Join PSP on Facebook Live tonight at 8pm for a discussion on Singapore's housing policy with panellists Tay Kheng Soon, our very own Alfred Tan, Francis Yuen Kin Pheng, and Jess Chua.
RSVP: https://fb.me/e/3gpLqZpHF
Pre-forum survey: https://forms.gle/QjNLxZvHXX375eb86
RSVP: https://fb.me/e/3gpLqZpHF
Pre-forum survey: https://forms.gle/QjNLxZvHXX375eb86
The SDP would like to wish everyone a Happy Labour Day! It's a day for all of us to take some time off, catch up on precious rest, and know that the hard work we've contributed in various roles and capacities has made a difference - to our loved ones, communities we're a part of, and this place we call home.
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Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all our Muslim friends! The SDP wishes you and your family a wonderful year ahead filled with good health and profound joy. May this season also be one of peace and reconciliation!
SDP Connect
Photo
Bryan Lim Boon Heng
Teams SDP Marsiling - Yew Tee GRC & SDP Sembawang GRC held a joint walkabout this morning to hand out Hari Raya cookies & wish mothers a Happy Mother’s Day.
Half of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leadership (Surayah Akbar SDP, Jufri Salim - جفري سالم, Min Cheong-Subramaniam, Naresh Subramaniam, Tan Matthew, Francis Yong & myself), cadres & Young Democrats were present to greet patrons & business owners- both young & old.
I also happened to bump into a former colleague of mine & her family. It was great to catch up with her again after I chanced upon her doorstep during one of our earlier house visits.
I had fun chatting with this Malay uncle who happens to support the English football club which I do. We spoke about the terrible result yesterday & what needs to be done for the new season.
Looking forward to our next outreach activity to meet & connect with more residents.
---
Read the post here: https://www.facebook.com/100057876018471/posts/429083555697508/
Teams SDP Marsiling - Yew Tee GRC & SDP Sembawang GRC held a joint walkabout this morning to hand out Hari Raya cookies & wish mothers a Happy Mother’s Day.
Half of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leadership (Surayah Akbar SDP, Jufri Salim - جفري سالم, Min Cheong-Subramaniam, Naresh Subramaniam, Tan Matthew, Francis Yong & myself), cadres & Young Democrats were present to greet patrons & business owners- both young & old.
I also happened to bump into a former colleague of mine & her family. It was great to catch up with her again after I chanced upon her doorstep during one of our earlier house visits.
I had fun chatting with this Malay uncle who happens to support the English football club which I do. We spoke about the terrible result yesterday & what needs to be done for the new season.
Looking forward to our next outreach activity to meet & connect with more residents.
---
Read the post here: https://www.facebook.com/100057876018471/posts/429083555697508/
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SDP to Appeal Latest High Court Judgment on POFMA
High Court Justice Woo Bih Li has dismissed the Singapore Democratic Party’s application to cancel the Government’s Correction Direction over the statement it made about the People’s Action Party (PAP) not having ruled out a population size of 10 million in Singapore.
The matter initially arose from a comment put forth by Dr Chee Soon Juan, the party’s Secretary-General, in a televised debate during GE2020. He had said that the PAP was “toying with the idea” of having a population of 10 million.
The word “toying” denotes the consideration of an idea, especially in a casual manner. This is far from an assertion that the government was “aiming”, “targeting” or “planning” for a population of 10 million.
In his judgment, Justice Woo referenced the SDP’s argument which cited a statement made by Housing and Development Board (HDB) CEO Dr Cheong Koon Hean in a 2018 lecture entitled “Anticipating Our Urban Future – Trends, Threats and Transformation”.
During that lecture, Dr Cheong had stated that “Building flexibility into our plans also requires us to develop plans which can accommodate a larger population. Dr Liu Thai Ker has advocated planning for a projected population of 10 million. His view has generated debate. No doubt, there will continue to be much discussion on what might be an appropriate population size for Singapore.”
The judge also referred to the SDP's citation of former foreign minister George Yeo’s statement, “If you plan for more and we don’t reach that number, then Singapore will be very spacious.” Mr Yeo made these remarks during a discussion together with Dr Liu in January 2022. The corollary to Mr Yeo’s statement is as such - if we had planned for more [people] and attained that number, Singapore would have successfully anticipated a bigger population.
Taken into context what Dr Cheong, and in particular, Dr Liu and Mr Yeo have additionally expressed publicly, the idea of a population size of 10 million – having been discussed among former and current senior government officials - cannot be dismissed out-of-hand.
Hence, the phrase “the government was ‘toying with the idea’ of 10 million people”, is a reasonably-formed opinion, and is a statement that the Government has not issued a POFMA against.
While we respect the decision of the Judge, it is our opinion that the statement made in our post on HDB CEO Dr Cheong Koon Hean’s lecture also should not be construed as a statement falsely and deliberately made without any basis.
The SDP will seek leave to appeal Justice Woo’s ruling.
High Court Justice Woo Bih Li has dismissed the Singapore Democratic Party’s application to cancel the Government’s Correction Direction over the statement it made about the People’s Action Party (PAP) not having ruled out a population size of 10 million in Singapore.
The matter initially arose from a comment put forth by Dr Chee Soon Juan, the party’s Secretary-General, in a televised debate during GE2020. He had said that the PAP was “toying with the idea” of having a population of 10 million.
The word “toying” denotes the consideration of an idea, especially in a casual manner. This is far from an assertion that the government was “aiming”, “targeting” or “planning” for a population of 10 million.
In his judgment, Justice Woo referenced the SDP’s argument which cited a statement made by Housing and Development Board (HDB) CEO Dr Cheong Koon Hean in a 2018 lecture entitled “Anticipating Our Urban Future – Trends, Threats and Transformation”.
During that lecture, Dr Cheong had stated that “Building flexibility into our plans also requires us to develop plans which can accommodate a larger population. Dr Liu Thai Ker has advocated planning for a projected population of 10 million. His view has generated debate. No doubt, there will continue to be much discussion on what might be an appropriate population size for Singapore.”
The judge also referred to the SDP's citation of former foreign minister George Yeo’s statement, “If you plan for more and we don’t reach that number, then Singapore will be very spacious.” Mr Yeo made these remarks during a discussion together with Dr Liu in January 2022. The corollary to Mr Yeo’s statement is as such - if we had planned for more [people] and attained that number, Singapore would have successfully anticipated a bigger population.
Taken into context what Dr Cheong, and in particular, Dr Liu and Mr Yeo have additionally expressed publicly, the idea of a population size of 10 million – having been discussed among former and current senior government officials - cannot be dismissed out-of-hand.
Hence, the phrase “the government was ‘toying with the idea’ of 10 million people”, is a reasonably-formed opinion, and is a statement that the Government has not issued a POFMA against.
While we respect the decision of the Judge, it is our opinion that the statement made in our post on HDB CEO Dr Cheong Koon Hean’s lecture also should not be construed as a statement falsely and deliberately made without any basis.
The SDP will seek leave to appeal Justice Woo’s ruling.
SDP Connect
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Surayah Akbar
We were at Choa Chu Kang Street 52 within Limbang ward last night to visit the residents of 3 blocks of flats in the vicinity.
"It was good to see SDP again!". That was what Mr and Mrs Hamid said to us when we came over to say hello. Although they had guests over for the Hari Raya festive, they still took time to engage in conversation and even took photo with us.
Many residents were supportive and there were also families who opened their doors for us. One such family was Mr and Mrs Farizam. The young couple offered us refreshments and were pleased to see us. I was more excited seeing their cute 6-month old baby! How I missed those times when my children were of that age.
Talking about children, we visited a unit and were greeted by a mother along with her 10 year old daughter and 8 year old son. The two children were very articulated and friendly. The daughter shared with me that she usually score well for all her subjects but at times, with her teary eyes, she is worried if she doesn't. As a parent myself, I told her to not worry about not scoring straight A’s because what's important is that she gave her best and she tried every question. She also shared about how her friends in school said that she was a little big for her age and it kind of affected her. So I took out my phone and showed her my family photo when my kids were much younger to tell her that my daughter was also kind of big and tall for her age in primary school. I then proceeded to show her a recent picture of my daughter. She smiled and said how pretty my daughter is. I reminded her again to not be affected by her friends and to stay cheerful and confident. She is beautiful now and that is how she will be in the future.
Thank you so much to the team from Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) SDP Marsiling - Yew Tee GRC Abdul Salim Harun, Chia Bobby, Daniel De Costa, Gene and Shaban! ❤️
---
Read the post here: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=386443090162312&id=100063898729312
We were at Choa Chu Kang Street 52 within Limbang ward last night to visit the residents of 3 blocks of flats in the vicinity.
"It was good to see SDP again!". That was what Mr and Mrs Hamid said to us when we came over to say hello. Although they had guests over for the Hari Raya festive, they still took time to engage in conversation and even took photo with us.
Many residents were supportive and there were also families who opened their doors for us. One such family was Mr and Mrs Farizam. The young couple offered us refreshments and were pleased to see us. I was more excited seeing their cute 6-month old baby! How I missed those times when my children were of that age.
Talking about children, we visited a unit and were greeted by a mother along with her 10 year old daughter and 8 year old son. The two children were very articulated and friendly. The daughter shared with me that she usually score well for all her subjects but at times, with her teary eyes, she is worried if she doesn't. As a parent myself, I told her to not worry about not scoring straight A’s because what's important is that she gave her best and she tried every question. She also shared about how her friends in school said that she was a little big for her age and it kind of affected her. So I took out my phone and showed her my family photo when my kids were much younger to tell her that my daughter was also kind of big and tall for her age in primary school. I then proceeded to show her a recent picture of my daughter. She smiled and said how pretty my daughter is. I reminded her again to not be affected by her friends and to stay cheerful and confident. She is beautiful now and that is how she will be in the future.
Thank you so much to the team from Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) SDP Marsiling - Yew Tee GRC Abdul Salim Harun, Chia Bobby, Daniel De Costa, Gene and Shaban! ❤️
---
Read the post here: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=386443090162312&id=100063898729312
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SDP Connect
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Bryan Lim Boon Heng
Our team visited SDP Marsiling - Yew Tee GRC residents who would have to relocate in 6 years’ time under the HDB’s Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS).
I shared with the residents that I hold a neutral perspective on this issue but my immediate concerns when I first heard the news were their feelings & emotional attachment to the area.
A few residents told me that they broke down in tears when they heard the sudden announcement & within 2 hours, HDB officers were at their doorsteps confirming the government’s decision. Congratulatory calls from relatives & friends had actually rubbed more salt in their wounds.
Some expressed their concerns over the adequacy of compensation by the authorities as they had already spent hefty sums sprucing up their homes in recent years. They had done so because they felt that this was the most ideal abode to spend their last years before they pass on.
Others were unhappy with the relocation site which they would be given priority to- citing the size & the westwards facing direction of their new flats. A few were sad that the “gotong royong” or the community spirit that they had built over the decades would be hard to replicate at the new site.
Realistically speaking, there was nothing much I could do except offer my listening ears- if that was ever good enough. While this seems as a financial windfall for most of the residents, we must recognize that not all souls can be monetarily nursed.
Read the post here: https://www.facebook.com/100057876018471/posts/445361634069700/
Our team visited SDP Marsiling - Yew Tee GRC residents who would have to relocate in 6 years’ time under the HDB’s Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS).
I shared with the residents that I hold a neutral perspective on this issue but my immediate concerns when I first heard the news were their feelings & emotional attachment to the area.
A few residents told me that they broke down in tears when they heard the sudden announcement & within 2 hours, HDB officers were at their doorsteps confirming the government’s decision. Congratulatory calls from relatives & friends had actually rubbed more salt in their wounds.
Some expressed their concerns over the adequacy of compensation by the authorities as they had already spent hefty sums sprucing up their homes in recent years. They had done so because they felt that this was the most ideal abode to spend their last years before they pass on.
Others were unhappy with the relocation site which they would be given priority to- citing the size & the westwards facing direction of their new flats. A few were sad that the “gotong royong” or the community spirit that they had built over the decades would be hard to replicate at the new site.
Realistically speaking, there was nothing much I could do except offer my listening ears- if that was ever good enough. While this seems as a financial windfall for most of the residents, we must recognize that not all souls can be monetarily nursed.
Read the post here: https://www.facebook.com/100057876018471/posts/445361634069700/
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SDP's Weekly Round-up
6-12 June 2022
♦️Team MYT's visit to Choa Chu Kang North 6 in Limbang
Bryan Lim - https://www.facebook.com/BryanLimBH/posts/450358290236701
Surayah Akbar - https://www.facebook.com/surayahakbarsdp/posts/404957058310915
♦️ @sgyoungdemocrats on TikTok: Hitting up Marsiling Mall!
Check the video out here - https://bit.ly/3ttJPQ7
♦️ Chee Soon Juan: Spotlight on young pianist Kang Jaeyong - https://www.facebook.com/cheesoonjuan/videos/421663983159915
6-12 June 2022
♦️Team MYT's visit to Choa Chu Kang North 6 in Limbang
Bryan Lim - https://www.facebook.com/BryanLimBH/posts/450358290236701
Surayah Akbar - https://www.facebook.com/surayahakbarsdp/posts/404957058310915
♦️ @sgyoungdemocrats on TikTok: Hitting up Marsiling Mall!
Check the video out here - https://bit.ly/3ttJPQ7
♦️ Chee Soon Juan: Spotlight on young pianist Kang Jaeyong - https://www.facebook.com/cheesoonjuan/videos/421663983159915
SDP Connect
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SDP's Weekly Round-up
13-19 June 2022
♦️ Bryan Lim's uplifting note, and heartfelt Father's Day tribute:
▪️https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=452852706653926&id=100057876018471
▪️ https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=456059226333274&id=100057876018471
♦️ Team MYT engaged with residents affected by the SERS scheme:
Surayah Akbar - https://www.facebook.com/surayahakbarsdp/posts/409731874500100
Bryan Lim - https://www.facebook.com/BryanLimBH/posts/454686009803929
♦️ Dr Paul Tambyah visited residents in Bukit Panjang and listened to their concerns on the cost of living: https://www.facebook.com/PaulTambyah/posts/pfbid0b24hZwroyawUrnHZGSNRcBg1Ypm1p6LaEj72SuaGfo6Uef9yZzjUEWPUoRXw7Yhel
♦️ Dr Chee Soon Juan announces "Conversations at Orange & Teal" and its inaugural event on 26 June: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=555883532574589&id=100044588402324
♦️ Min Cheong-Subramaniam's candid account of pregnancy loss and the importance of being open: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=457203979550578&id=100057829399460
♦️ Dr James Gomez's hot take on co-opening Asia Centre's conference on Asia-EU Relations: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10160435380328832&id=786148831
♦️ Surayah Akbar and Jufri Salim's Orange & Teal pitstop: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=409164267890194&id=100063898729312
♦️ Father's Day Greetings:
Alfred Tan - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=471778978087813&id=100057671456017
Matthew Tan - https://www.facebook.com/100067132236832/posts/351318607115878/
♦️ A sassy Young Democrats' commentary on the chicken shortage, featuring Dr James Gomez: https://bit.ly/3zL5d7q
13-19 June 2022
♦️ Bryan Lim's uplifting note, and heartfelt Father's Day tribute:
▪️https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=452852706653926&id=100057876018471
▪️ https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=456059226333274&id=100057876018471
♦️ Team MYT engaged with residents affected by the SERS scheme:
Surayah Akbar - https://www.facebook.com/surayahakbarsdp/posts/409731874500100
Bryan Lim - https://www.facebook.com/BryanLimBH/posts/454686009803929
♦️ Dr Paul Tambyah visited residents in Bukit Panjang and listened to their concerns on the cost of living: https://www.facebook.com/PaulTambyah/posts/pfbid0b24hZwroyawUrnHZGSNRcBg1Ypm1p6LaEj72SuaGfo6Uef9yZzjUEWPUoRXw7Yhel
♦️ Dr Chee Soon Juan announces "Conversations at Orange & Teal" and its inaugural event on 26 June: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=555883532574589&id=100044588402324
♦️ Min Cheong-Subramaniam's candid account of pregnancy loss and the importance of being open: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=457203979550578&id=100057829399460
♦️ Dr James Gomez's hot take on co-opening Asia Centre's conference on Asia-EU Relations: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10160435380328832&id=786148831
♦️ Surayah Akbar and Jufri Salim's Orange & Teal pitstop: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=409164267890194&id=100063898729312
♦️ Father's Day Greetings:
Alfred Tan - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=471778978087813&id=100057671456017
Matthew Tan - https://www.facebook.com/100067132236832/posts/351318607115878/
♦️ A sassy Young Democrats' commentary on the chicken shortage, featuring Dr James Gomez: https://bit.ly/3zL5d7q
SDP's Weekly Round-up
20-26 June 2022
♦️ Team MYT visited residents on Thursday and Sunday
Bryan Lim - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=459045106034686&id=100057876018471
Abdul Salim Harun (Ground Ops Team Captain) - https://www.facebook.com/652629701/posts/10159435790864702/
♦️ Dr James Gomez introduces Asia Centre's new research hub - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=449611770321502&id=100058180475020
20-26 June 2022
♦️ Team MYT visited residents on Thursday and Sunday
Bryan Lim - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=459045106034686&id=100057876018471
Abdul Salim Harun (Ground Ops Team Captain) - https://www.facebook.com/652629701/posts/10159435790864702/
♦️ Dr James Gomez introduces Asia Centre's new research hub - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=449611770321502&id=100058180475020
SDP's Weekly Round-up
27 June - 3 July
♦️ Dr Paul Tambyah celebrated SAF Day with friends and fellow Singaporeans at SAFTI - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=560316809086437&id=100053243686031
♦️ Team MYT, led by Ground Ops Team Captain Abdul Salim Harun, visited homes in Block 632 of Choa Chu Kang North 6 - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159443534744702&id=652629701
♦️ Vice Chairman Bryan Lim will be representing SDP at a PSP forum event on Holistic Education come 8 June - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=464293195509877&id=100057876018471
♦️ CEC Member Matthew Tan represented the party at Liberal International's 75th Anniversary Congress in Sofia, Bulgaria. Find out what transpired via his page - https://www.facebook.com/MTan.Sdp
27 June - 3 July
♦️ Dr Paul Tambyah celebrated SAF Day with friends and fellow Singaporeans at SAFTI - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=560316809086437&id=100053243686031
♦️ Team MYT, led by Ground Ops Team Captain Abdul Salim Harun, visited homes in Block 632 of Choa Chu Kang North 6 - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159443534744702&id=652629701
♦️ Vice Chairman Bryan Lim will be representing SDP at a PSP forum event on Holistic Education come 8 June - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=464293195509877&id=100057876018471
♦️ CEC Member Matthew Tan represented the party at Liberal International's 75th Anniversary Congress in Sofia, Bulgaria. Find out what transpired via his page - https://www.facebook.com/MTan.Sdp
SDP's Weekly Round-up
4 - 10 July
♦️ Team MYT's visit to Blk 784 Choa Chu Kang Drive
Surayah Akbar - https://www.facebook.com/100063898729312/posts/424055749734379/
♦️ Dr Paul Tambyah with residents in Bukit Panjang - https://www.facebook.com/100053243686031/posts/562680825516702/
♦️ Vice Chairman Bryan Lim's participation in a PSP forum event on Holistic Education on 8 June
Bryan Lim - https://www.facebook.com/100057876018471/posts/469205831685280/
Naresh Subramaniam - https://www.facebook.com/100067623092943/posts/366467488950685/
Min Cheong-Subramaniam - https://www.facebook.com/100057829399460/posts/470577374879905/
♦️ Dr Chee Soon Juan shared his thoughts on Singapore's education system after attending his daughter's graduation ceremony at NUS - https://www.facebook.com/100044588402324/posts/572519314244344/
♦️ Min Cheong-Subramaniam's experience moderating a panel discussion at Orange & Teal on the topic of censorship and its impact on society - https://www.facebook.com/100057829399460/posts/469165705021072/
♦️ Jufri Salim's educational primer on Eid Al-Adha as part of his festive message - https://www.facebook.com/100063988726300/posts/412151900927764/
4 - 10 July
♦️ Team MYT's visit to Blk 784 Choa Chu Kang Drive
Surayah Akbar - https://www.facebook.com/100063898729312/posts/424055749734379/
♦️ Dr Paul Tambyah with residents in Bukit Panjang - https://www.facebook.com/100053243686031/posts/562680825516702/
♦️ Vice Chairman Bryan Lim's participation in a PSP forum event on Holistic Education on 8 June
Bryan Lim - https://www.facebook.com/100057876018471/posts/469205831685280/
Naresh Subramaniam - https://www.facebook.com/100067623092943/posts/366467488950685/
Min Cheong-Subramaniam - https://www.facebook.com/100057829399460/posts/470577374879905/
♦️ Dr Chee Soon Juan shared his thoughts on Singapore's education system after attending his daughter's graduation ceremony at NUS - https://www.facebook.com/100044588402324/posts/572519314244344/
♦️ Min Cheong-Subramaniam's experience moderating a panel discussion at Orange & Teal on the topic of censorship and its impact on society - https://www.facebook.com/100057829399460/posts/469165705021072/
♦️ Jufri Salim's educational primer on Eid Al-Adha as part of his festive message - https://www.facebook.com/100063988726300/posts/412151900927764/
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The AFF Mitsubishi Cup 2022 is just around the corner! Join us in cheering our national team on as they play their hearts out for Singapore. All the best, Lions! ⚽🔥
PS. Can you spot the SDP's next big TikToker? (Hint: it's all in the tags)
PS. Can you spot the SDP's next big TikToker? (Hint: it's all in the tags)
The SDP is proud to announce the inaugural session in our Speak Up for Singapore forum series!
This instalment focuses on issues pertaining to public housing in Singapore, and how our housing policy aims to address these quandaries.
To register, visit: https://forms.gle/7YAuff8EwTxeF4rm7
This instalment focuses on issues pertaining to public housing in Singapore, and how our housing policy aims to address these quandaries.
To register, visit: https://forms.gle/7YAuff8EwTxeF4rm7