SINGAPORE - Singapore People's Party (SPP) candidate Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss on Monday afternoon launched a manifesto for Mountbatten, the single-seat ward where she intends to stand in the upcoming general election.
The 52-year-old lawyer said at an open air amphitheatre at Kampong Arang that the manifesto was a result of discussing and seeking feedback from Mountbatten residents to find out what they hope to see.
"This manifesto wasn't something cobbled together overnight or just because of the general election, but is the product of thought processes that have been going on for some period of time," she said.
The manifesto included a plan to establish a Mountbatten Social Mobility bursary. She hopes to raise $100,000 from the constituency for the pilot project to help 100 young residents who are making the transition from the Institute of Technical Education to polytechnic, and from polytechnic to university.
Mrs Chong-Aruldoss also detailed a plan to "make Mountbatten a home for the heart and not just a place to stay". She pledged to work with food stallholders and government agencies to ensure rental prices are kept affordable.
She also advocated the conservation of Dakota Crescent, which will soon be redeveloped. She said that residents are eager to have it conserved, and asked for them to be given a right in deciding its future.
She also stood in Mountbatten under the National Solidarity Party's banner at the 2011 general election, taking 41.4 per cent of the votes. She moved to the SPP in March this year.
Although she launched her manifesto for Mountbatten without SPP leadership, Mrs Chong-Aruldoss said she has the full backing of her party.
"I am a very proud member of SPP," she said. "I have the full backing of the SPP, which has the institutional memory of running a town council successfully and these people are just a phone call away."
She added: "As a lawyer I'm familiar with corporate and statutory compliance. I've sat on management committees in my private capacity, and I have some experience in estate matters.
"(The manifesto) represents my belief and commitment to Mountbatten."
