Pritam Singh, Secretary-General of the Workers' Party (WP), has some strong words for the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) about the role that grassroots organisations play in opposition-held constituencies.

He put up a post on Oct. 15 with photos of a Barrier-Free-Access ramp in his estate, which will be open at Block 108 Bedok Reservoir Road on Oct. 16, 2019.

However, the suggestion for the ramp was apparently first raised in 2012 -- ultimately taking seven years to go from conception to construction to implementation.

Losing PAP candidates are made Grassroots Advisers

Pritam said the ramp had been a "long time coming", and it was handed over from the People's Association (PA) to the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) earlier on Oct. 15.

The remarks come a few days after Pritam, along with fellow MPs Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim, were found liable for damages in the AHTC case.

Pritam wrote:

"Each year, the Government makes available about $40m to all Town Councils for community improvement upgrading projects. But all MPs must go through their Grassroots Advisers to raise projects for consideration. In opposition wards like Aljunied and Hougang, the losing PAP candidates are the Grassroots Advisers.

Through such upgrading projects, losing PAP candidates are made relevant for residents and can be said to campaign for votes well before the General Elections because they are embedded as leaders in various grassroots organisations that approve the dispensation of large sums of taxpayer dollars."

He then referred to a 2015 rally speech of his where he discussed what he deemed "political double standards" on the PAP's part.

Back then, he called on the PA to come under the "President of Singapore instead of the Prime Minister".

How can such politics not be divisive?

Pritam added that as the next General Election draws nearer, "various 4G leaders" spoke of the dangers of dysfunctional politics and a polarised society, while calling for an inclusive society.

However, Pritam said:

"But would the 4G leaders dare consider that the PAP’s divisive approach to politics may be the elephant in the room that will make Singapore a politically polarised society?"

He mentioned former prime minister and current Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who was in charge of running the 1981 Anson by-election campaign for PAP.

The PAP candidate Pang Kim Hin lost the 1981 by-election to WP's JB Jeyaretnam, becoming the first PAP losing candidate since 1965.

Pritam said that Goh and his "young team" wanted to transfer the Anson Community Centre and control of the grassroots organisations to Jeyaretnam, "to be fair".

However, their "natural instincts" were "overruled."

Pritam also contended that proposals made by opposition MPs are "commonly ignored" by the PA, and said that Singapore and Singaporeans deserve better, no matter who is in government.

You can see the post below:

"Accept it and shake his hand"

In his biography Tall Order, Goh elaborated on the 1981 incident that Pritam referenced.

Goh's book wrote about the events following the by-election:

"We called a meeting of all MPs and the question was: What do we do now in Anson? Do we continue to run the community centre (CC) in Anson or do we pass it on to JBJ? I felt that we should pass on the CC to JBJ. And many of the young ones felt so. I thought we should be fair -- he had won, so pass on everything to him.

The CC was part of Anson and we should pass it on. British parliamentary rules -- accept it and shake his hand. Write him a congratulatory letter and so on. That was the thinking of the younger ones, the MPs."

However, Lee Kuan Yew intervened.

He asked the "older ones", who told him not to pass it on, to keep it as it was their base.

They also felt that if it was passed on, Jeyaretnam would be "entrenched" and the PAP "would never win Anson back again".

The justification for keeping the CC with the government

Goh also explained the justification for keeping control of the CC in the hands of the ruling party:

"This is part of government facility. CC is part of the government -- you do not pass on part of the government to the other side. We young naive ones thought the CC was part of the constituency's institutions and we had to pass it on. The older ones said, no."

However, Goh also said that the PAP was "fair". Anyone could use the RC and CC to promote government policies and progress.

But they could not be used for party politics.

Goh also said there was a "code of fair conduct".

For example, they could not wear all-white and visit a CC.

The PA enforced such rules, much to their "inconvenience and unhappiness".

Goh added:

"We were justified that the CC cannot be given to JBJ because it was part of the government. Therefore, it should not be given to the PAP too -- you could not. It must be even-handed."

Mothership has contacted the PA and the grassroots adviser for comment.

Top image from Pritam Singh's Facebook page.