Dr Koh: If you choose opposition, don
![]()
During his walkabout at the Rivervale Plaza in Punggol East yesterday (13 Jan), Dr Koh Poh Koon, the PAPs candidate for Punggol East SMC, told the media that he has identified day-to-day issues like cost of living and adequacy of infrastructure as among top concerns.
However, he said, The residents have to be practical and realistic that you must choose to vote the person who can do the work for you. I think its a fallacy to believe that you can have the best of both worlds choose the person to make a statement but hope that the other person whos voted out is going to be having all the resources, all the authority, to get the work done for you.
In other words, he is telling the residents that they cant expect PAP to get work done for them if they vote an opposition MP into Parliament.
Technically, campaigning can only officially start on Nomination Day. However, Dr Koh has already started walking about, talking to the residents of Punggol East.
He also responded to criticisms that he is trying to gain public sympathy by talking about his growing up in a poor family and being poor in his earlier years.
In one of his poor anecdotes, he said, I remember when I finally got my HDB flat in 1988, just after I ORD from the army, my wife and I had to borrow money from my uncle to do renovations. Youd be surprised to know that at the end of the thing, before we moved into our house, in the combined accounts of our banks, in the pockets together, we had $11.50.
We were scratching our heads thinking how to even have our first meal in the house when we had no money to buy chopsticks? We went down to Toyogo at Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and we had to count the number of pieces of chopsticks we can buy with $11.50 to equip our home.
Its not known what he ate for his first meal in his new flat, since after spending $11.50 for chopsticks, he had no money left to buy food.
In any case, responding to the criticisms of trying to gain public sympathy, Dr Koh said, It is not about garnering sympathy votes. At the end of the day, if the residents feel that I am not the best person. Please do not give me any sympathy votes. I do not need sympathy. I have never been ashamed of my past. Not that its something that you need to be proud of this is me.
Dr Koh stressed that he is running his own race. He said he feels comfortable on his own without the presence of PAP heavyweights around.
He also clarified that other than his HDB flat, his family owns no property, including private property. However, he acknowledged owning two cars.
During his walkabout at the Rivervale Plaza in Punggol East yesterday (13 Jan), Dr Koh Poh Koon, the PAPs candidate for Punggol East SMC, told the media that he has identified day-to-day issues like cost of living and adequacy of infrastructure as among top concerns.
However, he said, The residents have to be practical and realistic that you must choose to vote the person who can do the work for you. I think its a fallacy to believe that you can have the best of both worlds choose the person to make a statement but hope that the other person whos voted out is going to be having all the resources, all the authority, to get the work done for you.
In other words, he is telling the residents that they cant expect PAP to get work done for them if they vote an opposition MP into Parliament.
Technically, campaigning can only officially start on Nomination Day. However, Dr Koh has already started walking about, talking to the residents of Punggol East.
He also responded to criticisms that he is trying to gain public sympathy by talking about his growing up in a poor family and being poor in his earlier years.
In one of his poor anecdotes, he said, I remember when I finally got my HDB flat in 1988, just after I ORD from the army, my wife and I had to borrow money from my uncle to do renovations. Youd be surprised to know that at the end of the thing, before we moved into our house, in the combined accounts of our banks, in the pockets together, we had $11.50.
We were scratching our heads thinking how to even have our first meal in the house when we had no money to buy chopsticks? We went down to Toyogo at Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and we had to count the number of pieces of chopsticks we can buy with $11.50 to equip our home.
Its not known what he ate for his first meal in his new flat, since after spending $11.50 for chopsticks, he had no money left to buy food.
In any case, responding to the criticisms of trying to gain public sympathy, Dr Koh said, It is not about garnering sympathy votes. At the end of the day, if the residents feel that I am not the best person. Please do not give me any sympathy votes. I do not need sympathy. I have never been ashamed of my past. Not that its something that you need to be proud of this is me.
Dr Koh stressed that he is running his own race. He said he feels comfortable on his own without the presence of PAP heavyweights around.
He also clarified that other than his HDB flat, his family owns no property, including private property. However, he acknowledged owning two cars.