Dr Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-General of Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the party’s candidate for the Bukit Batok SMC By-Election disagree that People’s Action Party (PAP) did a good job in its welfare programmes after walking around during his campaign speaking to residents.
Dr Chee was responding to the question posed by the media of whether SDP linked up with Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) for programmes targeted at helping Bukit Batok residents and if SDP would be continuing the programmes after being elected.
Dr Chee spoke to media saying, “If PAP keeps talking about People’s Association, and involving the RCs and so on and so forth, then no, I don’t think they have done a very good job.
…In the past four weeks, we probably have two suicides here in Bukit Batok itself . However how many years PAP have been running this estate and talking about elderly and poor and then you wait until by-election and then you say you want to take care of the elderly and poor? What happen to the work that you have been putting in?”
Dr Chee said to TOC after the media stop that he had just visited a funeral wake the night before and got to know of the suicide and another from residents whom he spoke to. He highlighted that Straits Times had earlier reported on how elderlies are afraid to die alone.
“That is not right.” said Dr Chee.
He went to state that the act of caring for residents should be carried over even if one is not elected as a Member of parliament and not to say that welfare programmes will not carry on if one is not elected.
