Murali ropes in co-operative to help with residents’ healthcare needs
PAP candidate Murali Pillai with Bukit Batok residents on Monday, May 2, 2016. Mr Murali said that apart from the healthcare co-operative, mobile clinics could be used to help seniors better understand, prevent or delay the onset of illnesses through lifestyle changes. Photo: Ernest Chua
SINGAPORE — Amid worries about healthcare costs, Mr Murali Pillai, the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate in the Bukit Batok by-election, is roping in The Good Life Co-operative (TGLC) to provide cheaper health-care consumables and improve residents’ medical literacy.
Elaborating on his plans after mingling with residents in the constituency on Monday morning (May 2), he said the idea for a healthcare co-operative, which he first unveiled in his campaign manifesto last week, evolved after residents shared their concerns about healthcare costs.
The sandwich class in particular, which gets less subsidies than low-income families, would benefit from the reduced costs of certain consumables, such as catheters and vitamins, through bulk purchases made by the co-operative, he added.
Mobile clinics could be used to help seniors better understand, prevent or delay the onset of illnesses through lifestyle changes.
“Ultimately, what we offer here as part of the manifesto are the services of the healthcare co-operative, which will directly, we believe, help address the concerns that they have raised, in relation to particularly the sandwiched class,” he said.
Mr Murali has experience working with TGLC in the Paya Lebar division of Aljunied Group Representation Constituency, where he contested in last year’s General Election.
TGLC chairman Carol Tan said that in Paya Lebar, Mr Murali helped gather community leaders and other groups to reach out to seniors.
He had “earned the right” to have TGLC’s support, as he had showed them what it meant to do things “quietly without any song and dance”, added the geriatrician.
“You need a strong community leader to do community service; it’s not about the colour, it’s not about politics ... it’s not about money, it’s not about building hospitals,” said Dr Tan.
“To help the people you need the right people to serve the community, to want to do it right and to do it year after year after year.”
Asked if she was a PAP member, she said: “I’m a PAP member, sort of, but I’m actually not active ... you can say I’m apolitical.
“I’m here today not on behalf of the PAP. I’m actually here to say that community service is beyond politics, regardless of who it is or whatever colour; it’s about serving the people.”
Mr Murali will face Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan in the polls on May 7 after the area’s former Member of Parliament David Ong resigned over an
alleged extramarital affair.
And if Mr Murali fails to get elected, Dr Tan said it would be “very hard” for the co-operative to go ahead in Bukit Batok.
“We’re apolitical. We serve the community, but it’s for people to come forward and approach us,” she added.
“I learnt the lesson that the issue is about credibility, and it’s about sustained credibility, and it’s not what you say when you’re surrounded by the press.”
Mr Murali also reiterated that his team needed the cooperation of community partners and civic organisations. “It’s not just one person working full time, it’s a community approach,” he said.
His team wants to reach out to as many residents as possible and would raise funds for the co-operative where necessary, he added.
Asked if he faced racism during his campaign, after the Prime Minister spoke out on Saturday against online comments and rumours that Bukit Batok’s Chinese voters were being approached to cast their ballot along racial lines, Mr Murali said he had nothing to add to his previous response.
Last week, he acknowledged that racial issues were present in society but was confident that if he could show his sincerity, he could overcome the language and race issue together with his volunteers.
On whether the absence of PAP heavyweights yesterday was a result of talk that he was riding on their coat-tails, Mr Murali said he had made it clear that in the end, he has to persuade residents of his plans and take responsibility for those plans.
“I’m appreciative of their presence, but ultimately it’s myself — I have to convince our Bukit Batok residents whether I’m worthy enough,”
he added.
