The People's Action Party (PAP) team in Marine Parade GRC plans to engage residents on the ground and tap the collective wisdom they have to offer, said its candidate Tan Chuan-Jin.
"What we're really interested in is not just a democracy of words, but a democracy of deeds," said Mr Tan, who was Speaker in the recently dissolved Parliament. He was setting out his team's response to the Workers' Party's (WP) "Make Your Vote Count" slogan and manifesto.
When asked if one of the team members was likely to be promoted, given that the team does not currently include a senior political office-holder, Mr Tan said that firstly, one should not assume that the election had already been won.
Secondly, he said, questions about having a senior political office-holder to anchor the constituency were secondary to the concerns of the residents.
Mr Tan, 51, and his teammates - incumbents Seah Kian Peng, 58, and Edwin Tong, 50, as well as new faces Mohd Fahmi Aliman, 47, and Tan See Leng, 56 - also spoke about the issues they have been working on for residents.
Dr Tan See Leng, who is former group chief executive and managing director of IHH Healthcare, said seamless covered walkways are a priority and something that the team would work on once the election is over, if elected.
He replaces Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, 79, in the team. Mr Goh announced his retirement last week.
Dr Tan highlighted that a lot of attention has been given to elderly care issues and he would be launching a caregivers support network in Marine Parade immediately after the election.
In the pilot programme, he hopes to implement four things. First, it will be a one-stop centre to provide respite care for caregivers.
Second, it will also look into helping to transport patients for medical follow-ups at polyclinics or hospitals. Third, it will provide a platform for caregivers to understand the entire plethora of options available to help them.
Finally, the network will provide financial assistance to the lower-income group who need such support, said Dr Tan, who emphasised that the programme was born out of feedback he has received from residents over the past two years.
Mr Tong added that future-proofing facilities for an ageing population is an area of focus at both the local and national levels.
Mr Mohd Fahmi, a former army colonel, who will be replacing Dr Fatimah Lateef, 54, said he wants to leverage the links he has with the National Trades Union Congress to help residents in upgrading themselves "so they are able to move on to a better job".
Mr Seah said he has made promises to residents, some of which he has fulfilled, while others are works in progress. For example, he said, residents have been asking for a polyclinic and it should be built in the course of the next term.
Noting that jobs will be a concern for many people, Mr Seah said: "While we may not be able to solve everything, we will solve them (issues) one at a time, a job at a time, a person at a time, a resident, a family at a time."
The five-member PAP team will face a WP team comprising Mr Ron Tan Jun Yen, 35, a senior assistant manager at the National University Health System Research Office, former Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong, 55, and three new faces: lawyer Muhammad Fadli Mohammed Fawzi, 39; IT professional Nathaniel Koh, 36, and small business owner Muhammad Azhar Abdul Latip, 33.
