SINGAPORE: Amid preparations for the upcoming Budget and Committee of Supply debates, The Workers’ Party Members of Parliament continue to do vital on-the-ground work, with house visits that allow them to connect with Singaporeans and find out about the issues that concern them.
Leader of the Opposition and WP secretary-general Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) wrote in a Facebook post that it was a pleasure to meet with a Eunos resident and his family once more, and it made him think of his own young daughters.
“On a more personal note, it was reminder that kids grow up fast, especially considering the last time I saw the family.
Looking forward to spending some quality time with my daughters soon! #alwaysmaketimeforfamily.”
Mr Singh and his wife, theatre practitioner, Ms Loveleen Kaur Walia, have two girls under the age of 10.
As for MP He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC), recent house visits appear to have made her think of Singapore’s older residents, and how much there is to learn from their wisdom and experience.
“We often hear a lot about how #SengkangGRC is ‘full of young people’. While it is true that our demographics are skewed towards young families, this does not do justice to the diversity and vibrancy that are brought to our estate and communities by our seniors,” she wrote in a Feb 17 (Friday) Facebook post.
She also noted that many elders move homes to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
“We must continue to work together to craft policies that encourage solidarity across generations, and to allow our fellow residents to live their best lives, whatever age they are,” she added.
Like Mr Singh, this week’s house visits brought his daughter to mind for Assoc Prof Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC), perhaps because they coincided with the time when the children were being put to bed.
“In my conversations with parents, I was again reminded that—in spite of a reasonable number of childcare centers in the estate—a number of new parents do face challenges getting their kids into schools, and newer estates often still have a relatively lower density of such facilities, resulting in long waitlists,” he wrote.
Assoc Prof Lim added that his daughter, who was born in 2019, (the year before he entered politics,) has had a fever this week, but his wife “has been diligent in giving her Kids’ Panadol and giving her midnight cooling baths, so it’s been under control, even if unpleasant.”
He ended his post with a note of encouragement to “To all parents out there: hang in there, through the sickly days and rough nights; it’ll get better soon.”
The third Sengkang GRC MP, Mr Louis Chua, wrote that during his latest house visits, he had many discussions with residents about the Budget, which Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Tuesday (Feb 14).
“Much food for thought there, including of course the ‘Great Compassion Mantra’ hanging on the walls of one of our residents!”
He added, however, that it is “always comforting to see a welcome sign like the one in the last picture!”
/TISG