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PAP lays out rejuvenation plans for Bukit Batok if elected, but SDP hits back

SINGAPORE — A multi-generation fitness park, sheltered walkways and a jogging track are on the cards for Bukit Batok residents — but this is if the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Murali Pillai prevails in the coming by-election.

Dr Chee (left) and Mr Murali in Bukit Batok on Sunday, April 24, to meet residents. Photo: Robin Choo, Jason Quah

Dr Chee (left) and Mr Murali in Bukit Batok on Sunday, April 24, to meet residents. Photo: Robin Choo, Jason Quah

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SINGAPORE — A multi-generation fitness park, sheltered walkways and a jogging track are on the cards for Bukit Batok residents — but this is if the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Murali Pillai prevails in the coming by-election. 

Detailing these proposed improvements to the estate — the first of several plans Mr Murali said he would share before Nomination Day on Wednesday (April 27) — the lawyer said these are part of plans by Jurong-Clementi Town Council, under the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP). The NRP is fully funded by the Government and implemented by town councils. Bukit Batok was among the estates selected for the programme last year. 

“We would only have the mandate to carry on if we are returned in the next by-election. If we don’t have the mandate, then we don’t have the ability to carry on because we can’t form the town council,” Mr Murali told reporters during a visit to the ward on Sunday. 

This prompted a response from the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), which last week announced a series of social assistance schemes to be implemented in Bukit Batok should party chief Chee Soon Juan win the election on May 7. In a statement, the SDP said: “Any responsible MP would ensure such basic necessities (the linkways) are available to the residents and not made into an election issue.”

Town councils nominate estates for the NRP, and the Ministry of National Development assesses and decides which estates make the final cut. 

The proposed linkways would connect 17 HDB blocks to the town centre’s market. To cost about S$1.9 million, it will involve blocks 140 to 149 at Bukit Batok West Avenue 4.

Mr Murali said the Bukit Batok estate is a “mature one with evolving needs” and Jurong-Clementi Town Council had been consulting residents since last year — before Mr David Ong of the PAP stepped down as their Member of Parliament last month amid allegations he had an extramarital affair with a grassroots volunteer. About 640 households were surveyed.

Asked if the PAP was focusing on infrastructural improvements — compared with SDP’s plans on social assistance — Mr Murali said other plans would be unveiled “in due course”. 

The SDP’s Dr Chee was also in Bukit Batok on Sunday to meet residents. Reiterating calls to foster a strong community spirit in the neighbourhood, Dr Chee noted some residents had expressed concern over the needs of the elderly, who form a large part of the constituency’s population. 

“Going forward, Singapore needs such communities, where people care for one another when they come together. They talk, they sit, they have time to build up the kampung spirit,”  he said.

Asked about comments made by Singapore People’s Party chairman Lina Chiam on the SDP not seeking permission to use a picture of Dr Chee with SPP chief Chiam See Tong in an SDP newsletter, Dr Chee waved off the issue as a “distraction” and said he wanted to focus on his campaign. “That’s what the essence of being an MP is. Get back to the issue ... the rest is just distraction. It serves nobody and no purpose,” he said. 

In its statement, the SDP also stressed the need to consult residents before committing funds for projects such as the proposed multi-generation fitness park cited by Mr Murali. 

“Such a huge undertaking requires due consideration of not just the cost of construction but also the cost of ongoing maintenance. Our social programmes are designed to meet such needs already,” the party added. 

Nomination Day proceedings will begin at 11am at Keming Primary School on Wednesday. On Saturday, the Elections Department announced that five applications for Political Donation Certificates were received for the election. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VALERIE KOH

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