Many Tampines residents he meets on house visits remain concerned about Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat's condition, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said yesterday.

They have also said they will pray for his recovery, Mr Masagos added, responding to questions from reporters on his fellow Tampines GRC MP who collapsed during a Cabinet meeting on May 12 after a stroke.

"This is the kind of society we want: people who care for someone who has done so much, dedicated his life to Singapore," he said.

Mr Heng remains in stable condition in hospital in intensive care.

"The procedures and process that he has gone through have been good. But we need to give him time to recover," Mr Masagos said.

He added that residents who want to leave their good wishes for Mr Heng can do so at the Tampines Central Community Club.

It will put the messages together and present them to Mr Heng when he recovers, he said.

Meanwhile, the other four MPs in Tampines GRC are taking turns to conduct his weekly Meet-the-People Sessions. They will also do house visits on Mr Heng's behalf and handle municipal issues that crop up.

The MPs have always worked as a team to run the GRC, and are used to dividing up tasks and duties among themselves, Mr Masagos added.

He also reiterated that the team is focused on ensuring Our Tampines Hub - Singapore's first integrated community facility - opens on schedule. The 5.3ha project, which will be launched in stages starting from November, will include a hawker centre, a one-stop centre for government services, a community kitchen for seniors, and sports and retail facilities.

Chong Zi Liang