The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and residents of Block 115 and 119 Marsiling Rise have been left confused after news reports suggest varying outcomes.
In a Facebook post on Thursday (Jan 16) the SDP wrote that Mediacorp’s Channel 5 news updated its news clip on the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) for blocks 115 and 119 of Marsiling Rise.
They shared screenshots taken yesterday evening (Jan 15) where the newscaster, Otelli Edwards said: “Residents of two Marsiling HDB blocks are set for upgrades that will give them lift access at every floor.”
In the updated version, the subtitles were removed and Otelli Edwards’ part was replaced by a male voiceover who quoted MP Ong Teng Koon saying “it is only a matter of time that the government will take action.”
They added: “Another CNA News screenshot carried the headline that Mr Ong was “close to a solution” for the 2 affected HDB blocks”.
The SDP also wrote: “This has confused the public, especially the affected residents of these 2 blocks. The original version raised their hopes that their mobility problems especially the elderly and disabled were finally close to a solution but the revised version seems to dampen that enthusiasm”.
They also commented that MP Ong Teng Koon cannot continue to rely on the rhetoric that it is “only a matter of time that the government will take action” and that he is “close to a solution” when he has been the incumbent member of parliament since 2011. /TISG