Chee Soon Juan disappointed with Murali Pillai on Bukit Batok sheltered walkway issue

Secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Dr Chee Soon Juan took to social media to call out Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Batok SMC Murali Pillai for not “listening to residents”.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sep 23), Dr Chee wrote that the residents call for a pavement to be laid in Bukit Batok, from Blk 187 to the bus-stop nearby was for safety reasons.

Dr Chee said that Mr Murali refuses to do so and he “continues to offer excuses and distractions rather than valid reasons. This is disappointing”.

Sharing a photo of the vicinity, Dr Chee wrote: “Under the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, a shelter is being considered along an existing footpath beside a playground with no vehicular traffic.
On the other hand, residents are calling for a pavement to be built along a route with high human traffic and, more importantly, one where residents have to walk on the road where motor vehicles pass”.

In the photo, a proposed sheltered linkway was to be built between a playground and a fitness corner, in an area where there was no traffic.

Dr Chee shared another photo of a road, with cars travelling alongside a number of people walking on it.

He said: “Which one should be built?
Top photo: Authorities propose a shelter to be built along the existing pathway beside a playground with relative little human traffic.
Bottom photo: Residents want a pavement along a much used route to avoid walking on the road”.

On his own Facebook page, Mr Murali shared some of his plans regarding the sheltered linkway.

He wrote: “A sheltered linkway serving blocks 187 to 194B is available. One further sheltered linkway at Blk 185 is under construction. (I am not referring to unsheltered walkways or aprons – these are different and we should not confuse them)”.

“Fact no: 2 – To build a linkway, Bukit Batok residents have to absorb 10% of the construction costs and 100% of maintenance costs. But it’s not about the money – over the years we have spent millions on miles of linkways. It is about the needs of residents – to build a sheltered linkway when one already exists may simply not be the best way to weigh competing needs”, he added.