PAP incumbents announce new facilities, better connectivity for Holland-Bukit Panjang Town

SINGAPORE - The incumbent People's Action Party (PAP) MPs for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC on Saturday assured residents that they will have access to new facilities, more greenery and better connectivity over the next five years.

These include a new polyclinic and hawker centre in Senja, a fresh community garden trail and nature park in Bukit Panjang and more covered pedestrian walkways and fitness corners, they said as the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council, which they lead, outlined its Town Improvement Plan for the next five years.

Also in the pipeline are new train stations on the upcoming Downtown Line 2, a new slip road connecting Senja Road directly to the Kranji Expressway, and a new boardwalk and multi-purpose stage around Bukit Panjang's Pang Sua Pond for community activities.

The four-member Holland-Bukit Timah GRC team, led by Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, includes Minister of State for Education as well as Communications and Information Sim Ann, and backbenchers Christopher de Souza and Liang Eng Hwa.

All four confirmed today that they will stay on to defend the constituency at the coming general election. Dr Teo Ho Pin will also defend Bukit Panjang SMC.

All five seats are set to be contested by the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) led by party chief Chee Soon Juan.

In the 2011 General Election, Dr Teo secured 66.3 per cent of the votes in Bukit Panjang SMC against the SDP's Alec Tok. The Holland-Bukit Timah GRC PAP team won 60.1 per cent of votes against an SDP team led by former civil servant and former presidential election candidate Tan Jee Say, who now leads the Singaporeans First (SingFirst) party.

Dr Balakrishnan said on Saturday that while Singapore has achieved much in the past 50 years, a lot still has to be done, citing the country's ageing population as one of the huge challenges ahead.

Describing his team as "time-tested" and "experienced", he added that voters will have to decide "who they trust" for the coming election.