The People's Action Party (PAP) candidates running in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC will continue to take a team approach to town management if elected, with plans such as lift upgrading and improved connectivity in store.
They noted, however, that Bukit Panjang residents will be served by separate town councils managed by different political parties if the PAP does not retain both constituencies in the general election.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa, who is battling Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chairman Paul Tambyah for the Bukit Panjang seat, is tipped to be the next chairman of the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council if elected.
Parts of Bukit Panjang fall under Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, and the town council currently serves both constituencies.
But if Mr Liang does not win, Bukit Panjang SMC will be run by a separate town council, and there may be some differences that "residents can feel", said Ms Sim Ann, who is part of the PAP's incumbent team also facing the SDP in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.
"The team that wins in this area, they get to constitute the town council, and they will run the town in a way that they feel is appropriate for the residents," Ms Sim, who is a Senior Minister of State, told the media after a walkabout in Bukit Panjang yesterday.
She noted that the Bukit Panjang area is made up of Bukit Panjang SMC as well as the Zhenghua and Cashew wards under Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.
"We believe it's very important for the town improvements, as well as amenities such as covered walkways, connectivity, infrastructure, that it should be consistent and planned holistically, so that no precinct or no part of the town feels left out or left behind."
Members of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC's PAP team have been seen campaigning with Mr Liang in Bukit Panjang in recent days.
Asked how big a concern the potential loss of the Bukit Panjang seat is and whether the GRC team is confident of its own chances, Ms Sim replied that the town council's five divisions work together "like the five fingers of one hand".
"So being together as a team is very natural," she said.
Mr Liang said some residents have expressed concern about Bukit Panjang's town management and what would happen if it is split into two, adding that he hopes his experience in overseeing the area will appeal to voters.
When approached during his walkabout in the same area later, Professor Tambyah, who was with volunteers, said the SDP also hopes to run the two constituencies under one town council.
But he added that if the PAP wins one constituency and SDP the other, "we are very happy to work with them".
"When it comes down to it, we're all Singaporeans and we're working for the good of the people... I personally have no issue with working with the Holland-Bukit Timah town council, and I'm sure my colleagues in Holland-Bukit Timah would have no issue working with the Bukit Panjang town council if we should be on opposite sides of the fence," he said.
