MPs’ primary role should come in Parliament: Hazel Poa
SINGAPORE — The primary role of Members of Parliament should be their contributions in Parliament, rather than just their abilities to manage estates, said the National Solidarity Party’s acting secretary-general Hazel Poa today (Aug 16).
To that end, her party would run a town council by directly employing the staff they need, instead of engaging a subcontractor, if elected, she added.
Ms Poa was speaking in response to questions about Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean’s criticism of the Workers’ Party (WP) over its handling of financial management lapses at Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC).
“We should be focusing on issues and things that really affect Singaporeans’ lives,” Ms Poa said to the media, after a walkabout at Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) today. “We would also like to emphasise the point that electing Members of Parliament should be (about) more than just estate management. Their primary role should be their contributions in Parliament to enact laws that affect the lives of every Singaporean.”
Ms Poa also declined to comment on her party’s slate of candidates, saying its 11 candidates for the constituencies it intends to contest in the coming General Election — Tampines GRC, Sembawang GRC and Pioneer Single Member Constituency (SMC) — will be made known at the end of the month.
Nevertheless, the party was heard introducing its 39-year-old real estate agent Eugene Yeo and 35-year-old businessman Spencer Ng, who have also been participating in walkabouts in other constituencies, as potential candidates.
Ms Poa also commented on the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) candidates, noting that Mr Ong Ye Kung, who was a member of the PAP team that lost to WP in Aljunied GRC in the 2011 GE, has joined the ruling party’s slate for Sembawang GRC.
“We are glad to see that Ong Ye Kung is back to contest in the General Election despite the setback that he received in the last election. If you’re committed to serving Singaporeans, that’s the right spirit, although it would have been better if he had gone back to Aljunied to fight for the voters there,” Ms Poa said.
“He contested there in the previous round and it was quite a close contest, so if he had gone back to Aljunied it would have better shown his commitment to serve his residents there.”
