<Report by The New Paper, 9 September 2015, Page 9>
When you want to occupy public office, you must not have a "dark history". These were the words of a reader who felt a wider audience should be made aware of a candidate's history.
The reader who spoke on condition of anonymity, felt the public should now that Mr Luke Koh, WP candidate for Nee Soon GRC had been arrested before in connection with an acrimonious divorce.
Marriage records show Mr Koh has been married twice. TNP understands he was arrested on 16 Sept 012 after scaling the fence at his relative's landed property. An altercation ensured and the police were called in. Mr Koh had been attempting to gain access to his family, who were then living at the relative's home.
He was subsequently given a police warning for criminal trespass and breaching a personal protection order (PPO), which had been taken out against him earlier. Under current laws, vulnerable adults - including wives and parents - who are at risk of abuse by family members can apply for a PPO, a court document requiring the abuse to stop. It forbids the abuser from further harming the victim and allows the police to arrest the abuser if the abuse continues.
Mr Koh's ex-wife and relatives declined to comment when approached. TNP asked the reader why the 2012 incident is relevant now. The reader said that Mr Goh now wants to ascend to public office. He said: "A person who wants to hold public office cannot have that kind of history behind him." Why not alert the WP instead of the media? "Why should I? It is a failure on heir part if they do not exercise due diigence," he said.
He said he would have alerted the media if Mr Koh had belonged to any other party, too. When approached, Mr Koh said personal matters were out of bounds and directed all questions to the WP spokesman. TNP emailed the part and asked: How does WP respond to the reader's charge that the party had failed to exercise due diligence?
TNP followed up with a call to he WP spokesman but the party was not able to reply by press time.
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