GE2020: PV's Lim Tean makes Jalan Besar GRC battle about Josephine Teo's handling of Covid-19

In Jalan Besar GRC, a political battle is on the cards with Peoples Voice (PV) chief Lim Tean not holding back in his words against Josephine Teo, the Minister of Manpower and his People’s Action Party (PAP) opponent in the constituency. 

In his Constituency Political Broadcast today (July 5), Lim went as far as to lay the blame of Covid-19 infection rates among Singapore's migrant workers at Teo’s feet. 

”[Josephine Teo] is singularly responsible for the great explosion figures of Covid-19 cases in the foreign worker's dormitories,” Lim declared. 

“Today, we have been described as one of the greatest failures as far as the Covid-19 is concerned.” 

Speaking by himself on behalf of his PV team, Lim dug his heels into the minister’s handling of the pandemic. Teo is one of the members in the Multi-Ministry Taskforce established to handle the coronavirus situation in Singapore. 

Proclaiming that Singaporeans “would not have stood a chance” if Covid-19 had been a bioweapon, Lim remarked that Teo “did not care or she was careless” in managing the Covid-19 outbreak among foreign workers living in dormitories. 

“Jalan Besarians, I hope your vote, you will use your vote on the 10th of July as a referendum on Josephine Teo's competence and the leadership. If you do not think that her leadership is what you want in Parliament, may I suggest that there is another choice, and that you should vote People's Voice,” he called out. 

On Teo’s end, she has assured that the coronavirus situation in purpose-built foreign worker dormitories is “largely stable now”. In a joint collaboration between her ministry and the Ministry of National Development, the government will build additional spaces across Singapore to house about 60,000 workers to improve their living standards. 

In the PAP segment of the Constituency Political Broadcast for Jalan Besar GRC, Teo focused on how her team can serve the constituency in a closer manner. The former MP of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC assured that her first priority is to get to know the residents of Jalan Besar with her “listening ear” and a “willing heart”. 

It was in the conclusion of her speech that Teo brought in the issue of the pandemic. 

"Dear residents, Covid-19 has threatened our lives, our jobs, our future. The PAP team in Jalan Besar is determined to walk this journey with you and to support you in every possible way," she said. 

ilyas@asiaone.com