GE2015: 7 Things Spotted On The Campaign Trail, Sept 6 Edition

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, who is contesting in the PAP team for Holland Bukit Timah GRC, interacting with residents at the Adam Road food centre. ST PHOTO: YEO SAM JO

People's Action Party candidate Dr Koh Poh Koon, 43, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on an elderly man in his 70s who collapsed at a hawker centre on Sunday morning (Sept 6).
His efforts were in vain though, as the man later died at Khoo Teck Puat hospital. In a statement, the hospital said he died at its A & E department at 10am.

Netizen Lee Junior had posted about the incident on Facebook: "Heart-stopping (no pun intended) scene of Dr Koh Poh Koon trying to resuscitate a resident who collapsed due to heart attack at AMK Blk 724 Food Centre, before rescue workers arrived... Please pray for the resident!"

2. Not so friendly rivals

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The Workers' Party Aljunied GRC candidate Chen Show Mao (left) shaking hands with Mr Lim Boon Heng (right) at a food court in Hougang Central on Sept 6. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
The Workers' Party Aljunied GRC candidate Chen Show Mao (left) shaking hands with ESM Goh Chok Tong, at a food court in Hougang Central on Sept 6. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
The Workers' Party Aljunied GRC candidate Chen Show Mao (left) shaking hands with PAP Aljunied GRC candidate, K. Muralidharan Pillai at a food court in Hougang Central on Sept 6. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan was greeting residents having breakfast at Bukit Timah food centre this morning when PAP candidate Vivian Balakrishnan showed up.

Although they were within 5m of each other, the two did not shake hands. Dr Balakrishnan spoke to his own supporters at the food centre entrance, and left without greeting his rival. They are both contesting the four-member Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

The cold shoulder was unlike a couple of other friendly political rivals (PAP's Charles Chong and WP's Lee Li Lian, PAP's Grace Fu and SDP's Jaslyn Go) who shared photos of them posing together on social media on the first day of campaigning.

Dr Balakrishnan did, however, sit down with SDP candidate Paul Tambyah when they met at Adam Road food centre. Dr Tambyah is one of Dr Chee's teammates.

3. Former candidate six months pregnant

Candidate for East Coast GRC in the 2011 general election Glenda Han (centre) is six months' pregnant with a girl. ST PHOTO: KIAN BENG KOR

Workers' Party member Glenda Han, a party candidate for East Coast GRC in 2011, is six months pregnant with a girl.

She is married to a South African orchestra conductor, and their first child Lucien is 16 months old.

Ms Han joined the all-male WP East Coast GRC team for its walkabout at Bedok South this morning.

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WP chief Low Thia Khiang celebrated his 59th birthday yesterday (Sept 5) with two red hard-boiled eggs made by his wife.

She told The Straits Times that the family would usually go out for dinner, and have a birthday cake to mark the occasion.

"But this year, there's no time," she said.

5. Running men

PAP's candidate for Mountbatten Lim Biow Chuan on a walkabout that took him to the markets followed by visits to houses at the Goodman landed housing estate. ST PHOTO: SENG KIM

Taking a leaf out of fellow PAP candidate Tan Chuan-Jin's book, Mr Lim Biow Chuan has also taken to running around private estates to meet more residents.

In a Facebook post, the Mountbatten SMC candidate wrote: "Running around the private estates to visit as many residents as possible. It reminds me of the marathons that I used to participate but this time under scorching heat.

"My inspiration comes from my volunteers who are going through this with me and the appreciative greetings from the residents."

Former Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Inderjit Singh, who is not standing in the coming election, did some running himself as he helped the PAP with campaigning.

He wrote on Facebook: "Had to do a little running this morning to cover as much ground as possible. We did a solid 3 hours at the Thomson Hills estate."

6. Watching a footy match

PAP candidates from Nee Soon GRC (from left) Lee Bee Wah, K. Shanmugam and Louis Ng talking to local football legend Fandi Ahmad at Yishun Junior College. ST PHOTO: IMMANUEL ROSZINI
PAP candidates from Nee Soon GRC (from left) Louis Ng , Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, footballer Fandi Ahmad, K. Shanmugam, Lee Bee Wah and Henry Kwek meeting the students from Fandi's F-17 Academy and the Nee Soon Football and Study Programme at Yishun Junior College. PHOTO: IMMANUEL ROSZINI

Football legends seem to be popping up on the campaign trail.

PAP candidates from Nee Soon GRC and local football legend Fandi Ahmad watched students play a football match at Yishun Junior College today.

The students were from Fandi's F-17 Academy and the Nee Soon Football and Study Programme, which was started last year by the Nee Soon GRC grassroots organisation.

All five Nee Soon candidates attended, including Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam.

Footballer Quah Kim Song, boyfriend of WP's Sylvia Lim, has of course been much mentioned too.

7. CPF plea turned into MV

To drive home his point about CPF, Singapore Democratic Alliance candidate Arthero Lim has made his own music video to the tune of popular Hokkien song "Wa Meng Ti", or I Ask Heaven. The song was the theme of the hit Taiwanese TV series Ai (Love).

In the video, the 60-year-old film-maker wears an expression of woe and wanders around a HDB neighbourhood singing about CPF to the bemusement of uncles playing checkers.

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