KEEP SINGAPORE shipshape and ready for the global storm.
That is Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan’s message to voters as Singapore enters General Election 2025.
“The old world order has ended. The new world order is coming,” he said, referencing the ongoing global tumult at a press conference introducing the PAP’s slate of candidates for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC. “This small, tiny city-state, trade-dependent economy, will face the impact.”
Minister Balakrishnan pointed to the revolutions in artificial intelligence, biotechnology and green energy – as well as their profound impact on jobs.
“So the conversations and the choices that we make during this election will have a major impact on us, he said. “It will determine whether we are able to form a resolute leadership with the right blend of fresh eyes and some experience to face the challenges.”
Minister Balakrishnan will anchor an unchanged PAP team in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann will be in this team, as will Deputy Speaker of the House Christopher de Souza and MP Edward Chia. MP Liang Eng Hwa will contest the adjacent Bukit Panjang SMC.
These five candidates have long served local residents as MPs, rejuvenating the area over the years with new infrastructure like hawker centres.
MP Liang Eng Hwa, for example, was instrumental in bringing these hawker centres, the Bukit Panjang polyclinic, and the Senja Link road to residents.
“I want to express my thanks to the residents of Bukit Panjang for their trust and the support they’ve given me,” said MP Liang, who lives in the ward. “Enabling me to carry out our plans to continue to improve the wellbeing of the community and the enhancement of the town.”
Helping young and old, from all walks of life
The Holland-Bukit Timah team has similarly built up local amenities and a sense of community.
“In Senja, we opened this new Senior Care Centre, and right now we’ve also started building a new nursing home,” said MP Chia on helping Bukit Panjang’s families. “We need to increase capacity to support caregivers to care for their parents.”
Two new affordable preschools have also been opened in Senja over the previous five years. Workshops for families, on parenting in the digital age, are also running, assisting the parenthood journey of residents.
“We understand being sandwiched is not easy,” said MP Chia about this help for families, especially their young and old dependents.
Elsewhere in the GRC, the Bukit Timah Integrated Development is MP Sim Ann’s key project for her ward.
“That is the rebuilding of the old Bukit Timah hawker centre and market into an integrated site that will house the future Bukit Timah refurbished and improved hawker centre, as well as sports facilities for Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School nearby,” said MP Sim.
“This new building is going to take time, but we’ve had a lot of support and suggestions from residents, and we are looking forward to bringing that into reality,” she added.
The design of the Integrated Development has been fine-tuned right down to having a path for Toh Yi residents to walk to the MRT, because of MP Sim acting on this feedback.
In Ulu Pandan ward, MP de Souza has brought nine sustainable Rail Corridor recreation points to residents. These points include the old Bukit Timah railway station, Mount Sinai and Holland Green playground.
He has also brought his team around the ward, making over 12,000 house visits to understand the needs of residents.
“Those are the HDB towns and all the private property in between. And we do not distinguish a person in need in a HDB flat [between] a person in need living in a private property,” he said about helping Ulu Pandan residents over the years.
“What I find is key is relationships. Trust. A sense of deep partnership,” added MP de Souza about his approach to serving as an MP. “Our outreach, our home visits, knocking on doors, understanding the hopes and aspirations [of my residents] is key.”
Indeed, the value of creating reciprocal trust between MPs and residents is important to the Holland-Bukit Timah and Bukit Panjang team.
“People know this team. They know what we are capable of, they know the ideas we have for the future,” said Minister Vivian. “And we will do our part. We will live up to our commitments.”
