SPP to push for more bus services, hawker centres in Hong Kah North

SINGAPORE — The Singapore People’s Party’s (SPP) candidate in Hong Kah North Single-Member Constituency has promised to lobby for more bus services, hawker centres and markets for the town, should he be elected into Parliament.

In his manifesto launched today (Sept 3), Mr Ravi Philemon, who is challenging the People’s Action Party’s Amy Khor, also pledged to campaign for the leases of HDB flats built in the town in the 1980s to be topped up by 30 years.

Besides the municipal improvements, he also promised to serve as a full-time Member of Parliament and will hold Meet-the-People sessions thrice a week.

“It’s very important for residents to be able to meet their MPs to resolve some of the pressing issues and concerns that they face. I promise to be accessible all the time. If you look at my manifesto and other collaterals, my personal phone number and email is there,” said the 47-year-old blogger, during a walkabout in Bukit Batok West Avenue 2 today.

The promise of having a town council that serves residents “at (their) call” was inspired by how SPP chief Chiam See Tong ran his in Potong Pasir, when he was MP for 27 years until 2011.

In one instance, a resident’s circuit breaker had malfunctioned at 10pm, and despite the late hour, a town council worker turned up at his doorstop to help.

Mr Philemon also intends to set up a S$500,000 medical assistance fund for residents who need essential but non-subsidised medical drugs.

National level policies he wants to fight for include giving Singaporeans priority for all jobs. The Fair Consideration Framework that has been introduced by the Government, which requires employers to advertise openings on a national Jobs Bank for at least 14 days before they can approach foreigners, is “not enough”, he argued.

On top of that, Mr Philemon said he would also seek for unemployment insurance and social pension schemes to be rolled out. “With the permanency of jobs becoming less and less secure in the economy of the future, Singaporeans should have better peace of mind regarding steady stream of income in case they are laid off,” he said.

Asked about funding, Mr Philemon said: “What’s more important is that in principle, we need to agree that there is the need for such a scheme. The future economy is such that there is no more iron rice bowl. The time you stay in a particular job will be shorter, which means that people need assurance.”

Mr Philemon said he has combed all 150 blocks within the constituency over the past few weeks, with the help of his family. Yesterday, he was joined by his daughter Jewel, 21, and son Jeremy, 20. Ms Philemon, a communications executive, said that she has taken leave during this period to support her father as his campaign manager.