SM Goh: Tin Pei Ling was ‘offered’ to me by PM

In a sign of growing unrest within the ranks of the PAP, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong now revealed that controversial PAP newbie candidate Tin Pei Ling was ‘thrusted’ onto his GRC by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Ms Tin has been flamed mercilessly in the last few weeks for her young age and apparent lack of substance since her candidacy was announced.

Though SM Goh appeared to have defended her initially, he did not sound too convincing in his latest interview with the state media.

“Tin Pei Ling was offered to me by PM as a candidate for Marine Parade GRC. I took her in quite happily knowing that she’s young, because I was thinking of her serving in MacPherson,”he was quoted as saying in CNA.

A massive outcry erupted in cyberspace over the PAP’s decision to field Ms Tin in Marine Parade GRC with an online petition set up calling for her to be fielded in a single ward instead.

While SM Goh claimed that he has ‘no difficulty’ accepting Tin Pei Ling into Marine Parade GRC, he dropped a subtle hint that he is concerned about the potential backlash against him by saying that perceptions were important, and could cause a candidate to lose the election.

The widespread public sentiment against Ms Tin prompted the National Solidarity Party (NSP) to try its luck in Marine Parade GRC which has seen no contest since 1992.

SM Goh’s remarks leaves one wondering if he would have recruited Ms Tin into Marine Parade GRC on his own accord if she was not ‘offered’ to him by PM Lee.

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Jeremy