The Singapore Democrats spent a good part of this morning at the Bukit Panjang constituency to meet with stallholders and residents at the Fajar Market over the situation over the Sheng Siong takeover.
Many of the vendors were clearly upset over the 30 percent increase in their rentals but they were also very nervous about speaking up. Such is the authoritarian system that even as the PAP Government has a boot on the necks, they cannot say or do anything to fight back.
This is precisely why the SDP has been working all these years to empower Singaporeans so that they can stand up for themselves in such situations.
Without the ability to come together to speak freely and openly, Singaporeans are being exploited and taken advantage of by the rich and powerful.
SDP members handed out flyers at Bukit Panjang calling on Dr Teo Ho Pin not to ignore the plight of the stallholders and consumers who are ultimately the ones to bear the burden of the increase of Sheng Siong's rent as the added cost will be passed by the stallholders.
This is why the cost of living increases unnecessarily for Singaporeans. There is no change in demand or supply of the items sold in the market, workers have not become more productive, and there is no upgrade of the facilities at the market.
All that has changed is the ownership of the market and because the new owner wants to make a bigger profit margin. As a result, consumers will now have to pay more for basic necessities.
This is one example of how the GDP grows at the expense of the people.
In the centre of all this is the PAP Government which allows such an unhealthy economic situation to develop. Its push to privatise or corporatise markets that provide cheap and basic services is adding to the cost of living for Singaporeans which is becoming increasingly unaffordable for more and more people.
This must stop and the only way to do this is to support the party that has spoken up on this matter and continues to boldly speak up for Singaporeans.
The SDP's Flyer
The Singapore Democratic Party had warned against Sheng Siong buying over the Fajar Market because rentals would be raised.
Our worst fears have come true as Sheng Siong announced that it is increasing rentals by an incredible 30 percent from April 2010.
The SDP had written to Sheng Siong to ask for a meeting to express our concerns on behalf of the residents. We even asked the HDB to intervene in the matter.
But despite the serious objections, the HDB allowed the sale of the wet markets to go through.
Now that Sheng Siong has raised rentals, many stallholders will be out of a livelihood.
The increased rentals will also mean that costs will be passed on to shoppers who will have to pay substantially more for daily basic foodstuff and other necessities.
Bukit Panjang residents had appealed to their PAP MP, Dr Teo Ho Pin, to put a stop the sale but to no avail.
The incident clearly shows the arrogance of the PAP Government in disregarding the needs of the people as well as the economic survival of the market stallholders.
Now that Sheng Siong has done what the SDP said it would do, what does Dr Teo Ho Pin have to say.
Apparently nothing because to date, the MP has remained conspicuously silent over the matter.
Is the PAP MP burying his head in the sand in the hope that the controversy will just blow away? Doesn't he know that the shocking rental hike of 30 percent is going to affect both stallholders and consumers in a drastic way? Does he even care at all.
The SDP will do our utmost to get Sheng Siong to reverse its decision. We have asked Dr Teo to join us in this endeavour but he has refused.
This is people's livelihoods that we are talking about, it is added hardship for the poor. The MP's unwillingness to speak up and stand up for Bukit Panjang residents is most unfortunate.
The more Dr Teo continues to keep mum about this matter, the more deafening his silence will grow.
For more information on this and other matters affecting you, please visit: http://www.yoursdp.org
Mon 05 Apr 2010 5:28 AM
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orange - SDP the only real opposition party to speak up for
it seems like SDP has had a shift focus from civil obedience to real ground work in the past year, and judging from the numbers, the party has survived the hits and blows that PAP has thrown at it and emerged even stronger than before.
This sheng siong saga is a 100% perfect example of how democracy and freedom (i.e. human rights issues) that the SDP has always championed comes to play in the so called "bread and butter" issues.
They are essentially the co-dependant on each other. Without having the rights to speak up, even for that fear of political representation, eventually S'poreans will be the one to suffer.
It's just a matter of time, in my opinion, that the electorate being steamed in the pressure cooker says enough and an explosion will occur.
Teo Ho Pin has taken a huge gamble by refuse to acknowledge or help the stallholders in need resulting in some of the having to vacate. isn't this guy suppose to take care of the people in his ward?
If I were a Bukit Panjang resident, he will never get a vote from me.
Excuse me; since the incorporation of the present ruling party in Singapore, its strategy on ruling of Singapore has been preying on “human’s most basic instinct” for survival.
The stall holders are at the mercy of the “giant” corporation devouring up all national resources under the guise of market economic and forces purely based on “dubious meritocracy”.
Mind you, only 2 options for the stallholders, first, absorb the cost of exorbitant rental increase and pass the increased cost to the ordinary citizens. With this type of uncanny and ridiculous rental increase, can these small businesses survive as they will have to compete with giant supper-markets likening to NTUC, Giant, Cold Storage, etc!
Second, pack up, crease operation and join the unemployed battalion. Excuse me; Singapore is not a welfare state, unemployed then no food on the table, prepare to starve to death. Want to survive, well, take on any job that comes along and slog through the day till you die to expand the already obscene and gigantic million-dollar package of remuneration for the despicable miw.
If all these are not preying on human’s most basic instinct for survival then, what are human’s most basic instinct for survival?
It's clear as the daylight that SDP is growing in terms of numbers. The photograph here speaks volumes abt the growing strength of SDP.
Compared to the earlier photo with the Fajar Market in the background, the latest picutre is the testimony to a political party on the move, a march forward that resonates with the people of Singapore.
Keep it up, SDP.
Mon 05 Apr 2010 11:45 PM
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NemoAlaska - Work the Ground or the Ground Works You?
I am wondering why Singapore Democrats spent a good part of Sunday morning at the Bukit Panjang constituency only when they think the GE is getting nearer? A day passed is a day closer to the next GE.
Many of the vendors were clearly upset over the 30 percent increase in their rentals but they were also very nervous about speaking up because they knew SDP is not and will not be the correct Party to represent and as an alternaltive to the incumbent.
SDP must provide option on these people's table rather or merely "objection".
I will use my common sense to object any price increase but I must have options and proposals. I do not need few red-shirt-people to tell me to object that on a Sunday morning.
Besides having few people to "talk" to those vendors during the so-called "GE year" (everybody is talking), I do not see what SDP had done for residents staying in BP?
Let's put these simple questions to SDP: -
1. How many blocks of flat you had visited since the last election prior to 31-12-2009?
2. What feedbacks have you received?
3. How did you act on those feedbacks?
4. How many residents in BP did you actually help?
5. How often you meet residents on aforesaid period?
Give me a five and no more and no less!
Tue 06 Apr 2010 7:16 AM
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Robox
NemoAlaska:
The questions you've raised are actually the type of questions that are appropriate for anyone at the "interview stage" of any job. It is correct to pose those questions here.
However, your tone is extremely hostile. And aggressive.
Not only that, I suspect severe inconsistency on your part; I don't believe that you have ever asked the same questions of any other party, all other opposition parties as well as the PAP, whose elected members are never seen throughout the year by those who elected them, as well as those who did not elect them but they are meant to serve anyway.
Your zooming in on the SDP alone for your aggressiveness is suspicious.
You have posed this question to the SDP: "I am wondering why Singapore Democrats spent a good part of Sunday morning at the Bukit Panjang constituency only when they think the GE is getting nearer?"
Did you also ask the RP and the SPP/SDA the same question about their sudden appearance at Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, the same GRC whose grounds that the SDP has been working on for much longer?
If you did, make that as public as you are doing right now with your questions to the SDP.
AND HERE.
Otherwise, I will only conclude that you are just another pathetic pawn of the PAP, whose highly esteemed Lim Hwee Hua recently said:
"...(the Opposition is) in a way trying to work the ground so that they can at the General Election truly say that they've been working the ground unlike the rest of us who have been working the ground... People do expect you to know the ground and to have done things for the people and to be abl...e to demonstrate that you're committed to being there and not just for the General Election itself."
See, this is how internalized oppression works:
1. A member of the oppressor group says something - it can be anything, even the most stupid, uninformed nonsense that they are prone to saying.
2. The stupids in the target group - thats YOU! - who have absolutely no capabilities for scrutinizing that person's words for its validity, will simply absorb those words as gospel truth; you are very exploitable by them.
3. After having believed those words - unanalyzed - to contain the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, you go on to brutalize those whom you perceive to be The Weak by bullying the same untruths at them and demanding, like a thug, answers from them.
NemoAlaska, answer my questions first before you you make demands of others.
Why did Kenneth Jeyaratnam and Chiam See Tong act as they did?
Thu 08 Apr 2010 5:22 PM
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betrayed
Nemo, so fierce one. If you are really interested, just type this 'Bukit Panjang' on the search link. SDP started going to BP since January 2009. I don't think you live in BP as I believe SDP has almost completed sending flyers to every house in BP. Waiting for coverage from MSM? Tan ku ku.
SDP members handed out flyers at Bukit Panjang calling on Dr Teo Ho Pin not to ignore the plight of the stallholders and consumers who are ultimately the ones to bear the burden of the increase of Sheng Siong's rent as the added cost will be passed by the stallholders.
This is one example of how the GDP grows at the expense of the people.
The Singapore Democrats spent a good part of this morning at the Bukit Panjang constituency to meet with stallholders and residents at the Fajar Market over the situation over the Sheng Siong takeover.
Support SDP , buy our 30th Anniversary Magazine here
This sheng siong saga is a 100% perfect example of how democracy and freedom (i.e. human rights issues) that the SDP has always championed comes to play in the so called "bread and butter" issues.
They are essentially the co-dependant on each other. Without having the rights to speak up, even for that fear of political representation, eventually S'poreans will be the one to suffer.
It's just a matter of time, in my opinion, that the electorate being steamed in the pressure cooker says enough and an explosion will occur.
Teo Ho Pin has taken a huge gamble by refuse to acknowledge or help the stallholders in need resulting in some of the having to vacate. isn't this guy suppose to take care of the people in his ward?
If I were a Bukit Panjang resident, he will never get a vote from me.