Is he throwing letter since he is ill?
Heng Swee Keat looks back on 1st term as East Coast MP, shares future of East Coast Plan
He also gave advice to youths on finding their purpose in life.
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February 22, 2025, 11:22 AM
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Singapore's GE2020 gave rise to a series of iconic moments which are probably still fresh in many Singaporeans' minds: "warms the cockles of my heart", "hypebeast", and "jian cardboard", among others.
Another one, of course, is the "East Coast Plan".
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, to his credit, took his mistake in stride, even posting a video on social media recalling the moment.
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When asked about it in an interview with Mothership, Heng explained that he was switched at the last minute from Tampines to the East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC), on top of having to look after the budgets during the Covid-19 pandemic as finance minister.
Before his move to the East Coast GRC in 2020, Heng had spent nearly 10 years at Tampines GRC.
It was in Tampines that he made his political debut in 2011, as part of a five-member PAP team which won 57.22 percent of the vote.
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After getting elected, he served as the Minister for Education from 2011 to 2015, before becoming Minister for Finance till 2021.
Recalling the events of nomination day, Heng said he had a quick briefing with all his fellow candidates on their plans before going on to speak to the media, and though he thought it was a "very good" plan, it came out "a little garbled".
"I was glad I didn't say it was a Tampines Plan," Heng said jokingly. "But it turned out to be a plus as many people remember it."
So what exactly is the East Coast Plan?
The East Coast Plan comprises three pillars: Caring, Vibrant, and Green.
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While "Caring" focuses on building a spirit of care within the neighbourhood community, Heng explained, "Vibrant" aims to ensure that there are "good common spaces... where people from all walks of life, from all ages, come together to get to know each other."
"As our demographics pattern changes and we have more seniors, we [hope to] make East Coast and Singapore a more caring place for seniors to age and continue to live an active, healthy life, and at the same time, to make Singapore a vibrant place for the young and old," said Heng.
"Green," as the word suggests, strives for the East Coast to become a sustainable place, whether it be through community gardens or solutions to upcycling waste.
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Noting that the East Coast Plan is a long-term plan, Heng said that he hopes Singapore remains a clean and green city and that the necessary actions will be taken to combat climate change.
Infrastructure projects & hawker initiatives
Heng also noted many developments that Singaporeans on the East Coast can look forward to.
Bayshore MRT commenced operations in June 2024, cutting down residents' travel time to the central area of Singapore by about half.
New residential developments are also in the works, ensuring the younger generation will have homes as they start their families.
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Around 7,000 Housing Board flats will be built in Bayshore, with two Build-To-Order (BTO) projects launched recently in October 2024.
When Heng and his team first articulated the East Coast Plan back in 2020, Heng described it as more of a "broad outline" of the direction they were heading towards.
Yet together with his fellow advisors and feedback from residents, the East Coast MP said many of the details were "filled in" over time.
East Coast residents have also taken the initiative to make ground-up activities, Heng added.
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"I'm a strong believer that if we want to do anything well, this sense of togetherness is important," he remarked.
"I think working alone, we can achieve something, but working together, we can achieve much more."
Reflecting on his career
Perhaps some may have doubts along their career journey, but Heng has not wavered since he began serving in the public sector as a 19-year-old in the National Service (NS), calling his overall experience in the public sector "very meaningful".
He's had roles at the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
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He was also chosen to lead the fourth-generation (4G) PAP leadership in 2018, an appointment Heng decided to relinquish in 2021 along with his Minister for Finance role.
His career did not come without its own set of challenges.
Recalling the Covid-19 pandemic when he served as Minister for Finance, Heng recalled it to be a "very stressful period" where the government's system of finance was "really tested".
Heng oversaw ten national Budgets—five of which were unprecedented—to support Singaporeans and businesses through the pandemic.
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The total draw on past reserves for Covid-19 response measures across FY2020 to FY2022 was about S$40 billion, according to MOF.
Heng said he was "very glad" for the system and added it was "of great satisfaction" that he was probably the only finance minister in the world who supported its citizens without having to borrow a single cent.
"If I had done that, it would be the younger people who would have to repay the debts," he commented.
Giving credit to the legacy left by the pioneer generation, Heng said he hoped every Singaporean remembers that the country has to plan for the long-term and future generations.
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He added he hoped his generation would leave Singapore in a better shape than when they first found it.
"Find the path that resonates most with you": Heng's advice to youths
Recalling his blunder during the GE2020 elections, Heng said:
"When I was Education Minister, I told kids: never be afraid of failure, never be afraid of making mistakes. You learn from it. Sometimes you're embarrassed by it, but if that stops you from doing what is right, it'll be a big minus, but if you learn from it and do it even better, that's a big plus."
Heng advised youths to explore, discover, and challenge themselves to find their purposes in life.
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Noting that there's no one formula or path in life, Heng encouraged youths to find the path that resonates the most with them, the path that gives them joy and satisfaction and that they find meaningful.
Top image via Mothership
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