Bukit Panjang MP Liang Eng Hwa diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer, may take time off from duties
Mr Liang Eng Hwa, who has been MP for Bukit Panjang since 2020, says he will undergo daily radiotherapy treatment for nose cancer in the next seven weeks.
Liang Eng Hwa speaking in parliament on Mar 2, 2023.
SINGAPORE: Member of Parliament for Bukit Panjang Liang Eng Hwa has been diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer and will undergo daily radiotherapy treatment in the next seven weeks.
"As there are expected side effects, I may need to take time off from some community activities and duties in the next couple of months," he told CNA on Wednesday (Jul 26) in a statement which he subsequently posted on Facebook.
Mr Liang, 59, said he had experienced muffled hearing in his left ear for several months.
"I finally consulted the ENT doctor who performed nasal endoscopy and biopsy. Subsequent CT and MRI scans indicated early-stage nasopharyngeal cancer," he said.
MPs from Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, in particular Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Edward Chia, will cover most of the duties that Mr Liang would be unable to attend.
The Bukit Panjang grassroots team will also continue to serve residents and conduct community programmes and activities.
"I will do my best during the treatment in the next two months. Look forward to joining back fully soon," said Mr Liang.
The announcement by Mr Liang comes a day after the Workers’ Party said its MP Muhamad Faisal Manap has been hospitalised for a cardiac condition. The 48-year-old Aljunied GRC MP is in stable condition and is being monitored in the intensive care unit, the party said.
Mr Liang entered politics in 2006 as part of the PAP team that won Holland-Bukit Timah GRC uncontested.
He was later moved from the GRC to contest the single seat of Bukit Panjang in 2020, winning 53.7 per cent of the votes against the Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) chairman Paul Tambyah, who received 46.3 per cent of the vote.
The race in Bukit Panjang, which was considered a People’s Action Party (PAP) stronghold, had been closely watched. Mr Liang’s opponent was revealed only on Nomination Day when SDP made a last-minute move to field Professor Tambyah, an infectious diseases expert.
For the current parliament, Mr Liang was appointed chairman of the government parliamentary committee for finance, trade and industry. Government parliamentary committees were set up by the PAP to scrutinise the legislation and programmes of the various ministries.
He was previously a member of the government parliamentary committee for manpower.
Nasopharyngeal cancer, also known as nose cancer, is one of the more common cancers in men in Singapore, with about 300 new cases diagnosed each year, according to information on the national healthcare platform HealthHub.
It is often not detected until it is in the late stages as it develops in a “hidden area” at the back of the nose called the nasopharynx.
Tampines MP Baey Yam Keng was diagnosed with stage one nose cancer in November 2021, for which he underwent radiation therapy.
The Senior Parliamentary Secretary said at that time that he would slow down his pace of work during the treatment period, after being warned by his doctor that he was likely to get tired more easily.
He announced in April last year that the tumour in his nose was gone and that DNA of the virus associated with the cancer was no longer detected in his blood.
