Paul Tambyah holds ‘Ask Paul Anything’ session for Bukit Panjang residents

Singapore – Opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chairman Dr Paul Tambyah held a meet and greet at Bukit Panjang, the constituency he is fielding for the upcoming General Elections. Known for his online series Ask Paul Anything where members of the public share their concerns, Dr Tambyah held a similar session but for the residents.

The meet and greet session was held at Block 254 at Bangkit, Bukit Panjang on Thursday (July 2). Not forgetting to practice safety measures, he asked everyone attending to keep a safe distance and only accommodated groups of five residents at a time. Dr Tambyah tackled issues such as checks and balances in Parliament, changes in Bukit Panjang when elected and his availability to take on the role.

A resident asked him how he would juggle his multiple roles on a local and international scale if elected as a Member of Parliament. Dr Tambyah replied that he would focus on mentoring. He noticed that there are many young and capable individuals to whom he can gradually pass on the responsibilities and roles he has. “I would still be around and provide guidance to them,” assured Dr Tambyah, who stands with Dr Chee Soon Juan’s statement that MPs should not be on a part-time basis.

“If you were the elected MP for Bukit Panjang, what would you do differently?”

Dr Tambyah reassured the residents that the “door is open,” and they want to hear the issues such as the noise concerns in certain areas due to lorry deliveries in commercial establishments or narrow streets with minimal visibility. He suggested making a list and “spell things out” then conduct a follow-up to the respective Government agencies such as the Land Transport Authority. “It’s about time we get a response from them,” he added after hearing that some residents have already filed their concerns in the past with no feedback.

Regarding the language barrier that could pose as a problem when interacting with the public, Dr Tambyah responded in Mandarin, which garnered applause from the attendees. “The most embarrassing thing is I can’t speak Tamil to save my life,” he admitted.

Getting into Parliament to conduct checks and balances

A resident asked how resources are being allocated among businesses such as small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Government-linked companies and multinational companies.

Dr Tambyah replied that the best way to check is to ask the question in Parliament. “You can ask the question to a minister, and they can ignore you, but when you are in Parliament, you ask a question, the minister may try and dance around the question, but he has to answer. Even if he doesn’t answer the question properly, the next time around, you can ask the same question until he answers. That’s why we’re asking you to help us get into Parliament. So we can ask the questions you want to ask and the minister has no choice but to answer.”

Watch the full meet and greet below:

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