SDP ‘will ensure proper handover of town council’
Dr Chee Soon Juan hugging his eldest daughter An Lyn, as his younger daughter E Lyn (left) and party colleagues look on at the SDP rally at Clementi yesterday. The party chief urged voters not to continue giving the ruling party a ‘blank cheque’. Photo: Jason Quah
SINGAPORE — At its final rally for the General Election yesterday, Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) candidates reiterated their commitment to serve and sought to assure voters of a smooth transition of town council management should they get elected.
“Even as I speak right now, we are preparing our part in the transition process already. This Friday, I need you to signal to the current town council to prepare theirs,” said SDP vice-chairman and Marsiling-Yew Tee candidate John Tan.
“We’ll hire qualified, certified public accountants, for example, to ensure the previous council diligently hands over (the) past years’ audited financial statements, management accounts and budgets. We’ll also ensure all assets, liabilities, incomes, expenditures, bank accounts and so forth are detailed.”
The SDP’s checklist will also include the breakdown of Government grants and existing contracts for estate management, he said.
“Whatever (the current town council has) put in place now, we’ll continue that. But as the contracts finish, we’ll announce our SDP plans to kick in.”
The SDP pledged to not out-source the work to a managing agent. “Our Members of Parliament, your MPs, will manage it with tender loving care, in your interests and (as) our No 1 priority,” said Mr Tan.
An SDP-run town council will also allow residents to vote for their town councillors. Mr Tan promised that like his People’s Action Party rival Lawrence Wong, he would appeal to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to extend the Downtown Line so Yew Tee residents could have a station nearby.
“If the LTA listens to him, they’ll listen to us too … we are confident the LTA will not be partial,” he said.
The SDP candidates urged voters to do something if they were unhappy about issues.
Borrowing a quote from United States President Barack Obama, Holland-Bukit Timah candidate Chong Wai Fung said: “In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.”
Party chief Chee Soon Juan urged voters not to continue giving the ruling party a “blank cheque”.
He said he is in politics to make life better for people like cleaners, and asked the crowd if they felt he could ask tough questions in Parliament and show ministers up if they gave “nonsensical answers”.
“Now, as the campaign draws to a close, and the speeches stop and the microphones fall silent, the matter has fallen out of our hands into yours.
“Whatever happens on Saturday, we thank you for this opportunity to speak up for you and to serve you,”he said. “All I can say now is: Vote wisely, my fellow Singaporeans.”
At the end of the rally, candidates gathered on stage with their families and sang the National Anthem and recited the Pledge.
