Marine Parade team not rookies to parliamentary work: Yee Jenn Jong

SINGAPORE — They may be new faces to politics, but the Workers’ Party’s (WP) slate he is leading to contest in Marine Parade GRC are not rookies to parliamentary work, having helped the party’s elected Members of Parliament (MPs) do research on policies, said Mr Yee Jenn Jong yesterday.

Speaking to reporters at Kong Hwa Primary School, the nomination centre for the constituency, Mr Yee also noted that three members of his team live in Marine Parade GRC and know the ground well, even though they will continue to work hard to win over voters.

“What I can confidently say is that these people have actually worked with me on the ground for many years. I’ve seen their dedication, how they come forward to serve without any rewards. They just come serving the people with a genuine heart over the years,” he added.

With their dedication, Mr Yee felt that the team could lead the constituency well, should they be elected. The team is a “well-balanced” one, made up of people with legal and finance experience, for example, he added.

Mr Yee’s team comprises corporate lawyer He Ting Ru, 32, chocolate business owner Firuz Khan, 48, lawyer Terence Tan, 44, and banker Dylan Ng, 40. They are facing sitting MPs from the People’s Action Party led by Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin. The others are Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Mr Seah Kian Peng, Dr Fatimah Lateef, and Mr Edwin Tong.

Mr Yee also said he is aware that each area under the large Marine Parade constituency has different needs, but again cited his familiarity with the ground, having been a resident for 50 years — he grew up in Chai Chee and used to study in St Patrick’s School, which is opposite Marine Parade town. AMANDA LEE