GE2020: ‘Bukit Batok deserves a full-time MP’ says online community

Singapore – In response to a Facebook post by Singapore Democratic Party chief Dr Chee Soon Juan, members from the online community agreed that constituencies deserve a full-time Member of Parliament (MP).

Dr Chee shared a Facebook post by photographer Darren Soh on Thursday (July 2) which garnered responses from netizens noting Bukit Batok, the constituency Dr Chee is contesting in, deserves a full-time Member of Parliament.

Mentioned in the post was Block 210A Bukit Batok Street 21, which was highlighted in last year’s news due to a fire that claimed the life of a woman. The Singapore Civil Defence Force discovered that the hose reel closets were padlocked rendering them useless during an emergency.

In a separate event on Monday (June 29), Dr Chee posted a photo of a Permit to Operate sign past its validity date in a Bukit Batok Central lift. The permit’s date of expiry was dated December 31, 2019, yet the lift was still operating. “Given the spate of lift mishaps where residents have died and others severely injured (including an elderly lady whose arm was sheared off), I would have thought that the Town Council would pay particular attention to the operational safety of HDB lifts,” said Dr Chee.

Facebook user Kuan Kuan commented on the post, saying “Bukit Batok deserves a full-time MP.” He noted that the current MP, Mr Murali Pillai, was a senior counsel, “which is the Singapore equivalent to a Queen’s counsel.” The concerned citizen found it “weird” that Mr Murali was contesting in a working- to middle-class-district. “In addition, with his million-dollar cases, he really has no time for free or charitable work and also time to manage his family,” added the netizen. Without criticising Mr Murali’s track record, others noted “he has too much on his hands to really represent the residents of Bukit Batok” and that such a scenario “was unfair to the voters.”

Facebook user Eddiekohts shared a conversation he overheard between a father and son regarding who to vote for and why. The dialogue occurred as follows:

Netizens also shared their support for Dr Chee and his perseverance to the cause. It is the second time Mr Murali and Dr Chee are contesting in the same constituency, with the former receiving 61.2 per cent of the vote during a by-election in 2016.

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