Young PAP MPs open blog to public to get wider exchange of views
Goh Chin Lian & Lynn Kan, Straits Times 12 Aug 09;
YOUNG MPs from the People's Action Party (PAP) have changed the format and aims of their blog in yet another move to connect with youth born after Singapore's independence.
The website, www.p65.sg, will no longer carry just their views.
Instead, it will be open to all post-65 Singaporeans, who can write about 'anything under the sun', from entertainment and the economy to race and religion, said Mr Teo Ser Luck, 41, who leads the group of 12 post-65 PAP MPs.
But the views are to steer clear of supporting a political party.
'We have our own Young PAP website for the politically inclined,' he added, referring to the PAP youth wing which he heads. 'The p65 blog is to allow other young people to share their views, which are non-partisan, neutral and can be constructive criticism of policies.'
The change is one of several moves the PAP and its MPs have taken to make themselves known online and gather feedback. In the past year, the party has revamped its website to include videos and podcasts, while the MPs have set up accounts on social networking site Facebook and micro-blogging site Twitter.
The p65 blog was set up by the post-65 MPs five months after the 2006 election. The early postings were personal, non-political blogs for the young to get to know them. It was also a way for them to get feedback on issues.
But the blog languished from a lack of contributors, with some MPs simply posting the speeches they made in Parliament. With the change, the site has already lined up eight regular contributors, among them Singaporeans studying and working abroad.
They include Mrs Shereen Aziz-Williams, 26, Britain-based director of the Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations, who wrote about her encounter with racism there when she wore a tudung or headscarf.
Others include unionist Mohamad Nazir Sani, 35, and businessman and grassroots leader Terence Quek, 34.
The contributors will set the blog apart from others, said post-65 MP Zaqy Mohamad, 34. 'They are people with real, not anonymous, identities...They have some credibility and are not celebrities trying to get attention,' he said.
Mr Mohamad Nazir decided to be a contributor because 'I don't see many blogs by unionists and I'll like to share what we do behind the scenes'.
He represents Young NTUC, the youth wing of the labour movement, on the Young PAP executive committee.
He began a personal blog a few months ago, but believes his blog on the p65 site will reach a wider audience.
As more Singaporeans contribute, the blog's administrator, Mr Tang Ho Wan, foresees it evolving to include 'photographs and videos, including snapshots of interesting things around their neighbourhood'.
Moderators will look out only for undesirable content like vulgarities, said Mr Tang, 32, who owns design agency Orgnix Creatives.
'We expect people will disagree with the writers, and they can put up what they want because readers can judge for themselves if the opinion is good or bad.'
