PAP’s K Shanmugam says PSP ‘half-hearted’ to contest in Nee Soon GRC

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) seems to have been very “half-hearted” about contesting in Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC), said People’s Action Party (PAP) member K. Shanmugam on Wednesday (1 July).

Mr Shanmugam – along with PAP members Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Louis Ng, Carrie Tan and Derrick Goh – was speaking in a virtual press conference streamed from the PAP’s Nee Soon East branch today.

“I don’t want to speculate why PSP has come, but it seems to have been very half-hearted about it. As you will recall, a week ago it was offering to trade Nee Soon for some other constituency,” he noted.

Reform Party (RP) chief Kenneth Jeyaratnam earlier on said that the PSP will withdraw from “various ground” in return for the RP ceding West Coast GRC.

The PSP team contesting in Nee Soon GRC is headed by customer service manager Damien Tay, 51; PSP’s treasurer Sri Nallakaruppan, 56; media consultant Bradley Bowyer, 53; adult educator Kala Manickam, 52; and IT project manager Taufik Supan, 40.

“But really, contest is good. It’s good for the residents and it gives them a choice. Whoever comes, we will have to deal with them to the best of our ability,” Mr Shanmugam added.

He also spoke about PAP member Lee Bee Wah – who is retiring from politics after 14 years of serving as a Member of Parliament (MP) in Nee Soon South – noting that she was a “once-in-a-generation” type of MP.

“It’s sad to see someone like that retiring, but renewal is part of the PAP’s DNA,” said the former Minister for Law and Home Affairs.

Meanwhile, the PAP candidates also highlighted the improvements in Nee Soon GRC. These include a new HomeTeamNS clubhouse in Khatib, the Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre in Yishun Central and the Wellness Kampungs, a network of wellness centres and adjacent eldercare facilities in the area.