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Both Ooi Boon Ewe & Shirwin Eu Are Back; Both Didn’t Get to Run (Again)

2020-06-30 , 4:51 pm

It’s Nomination Day, and all the candidates contesting in their respective GRCs and SMCs have been formally nominated.

If you were to take a look through the long list of candidates – a task that will require some time and energy – you’ll see some veteran politicians and a few newcomers.

But you’ll also notice that two very prominent candidates are missing from that list:

Ooi Boon Ewe and Shirwin Eu.

Both are independent candidates who have tried to run in elections in the past and failed miserably.

Sadly, neither were able to run in this year’s election as well.

So, who exactly are these people are why were they disqualified?

Shirwin Eu

If you were to look up the word perseverance in the dictionary, you’d see the face of Shirwin Eu grinning at you.

Eu is a 37-year-old private hire driver who has tried to run in several elections in the last few years.

Eu first tried to contest Bukit Panjang SMC as an independent candidate during the General Election 2015 but could not run because he did not have any assentors.

When asked in 2015 why he wanted to join the elections, Eu said: “Because I hope to be elected.”

And when asked what he can offer residents as an MP, he said “Erm, policies. That’s my strength I believe.”

The 37-year-old tried again the next year to contest in the Bukit Batok by-election but didn’t qualify because he did not have the required paperwork, assentors, or any election deposit money.

But the word “quit” isn’t present in Shirwin Eu’s dictionary (The word “qualify” probably isn’t there either).

In 2017, Eu turned up at the Elections Department to pick up forms for the presidential election.

Yes, he tried to run for President even though it was reserved for Malay candidates.

Needless to say, he did not become President.

This year, Eu announced that he intended to run in Marine Parade GRC, but when he turned up to fill his nomination papers, he was immediately disqualified, according to Mothership.

So, why does he keep trying to take part in every election? Does he care that much about Singaporeans? Does he want to improve our-

“I like to be elected. I like to, eh, enjoy the fame and wealth of this job prospect.”

Oh.

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Ooi Boon Ewe

Ooi’s story is similar except he’s actually contested in one election.

It all started in 1999 when he tried to run for President. His application was rejected because he had been made bankrupt twice and his application was incomplete.

But he managed to run successfully in the 2001 General Election, contesting in Joo Chiat SMC (which is now part of Marine Parade GRC) against PAP’s Chan Soo Sen.

He lost with 16.45% of the votes.

Four years later, Ooi tried to run for President but was rejected because he had never held “any similar or comparable position of seniority and responsibility as spelt out in the Constitution that was required of an elected president.”

He tried again in 2011, 2013, and 2015, but was unsuccessful for different reasons.

This year, the 79-year-old said he wanted to contest in Bukit Panjang SMC, showing the media his cashier’s order for the $13,500 deposit.

Sadly, just like Eu, Ooi seems to have been turned away.

Bukit Panjang SMC will see PAP’s Liang Eng Hwa go against SDP’s Paul Tambyah instead.

Oh well, maybe next time, guys?

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Both Ooi Boon Ewe & Shirwin Eu Are Back; Both Didn’t Get to Run (Again)

Shirwin Eu

Ooi Boon Ewe

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