Mo Kio GRC, with candidates mostly in their 20s or early 30s, to compete with the flagship PAP team led by Lee Hsien Loong. For SDA, its strongest GRC team was one that contested Jalan Besar GRC (led by Sebastian Teo and included a former MP Cheo Chai Chen). The hotly-watched SMCs include Chua Chu Kang (a ward which saw a close contest between the PAP and SDA in 2001 elections), Nee Soon East (one of two WP-contested wards in 2001 elections), as well as the two opposition-held wards, Hougang and Potong Pasir. Ling's comment controversy According to media reports, on 27 April at Fajar Secondary School (Nomination Centre), Ling How Doong had told the media that he and Wong Hong Toy, SDP assistance secretary-general who was with Ling at that time, had considered an ouster of Chee Soon Juan from the party's central executive committee (CEC). This was later denied on the same day by a media release on the SDP website which claimed that the local media is "waging a campaign against SDP". On the same day, while the SDP held a press conference and clearly denied any splits in the party, Ling was absent on that day. Negative campaigning After nomination day, the PAP had stepped up its negative campaigning effort against the opposition. Lee Kuan Yew (PAP) had referred the opposition as not having "First World" quality and described some of their candidates as of poor quality and lacking in "intellectual content". He repeated his attack on 28 April saying "I want a world-class opposition, not this riffraff." Lim Boon Heng (PAP) said that the SDP is already being written off by Singaporeans. Lee Hsien Loong said the opposition had no clear vision or views on Singapore's major challenges. On 29 April, PM Lee Hsien Loong referred to his opponents at Ang Mo Kio GRC, the relatively young WP team, as "敢死队" (suicide squad) adding that even the bookies will not take a bet on the outcome in that constituency contest. In response, WP's chief Low Thia Khiang said that it is better to be a "敢死队" (suicide squad) rather than a "怕死队" (squad that is scared to die). WP's candidate Yaw Shin Leong added that: "my courageous team-mates and myself are mentally prepared to lose but that does not mean we are push-overs." James Gomez saga Controversy arose during the election surrounding the application for