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GE2020 constituency broadcasts: What Nee Soon GRC candidates have to say

SINGAPORE — Candidates from the People’s Action Party (PAP) and Progress Singapore Party (PSP) who are vying for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC) set out their proposals to voters in a constituency political broadcast four days before Singapore heads to the polls.

Candidates from the People’s Action Party (top) and the Progress Singapore Party (bottom) are contesting for five seats in Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency.

Candidates from the People’s Action Party (top) and the Progress Singapore Party (bottom) are contesting for five seats in Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency.

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SINGAPORE — Candidates from the People’s Action Party (PAP) and Progress Singapore Party (PSP) who are vying for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC) set out their proposals to voters in a constituency political broadcast four days before Singapore heads to the polls.

The PAP team is led by Mr K Shanmugam, 61. The other four members are Mr Louis Ng, 41; Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, 52; Ms Carrie Tan, 38; and Mr Derrick Goh, 51.

In the broadcast on Monday (July 6), Mr Shanmugam noted that at the national level, voters are concerned about health and jobs because of the Covid-19 pandemic, while at the local level, they want to know what the development plans for the GRC are.

He said that Singapore has kept the Covid-19 mortality rate low, and that the Government will continue to protect the population. He also said that “clear plans” have been announced on job creations.

He added that the PAP team has delivered on its 2015 promise to develop Nee Soon into a “modern, vibrant town”, as he listed out developments that have come up in recent years, including the biggest mall in the north, as well as new plans that are in the pipeline. 

The PSP team comprises Mr Bradley Bowyer, 53; Mr Taufik Supan, 40; Mr Damien Tay, 51; Ms Kala Manickam, 52; and Mr Sri Nallakaruppan, 56 — all of whom are contesting in a GE for the first time. 

Mr Nallakaruppan said that the five members form a “truly multicultural slate of candidates", before highlighting five key initiatives that the team will raise should they be elected.

Mr Tay, Mr Taufik and Ms Manickam spoke in their mother tongues, talking about the same initiatives in Chinese, Malay and Tamil respectively.

If PSP were elected into Parliament, it would be a proud moment for Nee Soon, Mr Nallakaruppan said.

“It would show that we have come of age as a nation, after almost 55 years of independence, and that we are being identified as Singaporeans rather than being defined by race.” 

In these broadcasts, candidates in four- and five-member GRCs have 12 and 15 minutes of airtime respectively. Those vying for single-seat wards each have three minutes to speak.

The broadcasts are being aired on Channel 5, CNA938, cna.asia, 8world.com, CNA YouTube, CNA Facebook and TODAY at 7pm from July 3 to 8.

PAP’S PROPOSALS

  • Referring to Yishun as “the healthcare hub for the northern region” of Singapore — home to two major hospitals, a large polyclinic and various other healthcare amenities — Mr Shanmugam pledged to continue enabling residents to access healthcare easily.

  • He said that the team will work with residents to create new jobs and try to save jobs, saying that PAP has announced clear plans to alleviate economic hardships caused by the Covid-19 crisis. “You know that we will deliver on jobs,” he said.

  • He added that “at least 15 major projects will be completed or significantly upgraded”, including the Yishun Stadium and swimming pool, and the HomeTeamNS Khatib Clubhouse.

  • Ms Tan said that she hopes to help elders feel more connected “by speaking to them and (reaching out) to them in more vernaculars and dialects”. She also wants to speak out for the underserved in Parliament so that their voices can be heard.

  • In the Yishun link division, Mr Goh said that he would roll out the Home Improvement Programme for 41 blocks, improve bus services in areas with new Build-To-Order flats, introduce more inclusive initiatives for vulnerable and young families, revitalise Yishun mall and develop the amenities of the community club.

  • Noting the strong bonds between residents and the PAP team, Dr Faishal said that PAP has programmes to improve the lives of residents, including strengthening marriages and a KelasMateMatika@CC programme (KMM) to help young children in their education. KMM is an initiative from the M3 Collaboration between Mendaki, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore and the People's Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council. 

  • Mr Ng said that Nee Soon Town Council has consistently received top ratings in the town council management report every year, and has done well in areas such as estate maintenance and cleanliness. He spoke of his plans to build a greener community by building “the largest community farm in the heartland” and a community garden producing edible items. “I'll continue to listen with my ears and listen with my heart, and speak up passionately for you (in Parliament),” he said.

Mr Shanmugam said: “We are in the midst of the greatest crisis since the Second World War. The economic situation has been tough. And it is going to be tough, but we can get out of this together.” 

PSP’S PROPOSALS

  • The first of its five initiatives is to create more and better jobs for Singaporeans. Mr Nallakaruppan said that Singaporean professionals, managers, engineers and technicians have to be placed in jobs with some urgency if they are struggling to make ends meet and that strict quotas should be imposed for foreign labour holding employment passes, S-passes and work permits.

  • PSP also advocates for a freeze in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and GST exemption for basic necessities, Mr Nallakaruppan said. This will help lower the cost of living, an area with which he said Singaporeans are having difficulty keeping pace.

  • The party will advocate affordable housing costs for young couples so that they will have decent homes in which to start families, and for en-bloc redevelopment rights to be given to all flat owners so that they can upgrade to new homes, Mr Nallakaruppan said.

  • To help Singaporeans with retirement adequacy, PSP is also proposing an increase in the withdrawal limit from the Central Provident Fund (CFP) from S$5,000 to S$50,000 when the CPF account holder hits 55. “Also, one can sell their en-bloc redevelopment rights and use the funds to top up their retirement account,” Mr Nallakaruppan said.

  • PSP advocates for the doubling of benefits from S$500 to S$1,000 for ComCare which provides social assistance for low-income individuals and families, and for the provision of more financial assistance to those who have lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 crisis. 

  • Mr Bowyer said that Singapore provides “a first-class lifestyle for a few at the expense of so many of us who are just scraping by and feeling second class in our own country”.

  • He added that this does not have to stay that way though. “We can have a Singapore where we can feel confident that we can make a living, where we can have a decent lifestyle at a fair price… That Singapore is not just a dream, but something that is achievable — achievable if we work together.”

Mr Bowyer said: “Whether it is running your town council or arguing policy in Parliament, (PSP) will be a voice that will have your best interests at the centre of all that it does.”

Related topics

political broadcast Nee Soon GRC Singapore General Election SGVotes2020

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