Singapore — A Bukit Batok resident who complained about the lack of a walkway by the side of a road to the Jurong-Clementi Town Council about a year ago has not heard from it, according to Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan.
The issue the resident raised is the lack of a walkway in the vicinity of Block 190, Bukit Batok West Avenue 6, which means pedestrians have to walk on the road alongside traffic.
The resident concerned had received an email in October 2019 telling him that the matter “is receiving our attention” and that he would be kept informed.
Dr Chee wrote in a Facebook post on Friday (Sept 4):
“If they haven’t already done so, the least that the officials can do is to keep residents informed of plans (if any) to build a walkway.”
Dr Chee, who also asked why the town council does not include “Bukit Batok” in its name, was in the area on Sunday (Sept 6) to see for himself the danger posed to pedestrians and to speak to residents. He posted later that he saw a few cases of vehicles driving uncomfortably close to pedestrians. Several residents said it was indeed a problem and wanted a pavement constructed.
Dr Chee urged the town council to look into the matter and take action before something serious happened.
https://www.facebook.com/cheesoonjuan/posts/10160810271193849?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAzkBl-WXrsAmKZ4lbh421B1wG0drCQrUx9peymk9ayb7jyaWfVMGWrGsjN2sHF3iO4JY1c5Al8grujlUUNHINtTPRz5UKFMtQ-r00_2sfQEcUNzf8EbeexwWo4FgFdp60E0zrsWzDvhbG0US4rrzhCpByH16GFdkTHbAA8g1qtg8bRDbUC5TsHGDlBfeFPueYHMdYlvYJp4o_qofyYbV-IODnyXb5p7qsxwA8H5cGSSsrv6w2kTvk_phR7FqY9GTxOZ_tUtWIhCu6FRrLTJfcHHDJ9V47OPE-RbCVmer3ftO4KTOGPKFq4IQQE7jUIHqSCMGmrAXsJvQ&__tn__=-R
Dr Chee has been walking the ground at Bukit Batok SMC since he first contested the ward in the 2016 by-election that was called when the People’s Action Party MP for the ward resigned following an extramarital affair with a grassroots member.
He went head to head with the PAP’s Murali Pillai, who had been a member of the losing PAP team in Aljunied GRC in the 2015 General Election. Mr Murali won in Bukit Batok with 61.2 per cent of the vote.
Mr Murali did not fare as well when he faced off with Dr Chee again in the 2020 General Election but was returned to Parliament with 54.8 per cent of the vote. Although he failed to clinch the ward, Dr Chee achieved his personal best score in his entire political career, with a vote share score of 45.2 per cent.
After the July election, Dr Chee said he intended to remain in Bukit Batok SMC and re-contest the ward in the next General Election. He also launched a grassroots campaign to help Bukit Batok residents and began to raise funds for the initiative.
Meeting with residents in his regular walkabouts in the area, Dr Chee has highlighted several municipal issues to JRTC in recent months — some of which have been resolved after he shone a spotlight on the issues on social media.
While Dr Chee plans to stay in Bukit Batok SMC for the long haul, there are fears that the hotly-contested ward will be absorbed into a larger multi-member ward — like Jurong GRC — ahead of the next General Election.
Chee Soon Juan hopes Bukit Batok SMC will not disappear by the next polls