SINGAPORE — Calling politics not a “career” but a “sacred duty”, Mr Murali Pillai, the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate for the Bukit Batok by-election, kicked off his first rally of the election on a personal note, paying homage to the three “giants” who shaped his entry into politics — among them his late father and the constituency’s former Member of Parliament (MP), the late Dr Ong Chit Chung.

“This is not my career … this is a cause, this is a sacred duty. I am not interested to say things just to keep me in the post, that is not what drives me,” said the 48-year-old lawyer, who also emphasised his 16 years of community work in the ward.

Peppering his speech with smatterings of Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, Mr Murali — referred to as “Ah Mu” by the PAP’s Bukit Batok branch activists who took to the stage earlier to stump for him — said his late father, the trade unionist and former Barisan Sosialis member P K Pillai, had told him that if he entered politics, what he did should be for the people.

“He said when you leave politics, make sure you leave with just the shirt on your back. That was his advice to me when I asked him whether I could join PAP,” said Mr Murali.

He credited the late Dr Ong — who took care of the ward for more than 20 years — for introducing him to social service. Dr Ong, said Mr Murali, taught him the meaning of strong leadership and the importance of forging a committed group of volunteers.

“Many of them who are here today … If I were to throw a stone and it hits them, it would probably hit a person who has served 15 years and above; many of them have served 30 years and above,” said Mr Murali.

Citing former Cabinet Minister Lim Boon Heng, who was the anchor minister of Jurong GRC when Dr Ong passed away in 2008, as his third mentor, Mr Murali said he learnt from him the value of listening and understanding what drives residents.

Between the late Dr Ong’s efforts, the dedicated volunteers and a community willing to face problems together, Bukit Batok has become a “beautiful housing estate”, while the PAP has become a “trusted” party that will always look out for its residents’ interests, said Mr Murali.

Setting out his vision of an inclusive Bukit Batok, Mr Murali stressed that the ward will be part of the “Jurong family” — together with Jurong GRC anchored by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

“DPM and the fellow Jurong MPs will take care of Bukit Batok because we are part of the family,” said Mr Murali.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu and Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob also took to the stage at the rally, with Ms Fu, who is MP for Yuhua, describing Mr Murali as sincere, humble and committed.

Noting he was able to win over many in Paya Lebar when he was deployed to Aljunied GRC to stand in the General Election last year, Ms Fu said: “He gets along with residents of all ages, and all races and all religions.”

Mdm Halimah, who is MP for Jurong GRC, reiterated that Mr Murali was not a new face in Bukit Batok and would be an effective voice for the residents as he understood their needs.

Neither was Mr Murali a person who would only fall in line with the PAP leadership — he would stand firm on his views if he felt it was right, she added.