Residents of Hougang and fellow Singaporeans,
Tonight, in my speech I would like to share about myself and a retrospection of my political journey. I’m sharing these two matters with you because in Malay there is a proverb ’Tak Kenal Maka Tak Cinta’, in translation, If you don’t know me you won’t be able to love me but in this context is not to love me per se but instead to love this cause of mine of bringing good to our nation.
A very brief sharing about myself
My first name is Muhamad Faisal or in Chinese MOHAMA FEISA. It was given to me by my parents and was taken after the King of Saudi Arabia which rules between 1964 to 1975. One of the many meanings of the word Faisal in Arabic means Arbitrator. My life principles are to be A Mercy or blessing to The Universe which means to bring as much benefits as I can to the society, environment and our overall eco-system. Secondly, to do things right even though it may not be a correct thing to do, for example many people whom I met prior to me joining WP advised me that I’m not doing the correct thing but, my response was, it may NOT be a correct thing to do but it is Absolutely The Right To Do.
My political Journey
I’m thankful, heartened and greatly appreciate to have been given the chance and the trust by Aljunied GRC residents to serve them as their Member of Parliament together with my parliamentarian colleagues. The last four and half years has been a humbling experience which I really treasure most.
My political journey started at the end of 2005 when I was about to end my university studies in Melbourne Australia and about to return to Singapore. I was surfing the internet and came across a video featuring our late and highly respected JB Jeyaratnam. In the the video, the late JB Jeyaratnam was interviewed and was asked ‘Why he was so persistent in his political struggle although he has faced bankruptcy twice’. His reply triggered me to take part in politics. His simple but most impactful answer was…..He is a God believer and he believes in Social Justice. Immediately, the voice from my Heart responded, ‘I’m a God believer too and I should do the same things…that is to be part of this struggle for Social Justice.
I returned to Singapore in 2006 and the very first thing I did was to join the Workers Party I chose to join The Worker’s Party because I could relate well with the party’s call to move Towards a Caring Society and also on the party’s philosophy which entails….’To take into consideration the humanistic aspects or factors in the formulation of government policies’. I was appointed as an Election Agent for Aljunied GRC team in GE2006 and in GE2011 stood as a candidate and was elected into Parliament and now standing infront of all of you as a returning candidate, ready, committed and determined to defend Aljunied GRC.
Back in 2006, apart from taking the huge step in joining WP, I also managed to secure a job as a counsellor in one of the Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO). I see my role as a counsellor is to assist and empowers individuals so that he or she is able to develop his or her self-determination and motivation in resolving his or her personal issues.
Doing both counselling and politics at the same time, I started to realise after a while that these two areas, counselling and politics, compliments each other. For example, if a person faces life difficulties, counselling can make this individual feels empowered in resolving their personal issues. However, if this same individual lives under a constant stressful living conditions which are caused by government policies such as overcrowding and lost of jobs due to influx of foreigners, financial burdens due to high cost of living and low as well as stagnated wages, no matter how much counselling will not be able to make individual to feel empowered as these external factors such as government policies, will not only curtail but also suppressed the process of self-empowerment.
Hence, doing both counselling and involving in political activism, I’m able to be more effectively change a person’s life.
My almost 10 years in Politics are full of both challenging and joyful moments. When I first joined WP, I received many unwelcome remarks and comments such as ‘It is a lost cause to get involved in Opposition Politics, waste of times and many more’. But these negatives remarks did not deter me.
I faced one of the biggest hurdle in my political journey back in 2010 when I was told to leave my counselling job due to my political activism. I was at a cross-road, because counselling is my passion apart from my livelihood. At that point in time, my three children were still very young, aged 8, 4 and 1.5 yr old respectively. Nonetheless, I took the plunge holding tightly to my principle that is, To Do The Right Thing and leave the rest to fate.
Ten months later, I stood for GE2011 and God willing, I was elected as one of the MPs for Aljunied GRC. The past 4.5 years, me and the rest of WP’s Elected MPs and NCMPs colleagues went through many thick and thin together, both in and out of parliament. We endavoured these challenges with patience, determination and as rationally as possible.
The pains and agonies we faced are worth it. Personally, to me it is necessary to go through such circumstances so as to achieve changes and betterment for our society.
With the supports of our families, staff of AHPETC, residents, volunteers, supporters and many others, we have managed to face and went through these challenges with positivity. An indeed, these challenges have us made stronger, more determined and resilient.
The reason why I am telling all these tonight, is to share that being The Worker’s Party Members of Parliament is very challenging but yet very humbling and fulfilling. The pains that we went through diminishes when see smiling faces our of residents, supporters, volunteers and fellow Singaporeans. To me personally, the pain that we have gone through is very much worth it as these Pains translate into Society’s Gain. I repeat again, Our Pain is Society’s Gain. And I believe that all my 27 others party colleagues on this stage now are most willing to absorb the pains for the sake of Our society’s gains.
And tonight being the first rally for GE2015 campaign, I would like to make a very important, a crucial call to you, my fellow Singaporeans, the call to bring good to our nation, the call to make the change, the call to Empower Your Future. Come September 11. Vote for the Worker’s Party .