i wouldn’t be surprised if sim ann has just lost the election for her grc. people talk about tailcoating on anchor ministers but we’re beginning to see how a decent team can be sunk by one unlikeable junior member. tin pei ling who was much vilified in the last election had that effect in marine parade last election (she’s grown an awful lot since and come out very well this go-round, it looks like she might win her single seat this year and off her own bat.) i used to quite like sim ann, one thinks she would have been a good addition to any grc, she’d seemed moderate and likeable, she spoke beautiful mandarin, and she held herself pretty well in parliament, was even given a senior parliamentary appointment, but her whole campaign these weeks have turned people against her, and after that speech last night (not only unworthy in its own right but completely cringeworthy in her delivery and attitude — where were her speechwriters, her advisors? how could anyone have thought that was appropriate?) — she has dealt herself an irrecoverable blow. let’s face it, their anchor minister isn’t even one whose stock is particularly high these days, they’re tottering already without her antics. even if they win (they might, we’ll see; it’ll be all over by friday.) what support would she still have during the coming term?
Best of the Transparent Hummingbird