Singapore GE2020: Winning PAP teams head out to thank residents for support

Hours after the final results of Friday's general election were announced, candidates from a number of winning People's Action Party (PAP) teams were out at markets and hawker centres to thank residents for their support.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and his East Coast GRC team members Maliki Osman, who is Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Jessica Tan, Cheryl Chan and Tan Kiat How - who got 53.41 per cent of the votes against a Workers' Party team - were out in Bedok.

Mr Tan, the former chief executive of the Infocomm Media Development Authority, said in a Facebook post to residents yesterday: "Work starts immediately. Looking into the matters that you have brought to my attention."

The PAP's East Coast GRC team saw its vote share dip 7 percentage points from the 2015 election, less than the slide in the popular vote nationwide.

In Tampines GRC, where Mr Heng had been an MP for two terms, the team led by Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli and including Dr Koh Poh Koon, Mr Baey Yam Keng, Mr Desmond Choo and Ms Cheng Li Hui walked around markets and coffee shops.

Some residents approached them for autographs and photos, while others shared their views on the election and concerns they had - and the newly elected representatives took down details to follow up on.

The PAP team won 66.41 per cent of the votes, a dip from the 72.07 per cent it got in 2015, against a team from the National Solidarity Party.

Mr Masagos said: "This is the time for us to go out and assure everybody that after winning the election, it is time for us to provide the services, deliver on the promises we have said that we will do in our manifesto."

He also emphasised that new amenities in the town will be built within the "framework of sustainability" to reduce waste and play a part to save the planet.

He noted the uncertain economic situation caused by Covid-19, and said Dr Koh, who is Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and deputy secretary-general of NTUC, and North East District Mayor Desmond Choo will be working together with Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who chairs the National Jobs Council that is seeking to create 100,000 new upgraded jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans.

Mr Masagos said: "Our team will be looking at how to put that on the ground, so that we can also tap the local enterprises to help the people who are affected, at least temporarily, to fend for themselves."

Tampines resident Michelle Low, 33, said of the PAP team: "They take care of the residents very well, every feedback we send is well received, and they always reply to us very promptly."

Mr Syafiq Saniff, 32, and his wife, Ms Faeezah Mahmood, 33, who have two children and have lived in Tampines all their lives, said they were appreciative of amenities that have come up in the past five years, such as Our Tampines Hub that opened in 2017. But they hoped more support can be available for working parents, including financial support for education needs.

Meanwhile, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, who helms the PAP team in Tanjong Pagar GRC, and team members Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and Education, Joan Pereira, Alvin Tan and Eric Chua also visited residents in the constituency. They got 63.13 per cent of the votes against a Progress Singapore Party (PSP) team, a 14 percentage-point drop from their 2015 result.

Mr Chan wrote in a Facebook post: "Work continues today to better take care of our residents... The hard work never ends. It is not a nine-day affair... Whoever our residents voted for, our commitment is to all residents of Tanjong Pagar and all Singaporeans."

He also thanked volunteers, activists and supporters for being the backbone of the team, saying: "Many of them have been with us for many years. They sacrifice their personal time because they share the same belief as us - that we have to take care of our residents to the best of our abilities.

"Without them, we would never be able to serve our residents as effectively. They are not just volunteering for us. They are volunteering to serve all our residents."

In West Coast GRC's Nanyang ward, newly elected MP Ang Wei Neng went on a morning walkabout to thank residents, saying in a Facebook post: "My team will work hard to upgrade the facilities in Nanyang, run programmes to benefit vulnerable families and better connect with Nanyang residents." The PAP West Coast GRC team won 51.69 per cent of the votes against a PSP team led by former PAP backbencher Tan Cheng Bock.

In Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, where the PAP won 66.36 per cent of votes against the Singapore Democratic Party, newly re-elected Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, and Culture, Community and Youth, and her volunteers took walks in various precincts and met residents whom they thanked in person. "Tomorrow and in the days ahead, we will continue to do so, even as we embark afresh on serving you and your families," she said.