SINGAPORE – Mr Murali Pillai, the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate for the Bukit Batok by-election, said today (April 26) that the $1.9-million neighbourhood renewal plans for the estate that the party unveiled on Sunday were the result of “extensive consultation” with residents.
This is in response to Dr Chee Soon Juan’s comment after the PAP’s unveiling that he and his party “see the need to consult the residents” before committing such a large sum of money into the projects.
Dr Chee is Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP’s) candidate for the by-election.
The PAP had unveiled its infrastructure plans for the estate – including walkways, ramps and a three-generation park – on Sunday.
Mr Murali said at a press conference today that the neighbourhood renewal plans were announced late last year, and “drawn up after extensive consultation with our Bukit Batok residents”. He added that the plans were proposed “on a preliminary basis to obtain further feedback”.
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who was also at the press conference, said that the PAP town council had engaged the residents in “extensive to-ing and fro-ing”, and had even made changes to the plans in response to feedback.
He said that the PAP should not be “begrudged” for having done “detailed consultations over several months”.
He added that if the opposition needs more time, they should just say so, and should not resort to “all these bluster”.
sinsh@sph.com.sg
The Straits Times, The New Paper, Lianhe Zaoabao, Berita Harian
The Straits Times, Berita Harian, Shin Min Daily News
