SINGAPORE: Members of Parliament Amy Khor and Don Wee will not be contesting the upcoming election, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said during the introduction of candidates for Chua Chu Kang GRC and Bukit Gombak SMC on Monday (Apr 14).
Both Dr Khor and Mr Wee were absent when Mr Gan announced the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) slate of candidates at the party’s branch office at Block 10 Teck Whye Avenue.
Dr Khor, who is Senior Minister of State for Transport and for Sustainability and the Environment, entered politics as part of the PAP team in Hong Kah GRC in the 2001 General Election. In the 2011 election, Hong Kah North was carved out as an SMC, where Dr Khor contested and won.
Mr Wee joined politics as a first-time candidate in the 2020 General Election, contesting as part of the Chua Chu Kang team.
Asked about Dr Khor during the announcement, Mr Gan told reporters that she had decided to step down for “personal reasons”. He added that journalists should ask her about her plans moving forward.
“But I think she has contributed many years of service to building and sort of bonding with the community in Hong Kah North, and she has done a fantastic job. So I just want to put on record our appreciation for her contribution,” Mr Gan said.
When asked if Dr Khor would be contesting in another constituency, Mr Gan declined to comment, saying such questions should be directed to her.
Dr Khor later confirmed with CNA that she will not be standing in the upcoming election.
“I am happy to make way for party renewal and hence will not be standing for this coming elections,” she said.
In a Facebook post, she thanked residents, grassroots leaders and volunteers for their support over the past 24 years, spanning five terms of government.
“As I close this very precious and memorable chapter of my life I look forward to the next chapter where I will continue to look for opportunities to serve and contribute to the community to the best of my ability,” she wrote.
Describing her journey as “very humbling and extremely meaningful”, Dr Khor said it had been a privilege and honour to engage with the residents of Hong Kah North, understand their needs and concerns, and help improve their lives.
Hong Kah North SMC was dissolved with the recent electoral boundary changes. Its districts will be folded into Chua Chu Kang GRC and the newly formed Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.
In its report, the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee noted that Hong Kah North SMC has grown significantly and will continue to do so due to new housing developments in Tengah and Bukit Batok West.
It recommended that Tengah estates under the SMC be redrawn into Chua Chu Kang GRC, while the remaining Bukit Batok West estates be absorbed into Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.
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