PAP to campaign on national and local issues

Singapore

THE coming election will see the People's Action Party (PAP) campaign on both national and local issues, ministers helming People's Action Party (PAP) teams at Sembawang and Nee Soon Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) said on Tuesday.

Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who is leading the PAP's team in Nee Soon GRC, said residents will have to choose their representatives on three fronts: on the international stage, in Parliament, and at a local level.

"One, at the national level, who do you want in the Government to represent Singapore, to carry through our aspirations, our future. Two, in Parliament, who you believe can express the aspirations, can fight for you, can get things done for you and work for you. Three, on the ground, running a town council, taking care of you, who do you trust, who will be honest, who will act with integrity and who will work for you," he said. "I think those are simple questions ... over the nine days, we will be talking to residents about these three issues."

Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan, who is helming the Sembawang GRC team, said in Mandarin that his team has put in very good plans to develop the Sembawang, Woodlands and Yishun neighbourhoods.

"The PAP has, in these few years, and together with residents, done a lot for the country and for the people, so people can live together in harmony," he said.

The two ministers were at Yishun Primary School on Tuesday morning to file their nomination papers.

Hundreds of PAP supporters from the grassroots and unions crowded into the school, which also saw candidates from three opposition parties file their papers to contest.

Mr Shanmugam's team in Nee Soon will face a Workers' Party (WP) team, while Mr Khaw's team in Sembawang will face a National Solidarity Party (NSP) team.

The newly-created Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC will see a PAP team face off against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

PAP's Halimah Yacob, who moved to the GRC from her Bukit Batok East ward, said: "Although we're a new GRC we're not new in terms of service. PAP is not new."

SDP's Wong Souk Yee, an adjunct lecturer at the National University of Singapore, said: "We'll fight for greater transparency and accountability."

The WP team spoke to the assembled crowd about how they believe people's lives will improve if the Government faces a strong WP presence in Parliament.

Kevryn Lim, NSP's new face, said many things have changed over the past few years. "You have changed, I have changed, but has (Singapore) changed for the better?"

Spencer Ng, NSP organising secretary, said that the coming election will be the "only chance for the past four years to hold the incumbents responsible for all the policies implemented".

"It is your only chance for the next five years to determine what kind of Singapore you want," he said.

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