SINGAPORE: People’s Action Party MP Liang Eng Hwa announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Jul 26) that he has been diagnosed with early-stage nasopharyngeal cancer.
Mr Liang, who has served as an MP since 2006, first at Holland–Bukit Timah GRC before representing Bukit Panjang SMC in 2020, wrote that he will undergo daily radiotherapy treatments for the next seven weeks.
In his post, an open letter to residents and friends, he wrote that he had been experiencing muffled hearing in his left ear for months and had gone to an ENT (ears, nose and throat) doctor, who performed a nasal endoscopy and biopsy.
Subsequent CT and MRI scans indicated early-stage nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC).
“As there are expected side effects from the radiation, I may need to take time off from some community activities and duties in the next couple of months,” wrote the MP, adding that his PAP colleagues from Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, specifically Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, as well as Mr Edward Chia, would cover the majority of his duties while he is unable to attend to them.
Additionally, the Bukit Panjang grassroots team will step up in the interim “to continue serving our residents and to continue our community programmes and activities.
I will do my best during the treatment in the next 2 months. Look forward to joining back fully soon. Thank you.”
Many netizens have wished the MP a speedy recovery.
Mr Liang is the current chairman of the Finance, Trade & Industry Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) in Parliament.
He had narrowly won against Dr Paul Ananth Tambyah, the chairman of the Singapore Democratic Party, in the General Election of 2020, getting 53.73 per cent of the vote while SDP won 46.27 per cent.
Bukit Panjang was formerly represented by Teo Ho Pin (PAP), who represented the constituency from 2006 to 2020, but has since retired and did not contest in the most recent election. /TISG