined in a mini cheer cum dance at a traffic junction with two Malay housewives and a Chinese aunty, while a traffic policeman tried his best to direct traffic a few steps away. I know the PAP will be returned to power but it feels good that I, at least ‘had a choice’ to participate in an assembly where true people power is felt. Thank you, WP.

Anonymous said...

Frankly, looking at Gomez gives me the creeps. He reminds me of a colleague who can talk his way out of non-performance, pointing to everything else but himself. Why go point finger at the counter staff before doing his own homework?

5 years ago, he should know better to treat the submission seriously instead of letting down the whole team. Now, again he leaves a nagging dent there.