By a resident at Nee Soon GRC to the Member of Parliament

Hi MP Patrick,

Happy National day!

Congratulations for officially opening the new and enhanced Nee Soon East Community Centre (CC) last week. It is indeed bigger better and brighter and brings about a new focal point to Yishun. It has indeed come a long way since 1995. I remember receiving my edusave scholarship awards during my primary school days from your senior, MP Ho Peng Kee. Those were my fond memories of the CC.

A few years back I also took my Mandarin classes there. Though I still can’t converse in Mandarin, I enjoyed my lessons and made new friends.

I clearly remember some of the best Deepavali shows I have seen were hosted at the old CC. These are still so fresh in my mind not to mention the Malay weddings that we conducted at the CC.

As a next step, I look forward to playing badminton at the new CC, like the good old days.

Thank you, sir, I believe this is something you put in place when you took office in 2011.

But I am a little unsettled about one time. I saw the video commercial for NorthPark Residences, which will be right next to Yishun MRT station touted to be the crown jewel of Yishun with all the integrated shopping mall, etc. In all honesty based on the pictures, it looks amazing. They also advertised that it will be the first community club within a shopping mall.

Here is my issue; the newly opened Nee Soon East CC is merely a three mins walk to the Northpark Residences. Isn’t it much of an overkill to have so many CCs within such a small vicinity.

What would the services and purposes that the Nee Soon Central CC be serving that value adds or justify having two CCs within such proximity?

Sir one more question if you don’t mind, in 2011 you visited my house asking for my family and me to vote for you. We know you are working very hard for our GRC we see it in all the posters that are put up around Yishun. When will you be visiting us again? We have no problems we just want to say hi. It’s going to be like five years, and some of us are feeling you will only visit us at election time.

Thank you, sir. Keep doing the good work that you are doing.

Reply by Mr Patrick Tay to resident

Thanks for your mail. The Née Soon Central CC because indoor will serve more different target group of indoor activities and both NSE and NSC will synergies our efforts. NSE will be focusing quite a bit of sports like basketball, badminton and rock wall climbing which the indoor CC will not be able to accommodate. We have extended and now we have three badminton courts (instead of two) thanks to feedback from residents.

As for block visits, NSE has about 180 blocks and my team of volunteers and I have carried out weekly house visits since May 2011 (at least one block per week). We have visited each of our NSE blocks about twice to date. We have also organised more than 100 floor/block parties with many diff blocks. Which block are you staying at? May have missed you during my second visit.

Regards,
Patrick Tay

Response by resident to TOC on Mr Tay’s reply

I still feel it is a waste of resources to have so many CCs in such small vicinity. There is also one at Chomp Pang cc that is like two bus stops away. Not to mention the an RC, which is less than five mins away from the Nee Soon East CC. And I am certain there are tons more RCs.

Nee Soon CC
Community Centres in the vicinity

 

When asked if the resident seen Mr Tay after the General Election, “Not at all actually. The first time he came was during the hustings period. The day he came only I was home. After the usual chatter. He was very keen to make contact with my parents who were not home. So just one or two days before the polling day he came back hoping to see my parents. Luckily they were not home. Otherwise, they may be swayed away from voting for the opposition.”

“After that he never came. So it is surprising that he could cover my house twice during the ten days between nomination and polling day. But not once more from then and now.

I know that in other wards they would leave this notice to indicate that the MP was here if we were not home. There was none for us either.

What makes this worst is that based on his email response he feels it is adequate to visit just twice during each five-year term.

This is not the making of a dedicated MP. I am sure this is not the case with Punggol East SMC. We really need more opposition alternatives to beat these guys into shape.”

Increased expenditure of People’s Association for development of facilities

Earlier in parliament this year, Minister Lim Swee Say, Minister (Prime Minister’s Office) and Deputy Chairman of People’s Association explained the 51.3% jump in People’s Association Budget for FY2015 to over S$1 billion in its expenditure estimates, he said that of $339.6 million or 51.3% increase in the estimated Financial Year (FY) 2015 expenditure of the PA, $239.3 million (70.5%) is for the development of facilities for residents’ use. These include the building of the Tampines Town Hub, construction of nine new CCs and two Water-Venture outlets; as well as to upgrade 28 existing CCs under our 15-year upgrading cycle.

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