GE2025: PAP’s Denise Phua defends relevance of mayors after SDP, PAR call for post to be scrapped

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SINGAPORE - PAP candidate for Jalan Besar GRC Denise Phua said the roles of mayors and the community development councils (CDCs) continue to be important as they serve regional roles that are separate from those of MPs or grassroots advisers.

While most people know the CDC as the lead agency behind the CDC vouchers, the CDCs actually do a lot more than that, said Ms Phua, noting that many of the programmes are also led by the five mayors in charge of the five districts.

She was responding to statements by Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR) leaders, who questioned the relevance of the post during their respective rallies on April 26 and called for it to be abolished.

“We operate as a regional office that does not take over the role of the MP or the grassroots advisers, but really looking at the entire district so that CDCs and the mayors are able to aggregate the needs of the district, find some common areas,” said Ms Phua, who has served as Mayor of Central Singapore District since 2014.

Speaking to reporters at Upper Boon Keng Market and Food Centre on April 27, she cited how the CDC runs more than 50 programmes in her district to address the needs of residents.

Referring to the CDCs as an “ideas bank” and “action enabler”, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, who helms the PAP’s Jalan Besar GRC team, said many programmes in her constituency that are targeted at vulnerable families, mid-career workers and the youth have benefited from the support of the CDC.

“The profiles of our residents have changed from time to time, and when you have new resident groups moving in, it takes time to learn about their needs, understand their aspirations, and then design programmes that they will find useful,” she added.

“The CDCs have often stepped in to share best practices in other constituencies, so that shortens the learning curve, and allows us to learn from others what works, what does not work, and how we can actually innovate in a way that serves the residents,” said Mrs Teo.

Mrs Teo and Ms Phua’s fellow Jalan Besar candidates Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah and Shawn Loh also joined them at the walkabout on April 27. The incumbent PAP team will go head-to-head with the PAR in a battle for Jalan Besar GRC

in the polls on May 3.

Dr Wan Rizal told reporters that racial and religious harmony in Singapore has come a long way, and its related challenges cannot be taken lightly.

The Singapore Government had, on April 25,

moved to block Singapore users’ access to several Facebook posts by foreigners

who attempted to interfere with the general election.

These posts were made by two Malaysian politicians and a former Internal Security Act detainee, who criticised the Singapore Government’s handling of sensitive religious issues and urged Singaporeans to vote along religious lines.

They, along with

a Singaporean self-styled religious teacher based in Malaysia known as Mr Noor Deros,

had spotlighted several opposition politicians in social media posts, including incumbent WP Aljunied GRC MP Faisal Manap, who is contesting Tampines GRC.

Asked for his views on the attempted foreign interference in Singapore’s general election, Dr Wan Rizal emphasised that the party “outrightly rejects such interferences”.

“I think it’s our responsibility, as good politicians, to make sure that this does not affect our politics here in Singapore. We truly believe that at the end of the day... Singaporeans must be our focus and attention as we go forward,” he said.

As a former mosque leader for 10 years, Dr Wan Rizal also said his approach has always been to serve both the Malay/Muslim community and the broader community.

“I think that is how we should view religion in Singapore, it is actually a way to uplift and help one another in Singapore, and we should see it in that context, rather than just a very myopic way of just focusing on one community over the other,” he added.

Building on that, Ms Phua said the five-year Jalan Besar masterplan that they hope to implement is a plan “for all”, and includes both public and private housing residents.

“We are excited about being given a chance to build an even more vibrant, sustainable town, and definitely a more caring community for all,” she added.

Mr Loh also shared his experience on the ground, saying “every single handshake, every smile, every word of encouragement, every word of support” is important.

“It’s a reflection of the good work that the team has done in the past, and it’s a reflection of the good work that we will continue to do if we get elected into Parliament,” he said.