SDP has improved! It's time to support them in elections.
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2010 a defining year for the Democrats 
MONDAY, 27 DECEMBER 2010 Singapore Democrats
It started soberly enough when the secretary-general challenged Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong that Singapore practiced the rule of law after the CJ had defended the system here in a speech to the New York City Bar Association.
The year 2010 will go down in history as the SDP's defining moment, not just because it marked our 30 years in Singapore's politics but it signaled a time of tremendous change for our party - a renaissance of sorts, if we may be so bold.
But rather than just tell you about it, we'll take you through the past twelve months and let you judge for yourselves if you have witnessed a new party emerge ready to assume its rightful place in Singapore's political scene.
As if to undermine its own case, the Judiciary continued to convict SDP leaders for activities like walking down Orchard Road in a protest and for distributing flyers demonstrating our opposition to the Government. Gandhi Ambalam, Chee Soon Juan and Chee Siok Chin served several jail terms throughout the year starting in January.
That same month Dr Chee, speaking in Chinese, delivered the party's Lunar New Year Message. We also saw Young Democrat Muhd Shamin off to the European Parliament for a 3-month internship.
One of the biggest events for the year must surely be our 30th anniversary dinner. Dazzle with the Democrats was one celebration where we poured our heart and soul into and, according to many who were present, one that will go down as a historical benchmark in the annals of Singapore's political opposition.
The magazine everyone's talking about
It didn't end there. We also published a landmarkcommemorative magazine that to this day continue to get glowing feedback. "I never thought the opposition can come up with something so attractive" is the common refrain that we hear.
We continued our Let's Talk series with Mr Michael Fernandez, Mr Ng Yi-Sheng and Dr James Gomez.
Sylvester Lim speaking at the economic forum
In March, we launched our online alternative economic programmeat a public forum where we focused on the minimum wage and how to improve economic productivity.
Our worst fears about Sheng Siong came true. The company had raised the rent of its tenants by 30 percent after it bought over the market over.
We tried to engage Bukit Panjang MP Dr Teo Ho Pin to get him to intervene on behalf of the people but he refused, citing some mumbo-jumbo about the free market.
April was dominated by a series of articles we published documenting Mr Chiam See Tong's departure from the SDP. This was in response to an unprovoked attack by Mrs Lina Chiam who had continued to propagate the untruth that Dr Chee had ousted Mr Chiam from the party. This was the first time that Dr Chee had written extensively about episode to set the record straight once and for all.
Setting the record straight
Dr Chee also invited NUS political scientist Bilveer Singh for a meeting to correct the falsehood published in his book that Dr Chee had usurped Mr Chiam's position in the SDP. Dr Singh avoided returning Dr Chee's numerous emails and calls.
In May, the Singapore Democrats facilitated a meeting of the opposition parties with visiting officials from the Liberal International and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats. We repeated our call for greater opposition coorperation but none of the parties took up the offer.
Chee Soon Juan moderating a forum with speakers from the World Movement for democracy: (from left) Tian Chua, Larry Diamond, Marc Plattner, Ryota Jonen
Throughout the year, we continued our campaign of walkabouts and house visiits at theBukit Panjang SMC and Bishan-Toa Payog GRC. We wrote a letter to the Prime Minister's Office, calling on the Governent to leave Bukit Panjang as a single-seat constituency so that we can contest Dr Teo Ho Pin there.
House visits continued throughout the year
The Young Democrats helped to organise a youth workshop in Singapore with the Young Liberals and emocrats in Asia (YLDA) to train youth leaders in management skils.
In June, the heavens opened up and the rains lashed the PAP's hubris that floods in Singapore are a rare occurence because of the great infrastructure put in place. Each downpour brought new embarassment for the Government as areas all over the isalnd became flooded. The Democrats called for accountability from the Environment Minister.
YDs at the YLDA workshop in Singapore
In July we continued with ourcommunity care service and visited an old folks' home in the Western part of Singapore. That same month, Assistant Secretary-General John Tan attended President Noynoy Aquino's inauguration after his landlside victory in the Philippines' polls.
YD at an old folks' home
That same month, the party found a new home as we moved to a new office to step up preparation for GE. The new premises was organised to help sharpen our organisation for the elections.
Information Minister Lui Tuck Yew inexplicably held up the renewal of our newspaper licence for three months. He relented only when we posted the information on this website.
John Tan, with wife Grace, at President Aquino's inauguration
In August, we published a 3-part series in which we kept on course with our promise to build a party that is Competent. Constructive. Compassionate.
For much of October the Democrats spoke up repeatedly on the incompetence of Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan with his inept handling of the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. The budget was blown out of the water and for which we received almost zero attention from the international community.
Dr Chee Soon Juan continued with the record-breaking video series with his response to PM Lee Hsien Loong's ND Rally speech. He took Mr Lee to task over the Government's immigration policy of indiscriminately letting foreigners into Singapore en masse.
The party continued with its message to warn Singaporeans of the PAP's intention of forcing our population up to 6.5 million.
September was a momentous time for us as we achieved another political first in Singapore by staging our pre-election rally at Hong Lim Park. Mr Vincent Cheng, Dr Vincent Wijeysingha and Mr Tan Kin Lian attracted much attention as speakers.
Members conducting a debriefing following Exercise Lightning Block
The SDP also held a dry run for the general elections.Exercise Lightning Block was held in conjunction with the pre-election rally to test the capability of the party to take on the organisational tests during the elections.
October saw the pasing away of Mrs Kwa Geok Choo. Dr Chee wrote a letter to Mr Lee Kuan Yew that went viral on the Internet. In it, he commiserated with the MM and at the same time called for him to stop his autocratic ways.
That same month Danny the Democracy Bear burst onto the poltical scene and attracted much attention both on the ground as well as in the media.
Danny meets the people at a market
We held a second pre-election rally in November which we called It's About You. The rally demonstrated the strength and depth of the party's organising ability. We alsolaunched our alternative economic plan which we also titled It's About You.
November continued to be a busy month as we announced our intention to contest in the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. We had been working in the area for the past year and had been assessing the situation in the constituency for quite a while.
Dr Vincent Wijeysingha introduced himself with a powerful piece titled I will not be threatened while Dr Chee repeated his calls to the Judiciary to protect the freedoms of speech and assembly of Singaporeans during his appeals in the High Court.
Vincent Wijeysingha speaking at Rally 2
And that, dear friends, sums up 2010 for the Singapore Democrats. We hope it was as thrilling a year for us as it was for you. Our biggest gratification was that we had many people telling us that we had shown what an opposition is capable of. It was an indication that the SDP was not just in opposition but also a party capable of effective administration.
2010 will go down as a defining year for the SDP. To all our friends and supporters, we thank you for your faith in us and your support all these years. Now for 2011...http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4422-2010-a-defining-year-for-the-democrats
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They are runing a very tight ship nowadays. They have attracted also quite some young people. Their website is always buzzing with articles in response to PAP tactics. Some people still don't like chee soon juan but I think he's just passionate about the things he wants to achieve, and I think that sometimes they seemed to move faster in anticipation to events faster than the common people would like but they are more straightforward and cut to the chase more. I hope people can reward their efforts with a seat or two in parliament. We need all the help we can get from unseating the tyrannical PAP from power.
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Workers Party ftw!
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worker's party is virtually non-existent except for hougang. when they lose that smc, see what they do.
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Originally posted by Rock^Star:
worker's party is virtually non-existent except for hougang. when they lose that smc, see what they do.
SDP does not have anything at all not even hougang -
Originally posted by Rock^Star:
worker's party is virtually non-existent except for hougang. when they lose that smc, see what they do.
Well, at least they have HG ward. SDP doesn't even have NCMP. Hard to compare.Anyway, SDP will not be able to win much with CSJ at the helm. He is too much of a social activist rather than a politician.
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Jiayou SDP !!!
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Originally posted by iveco:
Well, at least they have HG ward. SDP doesn't even have NCMP. Hard to compare.Anyway, SDP will not be able to win much with CSJ at the helm. He is too much of a social activist rather than a politician.
SDP has changed its politcial strategy of late.....they realise that these activist campaigns alone cannot win over singaporeans so they shift focus to rice bowl issues. An eg is their alternative economic plan.
They are also trying to beef up their image with a bear mascot. They go around the towns shaking hands with the bear.
Then again, only time will tell how many morem votes they can garner in the next elections. I wish them all the best.
There will come a day when WP will lose hougang. The flats are old and there's only so much upgrading can do.
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Originally posted by Askingyouto:
They are runing a very tight ship nowadays. They have attracted also quite some young people. Their website is always buzzing with articles in response to PAP tactics. Some people still don't like chee soon juan but I think he's just passionate about the things he wants to achieve, and I think that sometimes they seemed to move faster in anticipation to events faster than the common people would like but they are more straightforward and cut to the chase more. I hope people can reward their efforts with a seat or two in parliament. We need all the help we can get from unseating the tyrannical PAP from power.
He is good, he just want more political freedom in spore.Which democratic country catch ppl who protest ?
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The bear thing is just stupid. Looks like a university athletic mascot. People already take them for a joke, so do they need any more clown shows?'
Chiam's SPP also has a mascot which looks like some ant.
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I like Bear Bear.
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Originally posted by Rock^Star:
There will come a day when WP will lose hougang. The flats are old and there's only so much upgrading can do.
My old Bukit Panjang senior yaw shin leong with WP leh. I support him.
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Originally posted by Pure Emptiness:
He is good, he just want more political freedom in spore.Which democratic country catch ppl who protest ?
That is true. People say that opposition politicians cannot bring about change in Singapore, but Chee has. Thanks to him, the constitution was changed after the 2006 elections, even though he it to change in the direct opposite way.
I am talking about the unlawful assembly thing. -
I am speaking up for our working poor TUESDAY, 28 DECEMBER 2010 James Gomez
For me the most important political challenge today is to help Singapore's Working Poor caught in the urban poverty trap.
The different policy ideas enumerated in SDP`s alternative economic programme, It`s About You, address an important area of policy concern - the issue of Singapore's Working Poor.
This is why I joined the SDP.
Singapore's Working Poor are individuals and families who maintain regular and intermittent low paid employment but remain in relative poverty. Essentially, their incomes are insufficient or just meet the basic consumption expenditure needs.
As a guide let us refer to the 2010 3rd quarter household median income of $3,754 published by the Ministry of Manpower. We know many households don’t generate this amount of income and, of those who do, many still struggle to meet their household consumption and expenditure.
This is due to the depressed levels of pay caused by cheap foreign labour and the high living costs associated with an urban environment like Singapore.
Many countries have applied Minimum Wage to combat poverty traps in their systems and, from time to time, they adjust the Minimum Wage levels to match the rise in inflation.
The SDP's and my policy answer is Minimum Wage. Combined with the other recommendations in SDP's economic programme, such as the Singaporeans First Policy, such a measure will help Singapore structure a more equitable and, therefore, sustainable economy.
The combination of a Minimum Wage structure with the Singaporeans First Policy will ensure that Singaporeans are employed first. It will also prevent the local economy from being artificially and overly reliant on cheap foreign labour.
The life of lowly paid foreign workers in Singapore is not easy.
The PAP Government and foreign businesses exploit them by paying them low wages. Foreign workers live in difficult circumstances in high-cost Singapore and among a population which is uneasy with their large numbers.
Unfortunately, the PAP neither believes in Minimum Wage nor the prevention of exploitation of low-wage foreign workers. It is joined by foreign business and their high-income earning foreigners who live and play in Singapore.
Collectively, the PAP and foreign business prefer that the current depressed wages be maintained without any form of fixed Minimum Wage. They hold this view in spite of the reality that such low wages are insufficient for many in Singapore.
The PAP and the high-salaried foreigners and businesses do not think Minimum Wage is the way to go for our workers. Instead they spend time arguing about maximum wage levels for themselves and ask our poorly paid workers to work harder and faster.
This is an unacceptable position. Come this general elections, we need to put a stop to this exploitation of Singapore`s Working Poor and cheap foreign labour.
We need to send a strong signal to the PAP to stop paying themselves millions of dollars from your tax payments and for the elite foreigner workers from benefitting from your low labour costs while they collectively continue to keep YOU poor.
I believe this will be one of the main areas in policy-making for Singapore in years to come and a topic of debate for the next general elections. This is why I am speaking up and standing up for Singapore's Working Poor.
Since the PAP and foreign business will not speak up for this segment of the population, we in the SDP will.http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4462-i-am-speaking-up-for-our-working-poor
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Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:
I am speaking up for our working poor
TUESDAY, 28 DECEMBER 2010James Gomez
For me
the most important political challenge today is to help Singapore's
Working Poor caught in the urban poverty
trap.
The different policy ideas enumerated in SDP`s alternative economic programme, It`s About You, address an important area of policy concern - the issue of Singapore's Working Poor.
This is why I joined the SDP.
Singapore's Working Poor are individuals and families who maintain regular and intermittent low paid employment but remain in relative poverty. Essentially, their incomes are insufficient or just meet the basic consumption expenditure needs.
As a guide let us refer to the 2010 3rd quarter household median income of $3,754 published by the Ministry of Manpower. We know many households don’t generate this amount of income and, of those who do, many still struggle to meet their household consumption and expenditure.
This is due to the depressed levels of pay caused by cheap foreign labour and the high living costs associated with an urban environment like Singapore.
Many countries have applied Minimum Wage to combat poverty traps in their systems and, from time to time, they adjust the Minimum Wage levels to match the rise in inflation.
The SDP's and my policy answer is Minimum Wage. Combined with the other recommendations in SDP's economic programme, such as the Singaporeans First Policy, such a measure will help Singapore structure a more equitable and, therefore, sustainable economy.
The combination of a Minimum Wage structure with the Singaporeans First Policy will ensure that Singaporeans are employed first. It will also prevent the local economy from being artificially and overly reliant on cheap foreign labour.
The life of lowly paid foreign workers in Singapore is not easy.
The PAP Government and foreign businesses exploit them by paying them low wages. Foreign workers live in difficult circumstances in high-cost Singapore and among a population which is uneasy with their large numbers.
Unfortunately, the PAP neither believes in Minimum Wage nor the prevention of exploitation of low-wage foreign workers. It is joined by foreign business and their high-income earning foreigners who live and play in Singapore.
Collectively, the PAP and foreign business prefer that the current depressed wages be maintained without any form of fixed Minimum Wage. They hold this view in spite of the reality that such low wages are insufficient for many in Singapore.
The PAP and the high-salaried foreigners and businesses do not think Minimum Wage is the way to go for our workers. Instead they spend time arguing about maximum wage levels for themselves and ask our poorly paid workers to work harder and faster.
This is an unacceptable position. Come this general elections, we need to put a stop to this exploitation of Singapore`s Working Poor and cheap foreign labour.
We need to send a strong signal to the PAP to stop paying themselves millions of dollars from your tax payments and for the elite foreigner workers from benefitting from your low labour costs while they collectively continue to keep YOU poor.
I believe this will be one of the main areas in policy-making for Singapore in years to come and a topic of debate for the next general elections. This is why I am speaking up and standing up for Singapore's Working Poor.
Since the PAP and foreign business will not speak up for this segment of the population, we in the SDP will.http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4462-i-am-speaking-up-for-our-working-poor
Ei i thought he's from WP??
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Originally posted by Vote PAP OUT to Save SG:
My old Bukit Panjang senior yaw shin leong with WP leh. I support him.
Really ah....so lucky wor...if he's contesting Bukit Panjang sure u will choose him hor..
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It's funny this gomez guy. After the last elections, he just disappeared. Now he comes back and he's with another party. No explanations given. He's like an opportunist. Vote him into parliament, dunno if he got time for constituents since he has interests in sweden and aussie.
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wtf??
the union of the MIW moles??
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even if SDP become more jialat than ever is also good time to vote for them............
even if SDP top people are Kumar or Mark Lee or whichever clown also better than those Vampires in White......
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Originally posted by As romanista2001:
even if SDP become more jialat than ever is also good time to vote for them............
even if SDP top people are Kumar or Mark Lee or whichever clown also better than those Vampires in White......
if SDP boss really is kumar or mark lee i sure support lor.. they sure still better than that Dr Chee bye kia what... -
support any opposition party........................
better to have fools and clowns in power than vampires.......................
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Originally posted by Asromanista2001:
support any opposition party........................
better to have fools and clowns in power than vampires.......................