Talking about how to move Singapore forward, Yee Jenn Jong said that the best way was to “get on the ground”.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jun 28), the former Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) and Workers’ Party politician wrote: “I wonder how many national conversations our first generation leaders had”.
“The best way to listen is to get onto the ground and dirty your hands. See things in the most unglamourous manner”, he wrote. He said that that was probably how the first generation leaders understood how to move Singapore forward.
In May, following the announcement that Sengkang Town Council was to manage the town directly after no bids were received in agent tender, Yee Jenn Jong expressed that he was not at all surprised.
The former Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) said that the nature of Town Council work has always been political, and added that it was designed that way when the People’s Action Party (PAP) first conceived it.
“As a matter of prudence, SKTC called a tender for (managing agent) services for Buangkok, Compassvale and Rivervale divisions in April, well in advance of the expiry date,” said the town council.
However, no bids were received at the close of the tender on Apr 29.
In his post on Wednesday (May 18), Mr Yee said: “I had always believed that eventually, the town council had to be self managed whether we like it or not. During one of my GE2015 rally speeches, I had said if we win Marine Parade GRC, it will be self managed”.
He added that the situation had been designed to be such “given the heavily lopsided nature of Singapore politics”.