PAP and state media kick off smear campaign against Chen Show Mao

In a sign that the repressive PAP regime is becoming petrified by the quality of the opposition candidates, its lapdog media has been mobilized to launch a smear campaign against the Workers’ Party star candidate Chen Show Mao.

The Straits Times published a lengthy article under its ‘Prime News’ section questioning Mr Chen’s motives in returning to Singapore to participate in the coming general election after staying overseas for the last few decades based on a forum letter written by PAP minister Dr Ng Eng Hen.

Mr Chen is a Rhodes scholar who graduated from the prestigious Harvard and Oxford university and currently works as a corporate lawyer in Beijing. Though he was born in Taiwan, Mr Chen offered to serve National Service in the 1980s.

Dr Ng questions the motives of Mr Chen to enter politics in a desperate attempt to cast aspersions on his character.

“From available information, Mr Chen has spent 40 of his 50 years out of Singapore. His entire career has been as a corporate lawyer in the United States and China. His wife and children do not live in Singapore. He now turns up and asks Singaporeans to elect him as a Member of Parliament. Surely, voters have a right to know from the Workers’ Party if such a candidate can identify with the aspirations of Singaporeans and has a stake in our future? These questions should not be brushed aside and deserve a direct answer,” he wrote.

The PAP has yet to answer queries on the commitment of its new candidate Dr Janil Puthucheary from Malaysia. Dr Janil has been staying in Singapore in the last ten years, but only became a citizen two years ago after 35 years of age when he is no longer liable to be called up for National Service.

Singaporeans should not be deceived by the latest attempt by the PAP regime to divert public attention from its own failed policies via character assassination of an opposition candidate.

We have Francis Seow in 1988, Jufrie Mahmood in 1991, Tang Liang Hong in 1997, Chee Soon Juan in 2001 and James Gomez in 2006. Let us not have another Chen Show Mao in 2011.

Mr Chen and WP should ignore the baiting by PAP leaders and focus on their election campaign. Unlike PAP’s Dr Janil who will be whisked into parliament by hanging on the coat-tails of DPM Teo Chee Hean, Mr Chen only has everything to lose by standing as an opposition candidate.

Singaporeans should REJECT the gutter politics of the PAP and lend their support to Mr Chen Show Mao and other worthy and courageous Singaporeans who dare to challenge the PAP to give us an alternative.