Sacrifice votes or economy? No contest
In Serangoon Gardens row, the important thing is to do what's right, says George Yeo
By Gracia Chiang
Keeping the economy humming is more important than fretting over whether votes will be lost.
Foreign Minister George Yeo gave this response yesterday when asked if the unpopular decision to house foreign workers in Serangoon Gardens would affect political support for his Aljunied GRC team.
Speaking to The Sunday Times on the sidelines of a Hari Raya grassroots dinner, Mr Yeo said: 'The important thing is to do what is right. You cannot always be worried about votes.'
He explained that the economy needs foreign workers and Singaporeans should understand these constraints.
'When the economy goes down and people's lives are affected... surely that must be politically more costly to the Government,' he said.
Plans to convert the former Serangoon Gardens Technical School at Burghley Drive into a dormitory for foreign workers made headlines last month, with residents meeting their MPs and signing a petition.
The Government has since decided to go ahead with the dormitory but said it would accommodate some of the residents' concerns, including the construction of a new access road from the Central Expressway to Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
However, other residents living near the new access road became unhappy.
In response, the Ministry of National Development announced last week that it would work with the dormitory operator to arrange for buses to pick up and drop off workers within the dormitory's premises.
Trees and shrubs near the access road will also be planted to shield the dormitory from surrounding houses.
Acknowledging that there are a handful of residents who are still upset, Mr Yeo pointed out that the ministry had already gone out of its way to accommodate residents.
He said: 'There's got to be a certain tolerance so long as their concerns are addressed...We all have our preferences about what should be in our neighbourhood and we can't have all our wishes.
'A decision has been taken, requests have been made, whatever could be accommodated is accommodated. I think on the whole, it's a good compromise.'
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In Serangoon Gardens row, the important thing is to do what's right, says George Yeo
By Gracia Chiang
Keeping the economy humming is more important than fretting over whether votes will be lost.
Foreign Minister George Yeo gave this response yesterday when asked if the unpopular decision to house foreign workers in Serangoon Gardens would affect political support for his Aljunied GRC team.
Speaking to The Sunday Times on the sidelines of a Hari Raya grassroots dinner, Mr Yeo said: 'The important thing is to do what is right. You cannot always be worried about votes.'
He explained that the economy needs foreign workers and Singaporeans should understand these constraints.
'When the economy goes down and people's lives are affected... surely that must be politically more costly to the Government,' he said.
Plans to convert the former Serangoon Gardens Technical School at Burghley Drive into a dormitory for foreign workers made headlines last month, with residents meeting their MPs and signing a petition.
The Government has since decided to go ahead with the dormitory but said it would accommodate some of the residents' concerns, including the construction of a new access road from the Central Expressway to Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
However, other residents living near the new access road became unhappy.
In response, the Ministry of National Development announced last week that it would work with the dormitory operator to arrange for buses to pick up and drop off workers within the dormitory's premises.
Trees and shrubs near the access road will also be planted to shield the dormitory from surrounding houses.
Acknowledging that there are a handful of residents who are still upset, Mr Yeo pointed out that the ministry had already gone out of its way to accommodate residents.
He said: 'There's got to be a certain tolerance so long as their concerns are addressed...We all have our preferences about what should be in our neighbourhood and we can't have all our wishes.
'A decision has been taken, requests have been made, whatever could be accommodated is accommodated. I think on the whole, it's a good compromise.'
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