SINGAPORE – Sengkang’s town council will be well managed if the PAP is elected in the upcoming election, said Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean on Sunday (July 5).
“Many issues have been discussed during this election. I would like to boil it down to three things. First, jobs during this crisis. Second, in our daily lives, who is going to look after our town council. And third, who can speak up for me?” said Mr Teo, adding that the ruling People’s Action Party ticks all three boxes.
The senior minister, who is contesting in the nearby Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, had joined two of the party’s four candidates for the new Sengkang GRC – labour chief Ng Chee Meng and lawyer Raymond Lye- for a walkabout at Rivervale Plaza in a show of support.
He said the PAP candidates were experienced and had a “very good track record”.
“Check the track record of both sides to see who can run your town council and its finances well,” Mr Teo added.
The other PAP candidates for Sengkang GRC are Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health Lam Pin Min, whose Sengkang West single seat was partly absorbed by Sengkang GRC, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health Amrin Amin, who has moved over from Sembawang GRC.
The four men are up against a WP team consisting of lawyer He Tingru, economics associate professor Jamus Lim, social enterprise founder Raeesah Khan, and equity research analyst Louis Chua. Dr Lim is quickly becoming the party’s star candidate, having drawn the nation’s attention after representing WP in a political debate on TV last week.
Mr Teo is the second party heavyweight in two days to have lent support to the PAP’s team in Sengkang GRC, which includes WP stomping grounds and is shaping up to be a hot battleground in the election.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made a guest appearance in a webinar about the four PAP candidates’ plans for the new Sengkang GRC.
Both Mr Ng and Mr Teo emphasised on Sunday that the PAP candidates for Sengkang are well-placed to help residents with job issues.
Mr Ng said: “Many here are middle class families with parents to upkeep and children to look after. So the pressures and anxiety of job loss, and even income drops, are significant. As secretary-general of NTUC, I am in a good position to help them.
“It is important for them to know that there is help from the Government, from NTUC. Even in Sengkang town, we can give them the assurance that the NTUC Job Security Council can be that matching agent for them.”
Aside from jobs and livelihoods, Mr Ng said the residents he spoke to during his walkabouts are also concerned about municipal issues and their daily needs.
He added that his team has the experience, track record and presented a plan for the GRC.
Last week, they announced that they would – if elected – set up a new Sengkang Town Council, introduce more amenities and programmes in the area, and actively seek residents’ feedback while crafting these plans.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Mr Ng added: “This is a serious matter, your jobs, your livelihood, your lives in Sengkang. The PAP team here have a good plan, the experience and track record. We can make it real for you over the next five years.”
“I humbly ask: what have you heard from the opposition specifically about you?” he added.
The new Sengkang GRC, formed when electoral boundaries were redrawn, consists of the Sengkang Central ward of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Punggol East SMC and part of Sengkang West SMC. It has more than 120,000 voters.
