Focus of the Jalan Besar team has always been and will be on residents: Josephine Teo

SINGAPORE - The focus of the Jalan Besar GRC team has always been and will be on its residents, said Minister for Digital Development and Information and Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity Josephine Teo.

“We will do our best to serve their needs, regardless of who wishes to contest (in the GRC) when the elections come. The residents’ needs have always been part of everything that we do, especially in terms of estate improvements as well as the programmes that we put in place to strengthen the community and to make positive engagements,” Mrs Teo, who helms the People’s Action Party team in Jalan Besar GRC, told reporters on March 12.

Jalan Besar GRC’s other MPs are veterans Heng Chee How and Denise Phua, and polytechnic lecturer Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah.

When asked if the team will remain intact and if she will be continuing to lead the team there, Mrs Teo said: “It is premature and probably not helpful to speculate.”

“We all serve at the Prime Minister’s pleasure, and whoever the PM decides to lead the constituencies, you can be sure that he has put his heart and soul into his decisions,” she said.

“We can be sure that whichever team the PAP fields, it will have the same level of commitment and passion towards our constituents.”

Already, two opposition parties, namely the National Solidarity Party and the People’s Alliance for Reform, have staked a claim on Jalan Besar GRC, which could result in a three-cornered fight.

Responding to this, Mrs Teo said: “Whoever chooses to contest here, we will do our best to present our plans to our residents, and they can decide for themselves which will be the stronger team that can help fulfil the aspirations for themselves and their families as well as for the environment in which they live.”

Mrs Teo was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the Aljunied family burial ground information board at the Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka in Keng Cheow Street, off Havelock Road, on March 12.

Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, established in 1820, is one of Singapore’s oldest mosques at 205 years old. It was built by Arab merchant Syed Omar bin Ali Aljunied in then Kampong Melaka, an area populated by Malaccan traders and fishermen.

The board helps bridge the past and present of the mosque and burial ground, through a display of pictures and text. It is also aimed at strengthening intergenerational bonds, enabling younger members of the community to discover and value their cultural roots and shared history.

The installation of the board at the mausoleum also serves to foster educational opportunities, strengthening community engagement, preserving cultural significance, supporting economic development, and enhancing social cohesion.