Heng shrugs off possibility of multi-party contest in Tampines

SINGAPORE — Shrugging off the prospect of a multi-cornered fight in Tampines Group Representation Constituency (GRC), the constituency’s anchor minister Heng Swee Keat said the guiding principle of his People’s Action Party (PAP) team has been to serve their residents well.

“We take every election seriously. We are never complacent,” said the Education Minister, speaking to TODAY before his Meet the People Session. “Whether it is one party or two parties, (it) does not make a difference to us because it does not affect our work in any way,” he added.

Opposition parties Singaporeans First, National Solidarity Party and People’s Power Party (PPP) had previously indicated their intention in contesting in the GRC, but the PPP has since dropped its interest. Horse-trading talks last night between the Opposition parties failed to yield a complete resolution on possible multi-cornered fights. The parties, which will meet again on Thursday, remain deadlocked on some constituencies.

“My colleagues and I have been working the ground, doing our best to serve our residents ... ,” Mr Heng said. “Of course, any member of the Opposition is free to contest. This is a democracy and it is up to them to decide. At the end of the day, Tampines residents will judge, they will have the final say.”

On the keen interest in contesting Tampines GRC, Mr Heng noted that compared with recent General Elections (GEs), there are more active Opposition parties this time. “Some parties have broken up and formed new parties, so it is for them to decide how they want to contest,” he said.

Mr Heng had previously named two possible candidates who could be part of his team in the coming GE — Mr Desmond Choo, a director at the National Trades Union Congress who twice contested and lost in Hougang, and Ms Cheng Li Hui, deputy chief executive officer and executive director at Hai Leck Holdings. Yesterday, he stressed the final line-up will be confirmed only when the time is right.

“We do our best to have a team whom the party feels can serve our residents well, (and) who can complement one another,” he said.

Mr Heng also pointed out that a GE is not just about choosing MPs who can best serve them at the municipal level, but also choosing the best party that can form the Government. The PAP, he said, has crafted policies to address people’s concerns that have emerged from the Our Singapore Conversation project. The ruling party has also used the feedback to think about long-term issues facing the country.

“There are many things that my party would like to do to take Singapore forward so I hope that fellow Singaporeans will give us their support,” Mr Heng said.