Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC Rachel Ong finds helping families reconcile a meaningful part of her work.
“What I find fulfilling is I really go deep into the families, “Ms Ong told Petir. “We had quite a few cases of families who faced issues and disagreements. Each member had a different way of looking at things. We were able to sit them all down to reconcile them.”
Ms Ong visits residents’ homes and conducts estate walkabouts twice a week to better understand their concerns. She conducts Meet-the-People sessions at Dover Road and Telok Blangah on Wednesdays, as well as assists with the sessions at West Coast constituency on Mondays.
An outreach team comprising of eight to ten volunteers follows up with families who previously sought assistance at the MPS. They check on these families if the team is unaware of the status of their cases, she elaborated.
“Sometimes, we don’t know the outcome of the appeals, as they go directly to the families,” she shared. “So, our outreach team visits the families to gather more information and determine if they need additional support. Our outreach team typically reviews cases from the past three months (and identify the families to visit).”
Rachel Ong’s team explores enhancing Telok Blangah’s connectivity
Telok Blangah constituency comprises five subdivisions: Telok Blangah, Depot, Dover, Pasir Panjang, and Sentosa. Half of the constituency consists of public housing, while the other half is private housing, Ms Ong noted.
She mentioned that although the constituency generally has older flats, new Build-to-Order projects like Telok Blangah Beacon along Telok Blangah Drive will inject new life into the neighborhood over the next three years.
“Telok Blangah is very central,” she added. “Even though our flats are 40 years old, you always see families moving in because they offer larger spaces.”
Regarding the infrastructure needs of her residents, she commended her predecessor, former MP Lim Hng Kiang, for enhancing connectivity. However, she acknowledged room for further improvement to build better connectivity. Her team is collaborating with the Land Transport Authority to explore additional modes of transport, such as more bus routes, for residents.
She also mentioned residents’ desire for more sheltered walkways, especially during rain or extreme heat, and her team is actively looking into addressing this concern.
Going forward, Ms Ong said there are “new things that her team is looking at”. These include the Greater Southern Waterfront which comes under Telok Blangah constituency, Gillman Barracks and work at Dover.
The Greater Southern Waterfront, stretching from Pasir Panjang to Marina East, will be transformed into a major gateway and urban living destination over the next 5 to 10 years. Development will occur in phases.
Additionally, Gillman Barracks, an arts and lifestyle enclave at the southern end of Alexandra Road, is being studied as a potential site for a new residential neighbourhood. This was announced earlier this year by the Government.
“It is exciting because the landscape is going to change. How can we coexist with the current greens that we are blessed with, the ecosystems, and then balancing with new housing developments that are very much needed by our people?”
Rachel Ong views being an MP as an extension of what she’s been doing all her life
Throughout her four-year tenure as an MP, Ms Ong has viewed her role as an extension of her lifelong commitment to serving the community. Before entering politics, she was dedicated to helping the underprivileged and guiding those from disadvantaged backgrounds who require support. The chief executive of consultancy firm Rohei also founded Trybe, an organisation dedicated to supporting at-risk youth.
“It’s an extension of what I’ve been doing all my life. I’ve previously worked with marginalised individuals in prisons, and I founded Trybe. For me, it’s really one-on-one, life-on-life. There are events, there are always big groups, but I cherish the one-on-one, one-on-two kind of interactions.”
ICYMI, read Rachel Ong works with NUS to get affordable dental care for seniors
