Here are the best bits from The Straits Times' interview with WP Chairman Sylvia Lim

Kudos to The Straits Times for scoring the scoop.

Jeanette Tan| August 31, 11:55 AM

On this bright Monday morning, we'd like to give kudos to The Straits Times for scoring an exclusive interview with the elusive Workers' Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim!

It's published in three parts, here and here, and also here, but in case you're like us and lazy to wade through the whole thing, we thought we'd share the best bits from it in 60 seconds:

1. Lim said that confronting the town council saga has strengthened the WP.

"These are necessary pains that have to be gone through. If you do not take on the challenge and do your best to overcome it, you will be stuck in a situation where there's only one ruling party that can manage town councils of this scale, and that will set our political development back."

2a. We learned something new: there will not be an AHPE(X)TC, because the law doesn't allow more than three constituencies to combine town councils.

"Assuming Aljunied, Hougang and Punggol East remain with the WP, there is no possibility for us to expand the town council further anyway."

How Singaporeans typically remember Workers' Party's Sylvia Lim. How Singaporeans typically remember Workers' Party's Sylvia Lim.

2b. She said the WP is prepared, however, to run a town council of the same size should the opportunity arise.

(She also announced on Sunday that their latest financial report for the year ending 2015 finds the AHPETC in a surplus.)

3. The lack of information made WP "prioritise issues that would affect residents more directly"

Lim said she was not able to get information about arrears when they took over the town council in 2011. As they had to prioritise issues that affected their residents more directly, the "back office matters" had to wait. Her team also had to catch up on works that the previous PAP team had neglected.

"Of course I'm not saying that financial management is not important. It is important. But it's just to underscore the point that... we had to prioritise certain matters first."

4. How the party has performed as "co-driver" to the government:

Lim would not rate the WP's performance, but said there was at the time (of the term just concluded) at least someone who can register objection to Bills in Parliament.

sylvia-lim-quah-instagram-cropped

5. Will she get married to football legend beau Quah Kim Song?

No plans to tie the knot, she said, because they are happy with the way things are now.

"People do ask us often when we're getting married. But we have discussed this and he's already a grandfather and we're enjoying our relationship as it is now, so we have no plans to get married at this point. We do not know if things will change but, at the moment, we're quite happy with the way things are."

Yet, despite the busy election season, she still sees Quah, who will be her personal chauffeur during the campaign, every day.

6. Is she sad that she probably isn't going to have any children?

"Being a mother is past my age now... I suppose I have missed out on something very special — being a mother. But that was where my life took me so I just have to enjoy my life the way it is."

7. In a rare moment, she opens up about her elderly parents' ill health, in particular her father's dementia and strokes.

"He was always a great supporter of the WP when I joined it 14 years ago and he was so proud when I went on to be sworn in as a Non-Constituency MP in 2006... But in between, before the 2011 General Election, he had two strokes so he was not able to come when I was elected."

She added that she wishes to spend more time with them.

sylvia-lim-rain-rally

8. About leadership renewal: Just as how PM Lee said this election will be where Singapore's next generation of leaders will come from, Lim, too, is watching her new candidates to see who shows greatest potential to be her successor.

"The general election is a big testing ground for us. People will be under stress and how they manage themselves, whether they think of the party's interest before their own, such things are likely to come out during the GE."

A reorganisation in the party's leadership may also happen after the upcoming polls, ST reported her saying.

9. Lim's essential traits in a good WP chairman-successor: taking criticism in one's stride and the willingness to sacrifice personal preferences in the interest of what is best for the party. Will she step up to Low's position?

"It is not my aspiration to be the secretary-general... (however, it is the decision of the cadres and she cannot completely rule out the possibility of stepping up one day.) If we do have any indication of our preferred successor(s), they would note that. But I think they also make up their own minds about who they think should take over."

10. She said she also considers her timeline of chairmanship and stepping down frequently, often discussing the matter with family and loved ones.

"I don't think Mr Low or I want to remain there forever. We talk about renewal, and we're very serious about it... The party has got fresh faces as well as people who we believe can make great contributions and take the party even further than where we are now. So at any time when there are better people to take over from us, we are very happy to step down actually."

Top photo: Screengrab from ST video.

 

If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates.