GE2015: Tin Pei Ling ready to contest in MacPherson SMC after 'darkest moment' of previous election
Her public image in 2011 was not a good one, and Tin Pei Ling admits that her first general election was one of the “darkest moments” of her life.
But she’s back in 2015, now contesting in MacPherson, a single member constituency (SMC) carved out of the Marine Parade GRC where she was part of Goh Chok Tong’s five-man team in the previous election.
On Friday (21 Aug) at the People’s Action Party office at Pipit Road, where her ward is located, Tin, 31, confirmed her candidacy.
“If I can overcome this [negativity], if I can emerge as a more resilient and stronger person, I hope that I can help to inspire other young people to not give up, even in the face of challenges,” she said.
Tin says that being an MP has helped her grow a thicker skin. “What helped me press on was the desire to create a positive impact,” said the new mother who gave birth on 5 August.
“Day to day problems of residents gives me a sense of purpose in wanting to push on,” she said. “The difficulties and challenges I faced back then pale in comparison to what they go through.”
Tin faces a possible three-way fight, with both the Workers’ Party and National Solidarity Party indicating interest in contesting the SMC. “No matter how many [contest in] MacPherson, we will just prepare accordingly,” she said.
“It’s just about us wanting to do our best for the people here,” she stressed. “For us here, we focus on what is right and best for the people of MacPherson.”
She adds that her baby son Kee Hau will not be making an appearance during her campaigning. “I’m not trying to win the sympathy vote,” she says.
Her persistence in trying to win the hearts of residents in the ward seems to have paid off. Volunteer Eunice Wang, 25, who attended the press conference along with other volunteers who help out in the MacPherson ward said Tin was an inspiration. “She has tenacity. She does not give up easily,” said Wang. “It’s a learning point that we should never give up no matter what the problems are, or what people say about you.”
Being a new mother has also given Tin a deeper respect for working mothers, she said. If elected, Tin says she would like to campaign for single mothers to get the same amount of maternity leave as married mothers. Single mothers are currently entitled to eight weeks’ maternity leave, compared to married mothers, who get 16 weeks of paid maternity leave. “We shouldn’t penalise the child just because of the actions of the mum,” she said.
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