NEW PAP candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC Ms Jasmin Lau wants to build Singapore as a family where people can depend on each other. The GRC’s other new PAP candidate, Mr Victor Lye, cares for the wellbeing of residents, especially during difficult times.
Taking from her personal experience caring for aged parents, Ms Lau is determined to lessen the burden on other families facing struggles with caregiving.
“We protect our parents from harm, and from things like online scams. So as a family, what we found was also mutual respect, mutual reliance and mutual gratitude,” said Ms Lau of her personal experiences. “This is the Singapore that I yearn for. This is also the Singapore that I want to build with all of you.”
Ms Lau brings to the team her experiences working at different statutory boards. She was most recently the Deputy Secretary (Policy) at the Ministry of Health, in charge of healthcare financing, healthcare manpower and healthcare regulatory policy.
Photos courtesy of Present Jalan Kayu Branch
Mr Lye, similarly, has worked in both the public and private sector. His career includes time spent at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, covering areas such as manpower planning, economic policy research and international trade. With years of experience in the private sector, he is currently the CEO of an asset management fintech firm.
“I have been a community volunteer for 26 years. I walked the ground relentlessly. Even when times were difficult,” said Mr Lye. “With my government and business experience, I believe I can bring to the table policy understanding as well as the impact of policies on the daily lives of Singaporeans
Mr Lye was in the PAP team which contested Opposition stronghold Aljunied GRC with grit and determination in the 2015 and 2020 General Elections.
“We’ve made Ang Mo Kio a happy place and a good place to live,” said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who will lead the PAP’s Ang Mo Kio GRC team. “We’ve set out in the master plan what we’ve done over the past five years, as well as clear plans on what more we intend to do if we are elected again.”
Over the last term of government, PAP MPs upgraded five markets and food centres in Teck Ghee, Cheng San-Seletar and Kebun Baru over the previous five years. They repaired and redecorated 560 blocks across Ang Mo Kio, with 432 more blocks upcoming.
“[We] opened new MRT stations and lines, expanded bus services and built a caring community. Our party branches and town council launched many programs and projects of our own to help residents cope with the cost of living and to take care of the vulnerable, the elderly, the families with young children,” highlighted SM Lee.
“I hope voters in Ang Mo Kio GRC and in the SMCs [Single Member Constituencies] in our family will give us the mandate again,” he added. “So that we can work closely, once again to make this an outstanding town to live, work and play in.”
Caring, effective leaders for Kebun Baru, Yio Chu Kang and Jalan Kayu
Source: Henry Kwek, Yip Hon Weng, Ng Chee Meng / Facebook
The three neighbouring SMCs of Kebun Baru, Yio Chu Kang and Jalan Kayu will also be contested by PAP candidates who bring a wealth of experience to the job.
Mr Henry Kwek will continue to contest Kebun Baru SMC, while Mr Yip Hon Weng will carry on representing PAP in the contest for Yio Chu Kang SMC.
National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Mr Ng Chee Meng, will contest Jalan Kayu SMC.
Mr Kwek has fought to manage the rising global cost of living for his ward’s families over the years – and will continue to do so.
“Over here in Kebun Baru, we work with the hawkers, our charities, our supermarkets to support the most vulnerable among us for free with groceries, supermarket vouchers, hawker meals, student bursaries,” he said. “We’ll extend them to even more of the sandwiched class and work to keep our merchants’ — especially our hawkers’ — prices fair.”
“Today, a lot of families are feeling the strain,” he added. “That’s why I’ll continue calling for sustained national support for necessary essentials for as long as necessary.”
Mr Kwek, who is one of the PAP’s strongest voices for seniors as Vice-Chair of the PAP Seniors Group, also plans for Kebun Baru seniors to lead long healthy lives. One way he will do so is by inviting doctors and experts to conduct community visits which will let seniors actively participate in improving their own health through workshops, fitness sessions and informal meetups.
For Yio Chu Kang SMC, Mr Yip has similarly championed seniors, turning the ward into Singapore’s first dementia-friendly neighbourhood. This is not only with infrastructure but in mindset and culture. Upgraded HDB homes, enhanced Lentor and Yio Chu Kang gardens, the safe Silver Zone crossings at Ang Mo Kio Street 6, free vaccinations and food rescue programmes are part of this neighbourhood transformation.
“But our work is far from done. In the years ahead, our seniors will age with dignity through the upcoming Silver Upgrading Programme. Families will enjoy improved estates, vibrant playgrounds. Sheltered linkways, a new Sports Park and a revitalised town centre,” he detailed.
Mr Yip will also keep championing local concerns in Parliament like lift upgrading, MRT noise and bus service improvements; he is one of Singapore’s most vocal MPs, having filed over 500 questions in Parliament.
In Jalan Kayu SMC, Mr Ng Chee Meng will fight for the neighbourhood’s workers, like how he fights for Singapore’s workers at the NTUC.
“I fought for workers in difficult times in COVID,” said Mr Ng. “Whether it was helping delivery riders injured on the job to have CPF contributions, securing better pay for lower-wage workers, [or] pushing for flexible arrangements for caregivers. And championing for a level playing field for professionals and managers.”
“These efforts were not just about the policy,” he continued. “But really about people. Real lives, real challenges.”
Mr Ng additionally plans to improve the lives of residents in Jalan Kayu, whether through better facilities for children, better transport connectivity and stronger care networks.
Renewal, continuity and the best possible leadership for Singapore
Source: Nadia Samdin, Darryl David / Facebook
Ang Mo Kio GRC residents can also expect a balance of renewal and continuity with Ms Nadia and Mr David contesting.
During her term as MP, Ms Nadia has built mental health programmes for the GRC’s seniors and launched various meal distributions and grocery support. She also supports students with mentoring and academic programmes, and advocated for more fertility health for families.
“We’re doing more to ease congestion. Especially in terms of the CTE [Central Expressway],” she said. “So we are looking at how we can better upgrade it from Seletar Hills to Yio Chu Kang Road. As well as the North-South Corridor and the various MRT lines.”
Mr David’s connections to Ang Mo Kio stretch back to when he moved into Block 306 as a child over 47 years ago. He still lives in Ang Mo Kio — it is home, and he contests this election to continue building up community spirit and keep the Town Council running well.
“One initiative that we’re very proud of in Ang Mo Kio-Hougang is what we call Bag to School, which is where we get our Ang Mo Kio-Hougang residents to contribute a bag — actual school bags, with stationary and the bag itself for children who are finishing kindergarten and going into Primary One,” he shared about helping low-income families.
“The community has come together to support members of that community who need that support,” he added. “Through this, we built what I call the ‘ABCs of community’. You Assist the community by Bonding them together. And through that, we actually Create a sense of community.”
As Chairman of the Ang Mo Kio Town Council, Mr David took the opportunity to thank the Town Council team for working hard in managing the Town Council, as well as seeing through the Remaking Our Heartlands programme.
This programme included spending a significant amount of time redeveloping, revitalising and recreating Ang Mo Kio Town Centre into a vibrant central place for residents.
Photo courtesy of Present Jalan Kayu Branch
Rounding up the question-and answer session with the media, SM Lee noted that voters will have to judge a candidate not just as an individual, but also according to the party they stand for.
“You are voting for the party which stands behind her or him, and what the party needs by way of support and mandate in order to be able to serve Singapore,” he said.
“In the PAP, we’re putting forward a good team of people that individually I think are good men and women. But at the same time, we’re putting forward a slate whose purpose is to form the government in order to provide the best possible leadership for Singapore.”
