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Banker joins PAP’s Chua Chu Kang GRC team

SINGAPORE — New face Yee Chia Hsing, head of Catalist at CIMB Bank Singapore, was officially introduced as the replacement for two-term Member of Parliament Alvin Yeo’s spot on the People’s Action Party’s Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency line-up today (Aug 16).

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SINGAPORE — New face Yee Chia Hsing, head of Catalist at CIMB Bank Singapore, was officially introduced as the replacement for two-term Member of Parliament Alvin Yeo’s spot on the People’s Action Party’s Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency line-up today (Aug 16).

The 44-year-old joins a relatively fresh team, which comprises Ms Low Yen Ling, who entered politics in 2011 but has been made Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth, as well as Social and Family Development, as well as two-term MP Zaqy Mohamad. They will be led by incumbent anchor minister Gan Kim Yong.

The fifth member of the existing Chua Chu Kang team of MPs, Mr Alex Yam, is expected to be fielded in the newly-formed Marsiling-Yee Tee GRC, which his ward will be absorbed into at the coming polls.

Mr Yee began voluntary work in 2008 and still volunteers at Ren Ci Hospital. He started grassroots work in 2011 and was Treasurer to the Chong Pang Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC) within Nee Soon GRC, before becoming PAP’s branch chairman of Punggol East SMC last year. In July, he was appointed vice-chairman of the Nanyang CCC.

Asked about the perception that Mr Yee has been parachuted in, Mr Gan, who is Health Minister, said that serving residents is “a long journey”. Mr Yee has been “working very hard” over the last one month, and that is a good start, he added.

Mr Yee is also not “entirely new” in community work, said Mr Gan. Furthermore, having come from the private sector, Mr Yee brings with him experience interacting with small and medium enterprises, so he can understand the challenges faced by them, he added.

Mr Gan also said Mr Yeo has worked diligently on the ground, introduced several programmes to help needy families and fought for many upgrading programmes for his estate during his time as an MP. He “laid a very strong foundation” for his replacement, Mr Gan added.

On whether healthcare costs will be less of an issue in the coming elections, Mr Gan said he will continue to focus on the issue, whether or not it remains a concern for Singaporeans.

“If you have seen the programmes we have rolled out over the last four, five years ... we focus a lot on healthcare costs,” he said, citing the Pioneer Generation Package, enhanced subsidies for specialist outpatient clinics and polyclinics, the Community Health Assist Scheme and the upcoming MediShield Life.

Cost will remain an important focus of his ministry, Mr Gan pledged.

“We have to ensure that the whole healthcare cost of the society remains affordable and sustainable ... Not only do you have to keep the patients’ share affordable, we also have to ensure that the system costs, as a whole, will still be affordable for the country,” he said.

On the challenge the People’s Power Party will mount against his team, Mr Gan said he prefers to focus on how best they can serve residents instead of which opposition parties will be contesting or whether their team will win the elections.

“Winning the election, of course, is an important aspect, but what is more important is for us to engage the residents, because we take every election as an opportunity to renew our commitment to our residents ... and to refresh our engagement and our connection with the voters,” he said. It is also a good time to share future plans and to take stock of their performance in the last few years, he noted.

Mr Gan added that elections is also timely for Singaporeans to reflect on their vision for Singapore for the next five decades.

He said: “What kind of society do you want, what kind of values do you hold dear, what kind of Singapore do you hope for? These are very important questions we should consider as we go to the polls to choose the leaders that will lead us forward.”

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