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GE2015: SDP unveils two more candidates for General Election

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Ms Jaslyn Go Hui Leng (left) and Dr Paul Ananth Tambyah (right), Singapore Democratic Party candidates in the upcoming General Elections (Photo: Angela Low)

By: Angela Low

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) introduced on Wednesday (26 Aug) another two of its 11 candidates, Paul Ananth Tambyah, 50, and Jaslyn Go Hui Leng, 42, who will be contesting in next month’s General Election.

Tambyah is a professor of medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and senior infectious diseases physician at the National University Hospital (NUH). He was also a co-founder of MARUAH, a human rights organisation in Singapore, but has since left the group. An active member of the SDP since 2005, he is keen on championing healthcare issues.

At a media conference at SDP’s headquarters, he said, “Many people ask me this question, ‘You have a relatively comfortable life as a doctor and professor, so why do you get involved in politics?’ and my answer is that I feel that there are many things that could be better in Singapore.”

“Even though we have an excellent healthcare system… the healthcare financing system is based on certain assumptions, which are actually morally questionable.”

“(Our hospitals) are comparable to some of the best in the world. Trouble is they’re really, really expensive. The proposed MediShield Life, for example. The deductibles are still very high… In other words, once MediShield Life starts you still have to pay, either out of pocket or through Medisave, for the bulk of your hospitalisation.”

He added, “We, in the SDP, believe that healthcare is a basic human right. It is not a commodity that needs to be traded.”

Younger generation should focus on learning, not paper chase: Go

Go, who joined SDP in 2007, is a mother of two and runs a construction company that she and her husband founded in 2004. As SDP’s assistant treasurer, she is largely involved in the SDP’s fund-raising efforts.

“I feel strongly that attitude in life surpasses that of academic qualifications. Don’t worry about the hard knocks in life, but don’t stop learning from (them),” she said.

“In my generation, we are still able to make it without the paper chase. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the younger generations as (there is) an over-emphasis on paper qualifications. In addition, we now have to compete with non-Singaporeans for a place in school and at work.”

“We need to amend our immigration policy and that’s why I’m standing in this election. The SDP wants to ensure that our population policy makes sense that we do not overcrowd Singapore with a 6.9 million population that the PAP wants to push for.”

Go is also looking to bring about a change in Singapore’s education policies.

She said, “I want our kids to grow up in an environment whereby they can enjoy the process of learning and not just the ultimate goal of achieving degrees or diplomas… Children must be given time to be children.”

Chong Wai Fung, 45, and Khung Wai Yeen, 34, were the first two SDP candidates unveiled on Tuesday. Chong is the administrator of Ren Ci Nursing Home (Moulmein) and treasurer of SDP. Khung is an accounts manager at an European multinational corporation and was previously the chief engineering naval specialist of the Republic of Singapore Navy.

SDP has yet to announce which wards its candidates will be standing in.