WP leader Low Thia Khiang has hit back at allegations thrown at him by the PAP, and claims that they are part of a smear campaign to try and discredit him
By Wayne Sim
Staff Writer
Workers’ Party leader Low Thia Khiang has hit back at accusations from his opponents in Aljunied GRC, urging voters not to be distracted by “typical” PAP smear tactics.
Responding to allegations by Lim Hwee Hua that he mismanaged the accounts at the Hougang Town Council, which he chaired prior to the general election, Mr Low said in a that he had always been prudent with the Town Council’s funds, and would not have lasted 20 years as MP if he had been incompetent.
Speaking at a rally in nearby Sengkang, Mr Low said: “We have entered a critical phase in this election. The PAP has shown its hands. They have embarked on a personal attack against me to try to discredit me. I believe they will also make use of the media to mock me. Please be careful of what you read in the newspapers and what you see on TV. Please come and attend our rallies in the next 2 nights and help us to spread the message, and keep checking our web site.”
Responding directly to Mrs Lim’s comments, Mr Low added: “Do you believe that Low Thia Khiang is dishonest? Do you believe that if the account of Hougang Town Council is messy, I can win Hougang for 20 years?”
“If the accounts were messy, why would the Ministry of National Development and the Auditor-General approve it? Minister Lim would have received a copy of Hougang’s report but she has not made any observations until now. What is she trying to do with her irresponsible comments?”
PAP candidate Lim Hwee Hua says that Mr Low has left the accounts of Hougang Town Council "in a mess"
“May I take this chance to remind her that during the Lehman Brothers crisis, due to our prudent handling of funds, Hougang Town Council was one of (the few) that made no losses.”
Regarding the issue of HUDC privatisation, he said: “On 6 April, HDB told the Town Council that they have obtained the required consent for privatisation, but the expected duration to legally privatise the estate is two and a half years. I have called for a report on this issue, Hougang Town Council has given me the correspondence between the Town Council, HDB and the pro-tem committee chairman. It seems like everyone was in the loop except Mrs Lim Hwee Hua.”
He also added that he perceived Mrs Lim’s comments as an attack on his character, and challenged her to report him to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau if she genuinely felt that he had been involved in any wrongdoing. Failing that, he said, Mrs Lim and the PAP should not “hoodwink the voters at this critical time, when the polls are near”.
Mr Low highlighted that the PAP had used similar distraction tactics in the 2006 election, when the spotlight was placed on former Aljunied candidate James Gomez over an incident regarding a misplaced minority form. The incident dominated headlines throughout the campaign period. He said that he would be spending the next two days focusing on the WP’s message of a First World Parliament, and did not want to be distracted by “nonsense allegations”.
Apart from the allegations made by Mrs Lim through the mainstream media, a highly professional video has also mysteriously surfaced on the internet, accusing Mr Low of lacking transparency in his handling of the HUDC matter. Another video was also posted on YouTube earlier in the campaign, accusing Singapore Democratic Party candidate Dr Vincent Wijeysingha of having a “hidden gay agenda” – an issue that was taken up by the PAP’s Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
Separately, George Yeo, the PAP’s team leader for Aljunied GRC, has also attacked Mr Low, accusing him of “using” the voters of Aljunied as “chips in a high-stakes game”. He alleged that Mr Low had “abandoned the people who voted for him in Hougang”, and that he was forcing an “emotional dilemma” on the residents of Aljunied in his bid to win a GRC. Earlier in the campaign, Mr Yeo astonishingly said that the WP was acting “against the spirit of democracy” by fielding all its heavyweight candidates in Aljunied.
The battle for Aljunied is expected to be decided on a razor-thin margin, with a realistic prospect that the PAP could lose a GRC for the first time since the system was devised. Former Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong have thrown their weight behind Mr Yeo, with Mr Lee saying that the residents of Aljunied would have to “repent for five years” if they voted for the WP.
Meanwhile, Mr Goh has said that Mr Yeo is “too important to lose”, and that the PAP did not have a replacement lined up for him if he were to lose his job as Foreign Minister.
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The author is a Staff Writer at The Satay Club. He is a final-year law undergraduate at a reputable university in Australia, and returns to Singapore at least twice a year.
Nani,
LTK had done a good job kicking yr mum Lim Hwee Hua out as well as your nanny Cynthia Phua, the 2 parasites of Aljunied. Judging from their body size cause by heavy consumption of food not knowing where to spend taxpayers money, u must be of the same category judging from the amount of air caused by carbo you had written here. Diet is the way you moved forward coz the income will be lesser since LTK had taught your entire family a lesson!
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This insatiable Lim Hwee Hua riding on in the PM office, transport & finance ministries conveniently tab on all invaluable information in helping and benefit her multi-million businessman husband Andy Lim whom running their billion-worth fund investment and offshore marine businesses (http://www.tembusupartners.com/) (http://www.vikingom.com/index.html), you think she will not adopt whatever smear and unscrupulous tactics in order to secure her ministerial position.
The PAP networks is of pure cronyism web…
Recently we were updated online that incumbent Law Minister & Nee Soon GRC PAP candidate Mr Shanmugam had dumped his 1st chinese wife of many years for a traditional Indian wife in order to meet the party political requirements. And also top demands of his party under MM Lee before he took on the appointment of full Law minister and previous portfolios.
The main reason was to project him as a main core part of the Indian community he was supposed to represent and then be appointed as Law Minister as per PAP career planning in accordance with MM Lee’s requirement.His Chinese wife was a liability for his aspirations as his role have been upgraded as a main champion of the Indian community. This currently required someone to master Tamil well which was a main gap among most Indian PAP ministers has none were conversant in the language as they reflected the growing community which included Indranee and Tharman.
Shanmugam had made the personal trade off which was a party demand to make changes to his personal family life for his career advancement .
This brings to question if this man who resorts to dumping his own wife of many years regardless of her Chinese roots and earlier trust in him to marry him; for his own & party’s political ambitions – what will he do to hold to power at the disadvantage of his own residents next?.
Someone who is willing to destroy his family and dump his wife and agree to various other trade offs for political gains is who
the people of Nee Soon and Singapore would want as their elected MP and Minister.
Please people think, review and scrutinise carefully.
Think carefully on the quality and integrity of the person before you vote.
FYI:His family matters have come to light by his own family members leaking them online in forums and can be scrutinised openly as going viral.
The price of being overly being conceited and arrogant -your own family tells on you.
Ex Young PAP
THE TEMASEK REVIEW is undergoing scheduled maintenance. Whenever I want to go this site. Right here, The Satay Club keeps me connected.
Why MBT can be given 6 months to give report………. and Low TK only allowed 2 months???
LTK is running a town council that serves only Hougang. Mr Mah runs the HDB which serves the whole of Singapore. Singapore is much bigger than Hougang. That’s why he obviously needs more time. Please don’t ask stupid questions.
Lim Hwee Hua and Cynthia Phua should sue TNP and SPH.
If they dont sue TNP and SPH, they are admitting that TNP is reporting the truth. And that means Lim Hwee Hua and Cynthia Phua are not compassionate.
Oops……… PM LHL say TNP and SPH report truth, whole truth, nothing but truth……….. so is Lim Hwee Hua and Cynthia Phua lying????
If Lim Hwee Hua and Cynthia Phua do not lie, that means TNP and SPH is not telling truth………. that means PM LHL is lying (when he say that TNP and SPH reports Truth, Nothing but Truth)!!!!!!!
George Yeo should write in his facebook to ask PAPpigs to boycott TNP.
The PAP seems to have forgotten that one of their Town Councils have also messed up badly before. In 2008 the Holland-Bukit Timah Town Council lost millions of dollars through overseas toxic investments. All those money belongs to the taxpayers of Holland-Bukit Timah. What does the PAP have got to say about that? The PAP have no right to accuse the WP of being irresponsible when they themselves are not responsible with their residents’ money in the first place.
This insatiable Lim Hwee Hua sitting in the PM office, transport and finance ministry, allowing her conveniently tab on invaluable information in assisting her multi-million businessman husband Andy Lim who run his listed company (http://www.vikingom.com/index.html) and equity investment company (http://www.tembusupartners.com/index.html), you think she will not try whatsoever smear tactic to retain her ministerial..
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I am just dreading May 8 because I have a sneaky feeling in my gut that PAP will win Aljunied as a result of this latest smear tactic to cast doubt on Low’s character. This is how PAP always wins even though people genuinely want change.
Low should sue Lim Hwee Hua, period. That would teach her to stop her disgusting smear tactics. PAP will stoop to any depths to win elections.
It is not a personal attack – unless Low considers Hougang Town Councils accounts as his personal accounts? Hmmm…
This brings to mind the saying, “the pot calling the kettle black”. Obviously the Govt has known something about Hougang Town Council for years but kept quiet because they were waiting to use it as ammunition for future use.
Low Thia Khiang can’t be trusted. He can’t even run one ward, how can he manage a whole GRC (with five wards)? He is trying to advance his own selfish hidden agenda. Shanmugam has already exposed him as simply wanting to de-stabilise the government. Singaporeans should not have to pay the price. He is using us as pawns and the stakes are high. What if we lose a capable man like George Yeo? We will all suffer, you and I will suffer, not just Aljunied residents. And all this for what? Just so that Low can achieve his own selfish agenda of forming a government one day? Don’t believe his propaganda.
@Nani : I agree with you that Low cannot be trusted.
However, I must say that I am not pro-PAP when i say the above – I have never been pro-PAP and I am all for change.
I know of people who have had first hand experience at Low’s dishonesty,especially with the use of Town Council funds.
Low needs to come clean, period. Not just with the town council issues but also with regards to his intentions and agenda. Why has he abandoned the people who voted for him in Hougang? Why did he say he just wanted to be a check and balance on the PAP? Does he want WP to form the government and take over the country? He needs to come clean on this very important issue so that voters can decide.
Instead of just spreading vague rumours, can you back up your statements? Give us facts, examples. If not, we will just assume that you are another running dog of the PAP internet brigade. How much did they pay you to do this job? Don’t you have a conscience?
popeye! i know how much he got paid! he has a combined income of 25k (mentioned in the post of http://satayclub.net/2011/05/what-has-he-done-to-deserve-this/)…
Do you guys have a problem with my salary? Why are you using it to flame me? Just because you are getting paid peanuts and at risk of having your job taken away by FTs, don’t come here and attack me with your jealousy please. The only reason why you are not enjoying as much success as me is your mindset. You are a typical Sinkie peasant only knowing how to complain and blame the government when you should instead focus on upgrading yourself and becoming more productive. No wonder MM Lee said that most Singaporeans need spurs in their hides. Instead of working more productively you come here and mock/scorn at those who are more successful than you. Ask yourself if this is the right mindset? With this kind of attitude no wonder the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
no pro..kudos to u for being a high income grp. but please don be a jackass and look down on the low income grp. Just because you earn more and have association to the “high flyers” or MIW or MP or minister and you owe your success partially to them. By Making fun of us, you have just show us wat is wrong with this government and make us more determine to vote them out of office and replace it with a fairer governement,
The oppositions’ job is to challenge the ruling party. If the opposition does not challenge, then what’s the point of having an opposition? Might as well just turn Singapore into a one-party authoritharian regime. Having a strong opposition in Parliament ensures that there are checks and balances. This is to prevent the ruling party from introducing policies that only benefits themselves instead of the people. Having a strong opposition in Parliament also ensures that Ministers who screw up are held accountable.
Low has run Hougang well, it is a clean area good to bring up families. It is a good idea to make open all town council accounts so that a fiasco like the Holland Bukit Timah will not happen again. Thankfully Low is not as clueless on monetary issues compared to Vivian Bala as he is a businessman and Vivian is an eye surgeon from a rich background. Both men have their strengths but most importantly one must retain the ability to listen, reflect and change for the better.
So on the one hand, LHL apologises, but on the other hand, George and Hwee Hua are continuing with their smear campaign?
Hypocrisy at its best…
I have doubts about Lim Hwee Hua’s integrity now after this episode. The PAP’s smear tactics are just making themselves look bad. People are smarter and more discerning now.
Lim Hwee Hua and Cynthia Phua better start sueing TNP and SPH first !!!!
If they dont sue TNP and SPH, they are admitting that TNP is reporting the truth.
If they don’t sue TNP and SPH, they are admitting that both Lim Hwee Hua and Cynthia Phua are uncompassionate towards the mentally-challenged boy.