Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chairman Paul Tambyah appears to be reaffirming his commitment to Bukit Panjang through continued walkabouts in the single member constituency, after a close fight at the July polls.
Dr Tambyah’s connection to Bukit Panjang is new. He was widely expected to lead the SDP team at Holland-Bukit Timah GRC – the ward he contested in the 2015 general election – after SDP chief Chee Soon Juan left the ward to focus on Bukit Batok in the latest election.
In one of the biggest surprises on Nomination Day, Dr Tambyah turned up at the Nomination Centre for Bukit Panjang and was nominated to contest the single member ward.
The ruling party incumbent for Bukit Panjang SMC, Teo Ho Pin, retired ahead of the election and former Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Liang Eng Hwa went head to head with Dr Tambyah for the second time, under the People’s Action Party (PAP) ticket.
In one of the closest fights of the 2020 election, Dr Tambyah lost by a whisker with 46.27 per cent of votes while Mr Liang was narrowly returned to Parliament with 53.73 per cent of votes. Dr Tambyah was one of the best performing opposition candidates who failed to clinch a ward and received his personal best score through his contest at Bukit Panjang.
After the election, Dr Chee announced that he is planning to remain in Bukit Batok SMC, where he received a similar result as Dr Tambyah. The SDP chairman made no such declaration but his actions have given hope to Bukit Panjang residents that he plans to stay and re-contest the ward in about five years’ time.
On Friday (11 Sept), Dr Tambyah revealed that he is walking the ground at Bukit Panjang. Sharing that he led a team of new volunteers during a walkabout in the constituency, the opposition leader reflected on his interactions with the youth at Bukit Panjang and highlighted municipal matters in the ward.
He wrote: “We had a great start to the week with our new volunteers, walking the grounds of Bukit Panjang.
“The youths of Singapore are the future of tomorrow! Happy to interact with these energetic young men during my walkabout. Let’s work towards your aspirations and dreams for a better and compassionate Singapore.
“There also seems to be some teething issues with obstructions of corridors in BP. Connect with me and we will see how to work around your issues.”
https://www.facebook.com/PaulTambyah/posts/2652081801698345?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARANr7R1Qr-EyMbsirva7Aw6ObE2b0DrcNjwFfyQjmg2QnaCohtd7PsLCjCJSc0Xw5Oul1CRkYCoDJ-Hkc5qgUxVESLVPUQxGH2S7vgxqwuZTC1nt286KxOr1T104fQDTfkJwqCr7V9PXO_WuVc4aDFb_Xxw_wKIPZ0qhQAahWNg48kpasShWtv7ggSUzL-a6zgl07q1b8MNSsiVkutm6WVKpKCxNuuINmJKvGxyiBwWiX1O4JT0T88LWuYBQZ9Tg__dJhazQlyf75tvctP67qr1SsVhiapGAgWotyFzueHg2IwwM8ebE-3908BF7hozKRy0VcIDQ9zSl_dQxPIrtyGSYhzS&__tn__=-R
Earlier, Dr Tambyah wrote to the Land Transport Authority on behalf of Bukit Panjang residents to raise concerns about bus services in the ward. He also organised a survey to gather feedback from residents on the amendments to bus services in the estate.
Aside from his work on the ground, the medical doctor provided valuable advice to residents after it was reported that there was evidence of nearly 100 COVID-19 infections among people linked to the Bukit Panjang cluster, as well.
Paul Tambyah appears poised to recontest Bukit Panjang SMC in next general election