Voters in Bukit Batok should ask three questions as they consider who to cast their ballot for on May 7, People’s Action Party MPs said last night at the party’s first rally of the by-election campaign.

First, what kind of person is the candidate?

Second, what promises has he made?

And third, can he deliver on them?

Ms Grace Fu and Madam Halimah Yacob laid out the criteria in speeches at the rally at Bukit Gombak stadium as they compared and contrasted PAP candidate Murali Pillai and the Singapore Democratic Party’s Dr Chee Soon Juan.

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They held up Mr Murali’s 16-year track record of volunteer work in Bukit Batok as proof that he was a sincere, humble and committed man.

“It’s not easy to find a photograph of Murali in our Bukit Batok community events because he’s not one to hog the limelight,” said Ms Fu, the MP for the neighbouring constituency of Yuhua, which comes under the Jurong-Clementi Town Council.

“He’s always working quietly behind the scenes, always about serving others and not himself,” said Ms Fu, who is Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.

Madam Halimah, an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC and the Speaker of Parliament, also vouched for Mr Murali’s character at the two-hour rally. “His character has not changed,” she said, recalling her time working with him in Jurong GRC – he as a branch activist, she as an MP there.

“He is like the paddy stalk – the fuller it is, the more it bows; not like the lallang, standing tall but swaying from right to left depending on the wind,” she said in a speech in Malay.

Ms Fu told the crowd that when PAP asked its branch activists in Bukit Batok for a suitable candidate to replace Mr David Ong who resigned, Mr Murali’s name was first raised – by a Chinese activist. This showed that hard work trumped racial differences, she said.

“Being of a minority race is not an issue when you’re of good character and people know you’re sincere in wanting to help, and when you have a strong team of people who can help bridge the language gap when you meet residents.”

But she cautioned: “Beware of anyone who plays the racial card, asking Chinese residents to vote for Chinese only. We know some people have gone around saying this. I hope this is not the position taken by SDP and hope they will clarify this position.”

As for the candidates’ campaign promises, both Ms Fu and Madam Halimah said Mr Murali has drawn up plans for a job-placement programme, senior care centre for the elderly and mentoring programmes for needy children.

Dr Chee has promised to run the town council well and run social programmes including financial advice to the needy and community support for the elderly and low-income.

While both sets of programmes sound good, the two men have very different track records, they said.

Dr Chee has not held a steady job for many years, said Ms Fu. “Let me be clear. I’m not criticising his position to not hold a full-time job for so long. That is his personal choice. But the work experience, or the lack of it, is a relevant fact when we consider the credentials of the candidate.”

Voters should also look at the resumes of each candidate and seek references from their colleagues and bosses, added Ms Fu. “Will there be a referral letter from Mr Chiam See Tong? You know, the sifu (mentor) who recruited him into the SDP. And what will Mr Chiam write about him?”

She was referring to Dr Chee’s clash with Mr Chiam, who set up the SDP but left it in 1996 following a dispute with party leaders shortly after Dr Chee joined the party.

Both Ms Fu and Madam Halimah cited the incident when Dr Chee shouted remarks at then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong when they met at a hawker centre in the run-up to the 2001 General Election.

Madam Halimah, who was a rookie candidate then, recounted that it was “one of the most shocking experiences” because “whatever party we’re from, we must respect our prime minister”.

Both speakers also argued that Mr Murali would do a better job of running the town council, and doubted that the task was as easy as Mr Chee made it out to be. “I worry that the SDP does not fully understand the complexity of the task. In some other constituency, the task of setting up has consumed management’s attention for many years,” said Ms Fu.

In contrast, should Mr Murali be elected, Bukit Batok would be run by the established Jurong-Clementi Town Council. “It will function from day one. There will be no disruption to the town council operations, no need to transfer sinking fund to another town council, no need to set up a new system,” said Ms Fu.

charyong@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on April 30, 2016.
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Bukit Batok residents know that they can trust the People’s Action Party (PAP) and its record in the constituency, said candidate Murali Pillai last night at his first rally in the by-election campaign.

In a half-hour speech, he recounted Bukit Batok’s transformation from a rural area in 1965 to a “beautiful housing estate” today with a close-knit community .

This progress was possible because residents worked with the PAP to overcome problems, he said.

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In the 1980s, for instance, there was resentment among residents who were resettled into new public flats. In the 1990s, residents were unhappy that St Luke’s Hospital would be sited in the constituency, worrying about the spread of disease and the effect on home resale values.

But the party engaged residents and convinced them to think long term. Now, residents reap the rewards of these plans.

Mr Murali concluded: “Bukit Batok residents know that the PAP is a trusted party, is a party that always looks out for the interests of our Bukit Batok residents.”

And as the PAP’s candidate for the single seat, Mr Murali said he will have the support of his fellow MPs if elected: “(Residents) also know they can rely on the Jurong family.”

He was referring to the Members of Parliament for Jurong GRC, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Mr Murali urged the residents to bear in mind three questions when they go to the polls on May 7. These are: Which party is better able to meet their needs, to address their problems, and to take care of the living environment?

Apart from highlighting the PAP’s track record, he laid out his own plans and personal values.

Some residents whom he has met are concerned about the gloomy economic climate, he said.

Though national unemployment is still low at around 3 per cent, “to a Bukit Batok resident who has lost his job, the effect is 100 per cent”.

He noted that his manifesto includes national-level ideas like preserving a Singaporean’s job over a foreigner’s, all things being equal.

“But as a community we can also do better,” he told the audience of residents.

“That is why I want to start, with your blessings, a community job- placement programme.”

Under the programme, he will work with community leaders and the “Jurong family”, leveraging on their contacts to help Bukit Batok residents who are out of a job.

As for his values, Mr Murali cited three mentors: his late father P.K. Pillai, the late Bukit Batok MP Ong Chit Chung, and former PAP minister Lim Boon Heng.

From his late father, a unionist and Barisan Sosialis member, Mr Murali learnt: “Whatever I do, it must be for the good of the people.”

His father also taught him respect for everyone irrespective of background, and “truthful living” – practising what one preaches.

From Dr Ong, he learnt the practice of completing projects swiftly.

Mr Lim, Jurong GRC’s team leader when Dr Ong died in 2008, showed how to actively listen to residents.

Mr Murali also acknowledged his friends from Hwa Chong Junior College, where he was a student councillor and hockey player.

He recalled how the principal allowed him and four others to stay on campus to have time to do more council work. They stayed not in the hostel, which cost too much, but in a “storeroom”, he recalled with a laugh.

“By staying in Hwa Chong, we could do more council work for our fellow students, like tar pau-ing (buying takeout) dinner for them during exam time.”

He concluded: “I come with a lifetime of experience and lessons, learnt from my mentors and my friends.”

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, who spoke after Mr Murali, pointed to his 16 years of volunteer work in the constituency as proof of his sincerity, humbleness and commitment.

Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob vouched for Mr Murali’s personal character and noted various community programmes he hopes to introduce.

janiceh@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on April 30, 2016.
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