Let voters decide if I’m credible: James Gomez
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Let voters decide if I’m credible: James Gomez
By Faris – January 3rd, 2011
Singapore Democratic Party member James Gomez seeks closure on the 2006 “Gomez-gate” scandal. (Yahoo!)
Let the voters decide if I’m credible.
That is the rallying cry of controversial opposition politician Dr James Gomez, who was at the centre of a major scandal during the 2006 General Election.
Now as the next GE — due to be held by February 2012 — nears, the 45-year-old academic says he’s ready to move on from the “Gomez-gate” scandal and contest again for people’s votes.
In an exclusive interview with Yahoo! SEA last month, Dr Gomez, who announced his return to local politics in November under the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) banner, shared his side of the infamous 2006 debacle.
He said, “My thoughts are very simple. Although I am a minority candidate, it should not, for me as a Singaporean, be an issue for me to file a minority certificate. That is my position.”
During the 2006 GE, Dr Gomez — who was then part of the Workers’ Party team led by Ms Sylvia Lim – was caught on camera lying about submitting an application form to contest the Aljunied Group Representative Constituency (GRC) as a minority-race candidate.
Although he claimed to have submitted the form at the Elections Department (ELD) at Prinsep Street, CCTV footage later revealed he did not submit the form and left it a bag he was carrying all along.
While some believed he was trying to discredit the ELD, leaders of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) seized on the moment, repeatedly calling Gomez a “liar” during the campaigning period. (In the 2001 general election, Gomez’s team was also disqualified from the Aljunied constituency because the team accidentally omitted the name of the GRC in the form.)
Asked why he chose to keep the form in his bag while claiming he had submitted it, Gomez said, “I don’t wish to comment on the issue because otherwise I will not be able to talk on the problems faced by Singaporeans as well as other policy-matters.”
While he chose not to talk about his decision then, the controversy received widespread coverage in the mainstream press in 2006.
Gomez, however, acknowledged the news made an impact not only on voters back in 2006 but also to other Singaporeans who might still question his credibility. In the end, Gomez’s Aljunied GRC team achieved 44 per cent of the total valid votes, against the PAP’s 56 per cent.
“It was an issue of negative campaigning which was classic PAP,” said Gomez, who is now also the executive director for Singaporeans for Democracy, a Singapore-based political non-governmental organisation (NGO).
“The negative campaigning exercised through the mainstream media had some impact on voters. That is clear and which is why there is the residual question, the residual effect.”
Still, he said he preferred to move on from the saga. He added, “The matter has been closed and there’s nothing more to be said.”
When pressed if he is still a credible candidate for the upcoming elections, he said, “The voters will decide, the party will decide.”
Currently shuttling back and forth beween Singapore and Melbourne, where he is the associate dean of the arts faculty at Monash University, Gomez said that he is from a “politically aware family”.
Citing his father, a former unionist leader, as his main influence, Gomez’s first foray into the political arena started when he joined the WP in 2001.
Referring to his return to local politics last November, he says he plans to contest the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in the upcoming GE but under a different party banner.
While he acknowledged that his decision to return to politics was “not easy”, he chose to represent the SDP because of its “political consistency” and “its variety of outreach tools such as door-to-door visits and new media”.
When asked if he is still in tune with the needs and sentiments of Singaporeans after spending much of his time overseas, Gomez said he has “extensive networks which updates him on the (Holland-Bukit Timah) area’s situation”.
“People understand that I am internationally employed. Therefore, they understand the job is based overseas. They are appreciative that I commute and still continue to take an interest,” he said.
Asked about the one single issue which Singaporeans are most concerned about, Gomez highlighted Singapore’s immigration and foreign talent policy. He also called on voters to evaluate SDP’s “Singapore First Policy” which moves towards a more transparent migration system.
The call for transparency, he said, is key to allow a more insightful approach in immigration and workforce planning.
When asked if the policy would have detrimental effects on Singapore’s “open” economy, Gomez refuted this and said that it was “more of looking after Singaporeans”.
“There is nothing nationalistic or negative about the policy because we want to look after our people. We hear their sufferings and we want to respond to that.”
Gomez also acknowledged some political observers’ claims that the opposition is too splintered and instead should unite to challenge the ruling party. But he believes unity will only happen when there is public pressure from the public.
“They are not going to come together naturally. Without public pressure, the opposition will not unite. And that will only happen when the public grows too frustrated with the affairs of the opposition.”
Although he personally believe that opposition unity is important, Gomez added that the public seems fairly satisfied with how the different opposition parties have organized themselves.
The question now is, will voters give Gomez a clean slate in the next GE?
Source:
http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2011/01/03/let-voters-decide-if-im-credible-james-gomez/ -
Now i must ask which party is he in??now again appear..dunno what is he doing during the 4 years?