The PAP Sembawang GRC team will do its best to try to win the residents’ mandate, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Aug 13.
He was responding to media’s queries on the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) intention to contest at Sembawang GRC at the next General Election (GE) at the sidelines of a community event.
“The GE is an open contest. So long as competition is healthy, if you give residents a choice, this is something that’s positive,” he said.
Members of Parliament Ms Poh Li San, Ms Mariam Jaafar, Mr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Vikram Nair, together with Minister Ong, make up the PAP Sembawang GRC team.
The health minister, as anchor minister for Sembawang GRC, called on his team to remain focused in serving the residents.
“GE is not very near and is at least a few years away. We just focus on our work. What we promised residents what we want to do such as Bukit Canberra, all these very important projects that will improve lives. So focus on that.”
Bukit Canberra is a 12ha integrated community hub that features an 800-seat hawker centre, indoor sports halls, five swimming pools, Singapore’s biggest ActiveSG gym and even a polyclinic. It is slated to open in the third quarter of this year.
Not surprising
The announcement from SDP on National Day came unexpectedly, especially since it last contested Sembawang more than a decade ago. SDP last contested there in the 2006 and 2011 general elections while the National Solidarity Party contested Sembawang in the 2015 and 2020 general elections.
However, Minister Ong wasn’t surprised by the announcement.
“I’m not surprised that after some years have passed, they may think about returning. After all they had contested here before,” he told reporters
“We look forward to a healthy contest and we will do our best to win the mandate from the people.”
Cover photo credit: Ong Ye Kung Facebook page
