ALWAYS READY TO BE REDEPLOYED
Also in attendance at the event on Saturday were four other advisers to Tampines GRC grassroots organisations: MPs Koh Poh Koon, Desmond Choo and Baey Yam Keng, as well as People’s Action Party (PAP) new face, Dr Charlene Chen.
Mr Masagos said that while future candidates from Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC will have to campaign separately, he hopes that all six, if elected, will work together and make plans together for the residents of Tampines.
“With the six MPs, if we are elected together, we will be coordinating the five-year master plan together with everybody. We will invite residents living in the SMC to plan together with the rest of Tampines and at the same time continue to include them in our outreach,” said Mr Masagos.
When asked who is slated to be fielded in Tampines, the minister declined to give any names.
“I wish I knew, because in Tampines, we have experienced a few occasions where we had to switch at the last minute.”
In the 2020 General Election, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat – who was previously an MP at Tampines GRC – was redeployed to East Coast GRC in a surprise move.
“In Tampines, we are always ready to welcome new members who can be ready for the ground, we hope they stay, like Charlene, but we also must be ready that people can be switched out, including myself, and we must be ready to be deployed where we are needed.”
Speaking to the media, Dr Chen echoed Mr Masagos’ sentiment, saying that “the fate of who is running is uncertain until Nomination Day”.
“Right now, my duty is here. I will continue to serve the needs of the residents here. I’ll do my best, and then when the time comes and the party calls me to serve in Tampines, I will do my best to run the race.”
Mr Masagos was also asked on Saturday about his thoughts on an incident on Wednesday, where two activists visited a Meet-The-People Session (MPS) at the Chong Pang ward helmed by Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam.
Mr Shanmugam said a group of people has been going to PAP MPS to be “deliberately confrontational, create incidents, try and provoke”.
Mr Masagos reiterated that MPS is where residents come to raise their pressing concerns and needs to their MP, and anyone who attends such sessions should respect the residents.
“Therefore, we appreciate anybody who comes, to respect the residents,” he added.
“There are many of them, and they are waiting in the queue, and they are very stressed. We shouldn’t add to any of these stresses that they are already facing.”
