MM Lee takes on burning questions on polls

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PAP

May 1, 2011

MM Lee takes on burning questions on polls

By Chua Mui Hoong

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew smiles during a press conference while visiting the People's Action Party (PAP) branch at Radin Mas. -- ST PHOTO: WANG HUI FEN

IT BEGAN as a routine visit to the People's Action Party (PAP) branch at Radin Mas to rally activists as they worked the ground with candidate Sam Tan.

It ended as a 35-minute free-for-all press conference with a roomful of journalists where Minister Mentor (MM) Lee Kuan Yew fielded a range of questions riding high on voters' minds.

MM Lee first spoke about the existing efforts the government is making to tackle rising costs, through Workfare for the low-income and the Grow and Share package to share Budget surpluses with all Singaporeans.

On the election, he said he was confident the PAP would win it. There was only one 'hot seat' - Aljunied GRC.

And if that was lost to the Workers' Party (WP), he said the PAP would respect voters' verdicts, but they would have to live with the consequences of their choice.

On complaints that last-minute PAP candidate Chia Shi-Lu became an MP overnight because he was fielded in his Tanjong Pagar GRC which had a walkover, MM Lee said: 'He's not an untested person, we've interviewed him. He's a president's scholar, he scored straight A's.'

He added that the PAP had an active and reserve list of candidates. 'It's done in an orderly and considered manner. It's not last minute just looking for people to be sponsors and sign and turn up late.'

MM Lee also answered questions about Singaporeans' desire for an elected opposition.

Read the full story in The Sunday Times tomorrow.