The above article from our very own “fair and objective” Straits Times quoted MP Teo Ho Pin [picture, right] saying that his ward Bukit Panjang is safe, he has not seen a gang fight in 14 yrs and wants residents to be pro-active, take responsibility and give information if they see suspicious activities.
Later in the article, one resident, Raj, said he has been writing to the MP and police for 2 whole years about the neighborhood which is “brimming with illegal activities”. Other residents said they feel unsafe in the area where rowdy teens with tatoos hang out frequently.
I brought up this article not to talk about gangs but how the perception and thinking of leaders can be very far removed from the reality on the ground. In this case, an MP who is suppose to [be] close to the ground doesn’t know what goes on in his neighborhood, [and] denies the place is unsafe when residents feel a lot more has to be done. He asks for more information when residents have already provided feedback on the matter for more than 2 years.
This particular MP is believed to be one of the better MPs around.
If you want things to be fixed and your interests addressed, you cannot simply give feedback and write emails …that was what the people of Bukit Panjang did and their problems only got worse. You have to send a strong signal in the next elections…a signal so strong that it cannot be ignored for things to change for the better and to make Singapore a better home for all Singaporeans.
Read the full article on Singapore Mind.
