GRASSROOTS READY FOR SMC SPLIT
Following the launch of the Tengah Community Club, Mr Wong and Dr Khor visited Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre, which officially opened this month.
At the hawker centre, Mr Wong interacted with patrons, many of whom approached him for photo opportunities. He then visited residents at Harmony Village @ Bukit Batok, located next to the hawker centre.
Launched in 2021, Harmony Village @ Bukit Batok is Singapore’s first assisted-living public housing development.
The hawker centre and its surrounding estate sit within the part of Hong Kah North SMC that will be absorbed into the newly formed Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC for this year’s General Election.
The new GRC will include polling wards from the existing Yuhua SMC, currently represented by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, who joined Mr Wong during his visit on Saturday.
Asked by the media about Ms Fu’s presence, Dr Khor said: “As she has said, she would like to get to know Hong Kah North better because she’s actually not familiar with this area.”
In a podcast interview this week, Ms Fu said familiarising herself with Hong Kah North and its residents is on her agenda in the coming weeks.
Dr Khor noted that many in the west – and Singaporeans generally – are already familiar with Ms Fu, given her ministerial role.
“But of course, when she comes here, where possible, I will introduce her (to residents).”
Ms Melissa Tan has recently been seen on the ground in the east, at Fengshan SMC and East Coast GRC, while Ms Chua has been spotted in West Coast GRC.
When asked by CNA about the presence of these new faces at the event in Tengah earlier in day, Dr Khor said that was a question best answered by party leaders.
She also reflected on her long tenure in Hong Kah North.
She was part of the Hong Kah North GRC teams in the 2001 and 2006 General Elections, and continued to serve the ward after it became an SMC in 2011.
Calling her journey as MP “humbling, yet very meaningful and satisfying,” she shared fond memories – including seeing former Edusave award recipients grow up, start families, and choose to remain in the constituency.
When probed on her political future, given that Hong Kah North SMC will be absorbed into two GRCs, Dr Khor reiterated that election deployment decisions lie with Mr Wong, in his capacity as the PAP’s secretary-general .
“But in the meantime, I will continue to focus on serving the Hong Kah North residents,” said Dr Khor, expressing gratitude for the strong network of grassroots volunteers who support her.
She added that she and the grassroots organisations had expected the constituency to be “cut up”, given the growing population.
“We have been able, fortunately, to recruit new volunteers from among the residents,” she said.
“And we have actually divided up the grassroots so that there’s a group that takes care of Tengah, there’s a group that takes care of Bukit Batok West, there’s even a group that actually takes care of the older part of Hong Kah North.”
