Straits Times: NCMP post likely to go to Sylvia Lim

LAW lecturer Sylvia Lim, who led the Workers’ Party’s team in Aljunied GRC to the best opposition performance this year, looks set to be the next Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP).

Ms Lim, 41, and her four teammates - Mr Tan Wui-Hua, 39, Mohammed Rahizan Yaacob, 49, Mr Goh Meng Seng, 36, and Mr James Gomez, 40 - obtained 43.9 per cent of the vote in the hotly contested GRC.

That made them the best-performing losers in this year’s general election, and eligible to be offered an NCMP seat. If offered, the team will have to decide who should take it up.

Ms Lim and her team lost to the People’s Action Party (PAP) team of Foreign Minister George Yeo, 51, Ms Cynthia Phua, 47, Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, 45, Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, 58, and Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, 47, who won 56.1 per cent of the vote.

Technically, any member of the WP’s Aljunied team can take up the NCMP offer. But as de facto leader of the team, Ms Lim looks the most likely candidate. But she was non-committal when asked by The Sunday Times last night, replying via an SMS message: “We’ll think about it.”

The NCMP scheme allows the top opposition losers at the polls to become MPs but without representing any particular constituency.

Mr Steve Chia of the Singapore Democratic Alliance took up the NCMP position in 2001 after emerging as the top loser in that year’s polls, with 34.7 per cent of votes in Chua Chu Kang.

Yesterday, Mr Chia failed in his third attempt to win a seat in Parliament. He was defeated in Chua Chu Kang by the PAP’s Mr Gan Kim Yong, 47, who took 60.4 per cent of vote.

Mr Chia’s performance was the second-best among the top losers in the opposition slate with 39.6 per cent. But the 35-year-old businessman said last night he was quitting politics.

“The main thing that’s on my mind is to find a good job and take care of my family,” he said.

Straits Times: Workers’ Party takes aim at health care costs

It also queries use of means testing for medical services

By Krist Boo

THE Workers’ Party (WP) zoomed in on health-care costs at its rally last night and raised questions about the introduction of means testing for health services.

In means testing, patients are charged according to how much they can afford to pay so that subsidies go to the truly needy.

The Government has said that it will introduce means testing either next year or in 2008.

WP chairman Sylvia Lim, who leads the party’s Aljunied GRC team, wanted to know what criteria the Government will use to determine how much subsidy a patient will get.

For example, if house size is used, a person living in a three-room HDB flat is not necessarily less well-off than a five-room flat dweller, she argued.

Using mean household income is also not on because family size differs. Pointing out that some people support parents who are not staying with them, she said: “If we make the same amount of money, it does not mean that we have the same amount of money to spend.”

She argued that health care is a basic service which the Government should provide for everyone. If parents can choose what school to send their children to, why can’t patients choose what class of ward they want to stay in? Also, those who earn more money are already paying more income tax. So why should they not get to enjoy C-class benefits?

She said that experience has shown that means testing requires a lot of paperwork and “tends to delay” medical treatment.

She told the crowd gathered at the field in Hougang Avenue 4: “This is a very dangerous thing the PAP Government is going to introduce in the next two years or so.”

Party chief Low Thia Khiang, who spoke in Teochew and Mandarin, called on voters to use their vote to press the Government for answers.

“Best that they explain now how they are going to make us pay,” he said. “Don’t give them a blank cheque.”

He also asked the Government to provide free lift upgrading so that residents do not have to co-pay.

Mr Perry Tong, who is standing in East Coast GRC, also spoke on rising medical costs.

He suggested that the Government scrap the Goods and Services Tax on drugs, and charge at cost medication for chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

WP candidate Goh Meng Seng responded to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s comments on Friday, when the PM asked if Mr Goh can do the job of Case president Yeo Guat Kwang, who is in the PAP team for Aljunied GRC. The WP candidate told the crowd that transport fares had gone up twice on Mr Yeo’s watch.

Mr James Gomez, who has been in the news for his non-submission of his minority candidate form, was at the rally but did not speak.

His running mate in Aljunied GRC, Mr Mohammed Rahizan Yaacob, however, referred to the issue and told the crowd: “Never mind, everybody makes mistake. James Gomez makes mistakes.”