Workers' Party's Eric Tan quits
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SINGAPORE: With an eye on the next General Election (GE), the Workers' Party's (WP) top leadership made a strategic decision late Thursday night to select a younger member for its second Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat.
Unfortunately, the move prompted veteran central executive committee member and party treasurer Eric Tan to quit.
In an exclusive interview with Today late Thursday night, as he drafted a statement for the media, he said: "I feel betrayed."
The WP is expected to officially announce on Friday which of its candidates will be accepting the NCMP seats.
The WP is entitled to two NCMP seats - one for 46-year-old Yee Jenn Jong, who lost narrowly in the single-seat of Joo Chiat and the other for one of the five members of its East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC) team.
The Thursday night meeting at Hougang Town Council saw the WP's central executive committee vote to hand the second NCMP seat to the party's assistant webmaster, 34-year-old Gerald Giam.
This was the first election the IT consultant, who joined WP in 2009, has contested.
He was part of the team in East Coast GRC which was led by 55-year-old Mr Tan.
Mr Tan, a former banker who is now a private equity fund manager, said: "I am disappointed that Low (Thia Khiang) and part of the CEC have decided to go against the people's wishes, citing party renewal as their reason.
"I too, also believe in the renewal of the party but in an orderly manner, with succession plans.
"But not like this, dropped like a bomb."
Mr Tan added: "I have helped build the East Coast team since 2005 and was the only one remaining after the 2006 election. I fought on and rebuilt the team, helping to gain a solid result for the party," he said.
"I wanted the NCMP post so that I would be able to be the voice of the people." said Mr Tan, who is also the chairman of the party's Eastern Area Committee.
The 45.17 per cent polled by the WP in East Coast GRC has led many to speculate that the WP has set its sight on making the constituency its next major battleground in five years' time.
Mr Tan is also understood to have played a role in attracting corporate lawyer Chen Show Mao and Mr Yee to join the party. It is not known if the opposition party might reconsider its decision on Friday.
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Party ouster? 55 is not very old what. At least 2 more good elections. Wanna renew blood at least wait till next GE.
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Originally posted by QX179R:
Unfortunately, the move prompted veteran central executive committee member and party treasurer Eric Tan to quit.
So much talk from the WP about serving the residents
In-fighting start even before they enter Parliament!
They sack a loyal worker - so much talk about looking after our elderly workers!
Thank You Aljunied for giving us a 1st world parliament!
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Originally posted by Redwhite spore:
So much talk from the WP about serving the residents
In-fighting start even before they enter Parliament!
They sack a loyal worker - so much talk about looking after our elderly workers!
Thank You Aljunied for giving us a 1st world parliament!
Pls also do not forget Marine Parade for giving us Kate Spade parliament! -
Originally posted by Redwhite spore:
So much talk from the WP about serving the residents
In-fighting start even before they enter Parliament!
They sack a loyal worker - so much talk about looking after our elderly workers!
Thank You Aljunied for giving us a 1st world parliament!
This guy is a PR troll and PAP plant. Please ignore him.
He can't win any arguments so he goes round trying to waste our time and brain cells.
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End of the day, every party will serve its own interests first. There was a suggestion to give up one of the NCMP spots to Nicole Seah, that was a dumb suggestion, any opposition party who would give up their NCMP spot to another is equal to the opposition voting for the opposition.
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That is why there is a saying in voting for the lesser devil. hahaha.
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WP has been following the ruling party's strategy of youth politics very closely ...
We can say that the trend is moving towards the uprising youths and fading seniors...its a political life cycle as well as in the corporate world....
if the WP does not engage in wooing the youths of today....in 5 years time..they may lose significant votes in this connection....
it was exactly following the ruling party's strategy of candidates selection with strong credentials that led to the growth of WP into today's most powerful opposition...
that decision is understandable....however, it should be done discreetly with more important advisory/ participative roles for the senior members so that they would not feel "betrayed"
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Well said.
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I can see someone going to reply that the state media is playing it up.
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look at the power of $16,000/mth NCMP seats... before election started, many parties didn't give way because each wanted their best chances at fillinf up the NCMP seats. eventually they did get realistic, and the joker who didn't, lost his deposit. after the election, the same $16,000 seat can create infighting within a party. it's really peanuts to keep the opposition disunited.
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NCMP allowance is 10 times lesser than the regular MP. Which is about 2000 bucks a month, after revision.
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Originally posted by ditzy:
NCMP allowance is 10 times lesser than the regular MP. Which is about 2000 bucks a month, after revision.
oh, wow.
why?
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It's sad when people put personal aspirations above party's CEC decision.
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Originally posted by MooKu:
oh, wow.
why?
Coz you hold absolutely no power, you can't vote, nor will your ideas be taken seriously. If Eunic Olsen made so much from being an NCMP, she no need to endorse jewelry loh.
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I feel this is a bad move. Since Eric Tan did most of the hard work in east coast, he should have been rewarded.
Maybe Low Thia Khiang feared a threat from Eric Tan within the party.
Must see whether Eric Tan would join other opposition parties.
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LOL Eunice Olsen the most notorious NMP. Good for nothing she is.
Came in with such fanfare some more.
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Maybe he'll join the pap, opposition of the opposition.
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Originally posted by ditzy:
Coz you hold absolutely no power, you can't vote, nor will your ideas be taken seriously. If Eunic Olsen made so much from being an NCMP, she no need to endorse jewelry loh.
true, like that people just aim to be NCMP can alr. don't even need to meet resident can get the same pay. back to eric tan, when i was watching the news on tuesday (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1127962/1/.html) and saw him saying it's likely to be him, i felt a bit strange because neither lina chiam or yee jenn jong had said something like that. sekali not him his face put where. as it turns out it really isn 't him. -
Originally posted by sir_peanuts:
true, like that people just aim to be NCMP can alr. don't even need to meet resident can get the same pay. back to eric tan, when i was watching the news on tuesday (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1127962/1/.html) and saw him saying it's likely to be him, i felt a bit strange because neither lina chiam or yee jenn jong had said something like that. sekali not him his face put where. as it turns out it really isn 't him.Did you read my earlier reply? NCMPs don't get 16000 monthly allowance, they only get 2000 bucks.