Ho Geok Choo had 'toughest' ward
Lim Hng Kiang lauds Boon Lay's MP; likely successor meets grassroots leaders
By Rachel Chang
With mainly old flats and working-class families, Boon Lay is the 'toughest' ward in West Coast GRC. But outgoing MP Ho Geok Choo did an excellent job in her 10 years as its MP, lauded team leader Lim Hng Kiang yesterday.
Later at night, the ward's grassroots leaders met the man who is likely to continue taking on the challenge - former high-flying civil servant Lawrence Wong.
Introduced by Madam Ho, he met more than 100 clan leaders and residents at a community dinner.
Mr Wong, who stepped down as chief executive of the Energy Market Authority (EMA) last Thursday, and Madam Ho declined comment, saying that he will be formally introduced as the incoming People's Action Party (PAP) candidate at a GRC-wide event today.
Mr Wong will likely join Mr Lim, Senior Minister of State S. Iswaran, Mr Arthur Fong and new face Ms Foo Mee Har in the GRC's line-up.
Mr Lim told reporters earlier that Madam Ho is 'handling very well' the difficult process of transition. 'She said she had 10 very good years in Boon Lay. She's leaving a very strong foundation for the next person,' he said.
He recalled how, in 2001, he inadvertently gave her the 'toughest' job by assigning her to the Boon Lay ward, which had just been absorbed into the GRC.
Its flats are old, and their designs not amenable to major change. With many working-class families, it was also hit badly by the recent financial crisis.
Despite the circumstances, Madam Ho pushed through upgrading projects and spearheaded community outreach programmes for the elderly and low-income, he said.
He revealed that a series of meetings had been held with key activists over the past two days to explain to them the changeover.
'Geok Choo has been very good in explaining,' he said. 'I think the activists are taking their cue from her. She's handling it very well, very positively, and so they admire her for what she's doing.'
Her successor, Mr Wong, was indeed greeted with bright smiles and hearty handshakes last night.
Mr Ng Soh Kim, the community club management committee chairman, said Mr Wong acquitted himself well at the event, speaking in Mandarin and Hokkien to clan leaders. 'He's young, but his background shows that he is very capable, and we welcome him.'
Meanwhile, Mr Lim said that Mr Wong comes with ' very strong credentials', adding that he knew Mr Wong first when the latter was principal private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong from 2005 to 2008, and then when he headed the EMA, a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which Mr Lim helms.
'I think his heart is in the right place, wanting to serve the people. Obviously this is a new challenge, none of us will know how this will work out. But the fact that he is prepared to give it a try, and he has the temperament for it, I think he should do well,' said Mr Lim.
Another new face likely to be fielded in the GRC is Ms Foo.
Mr Lim said that she has been deployed, as Madam Ho was in 2001, to one of the 'most difficult areas' in the GRC: Ayer Rajah.
The flats there are older, with a small proportion of private property. But Ms Foo took the news with aplomb, Mr Lim said.
He wryly added that the fact that she is a former Malaysian, who took up Singapore citizenship in 2008, would stand her in good stead: 'We're very lucky to have many candidates who are ex-Malaysians... They understand a wider diversity of societies where they grew up, so they are able to manage and deal with wide-ranging situations.'
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Lim Hng Kiang lauds Boon Lay's MP; likely successor meets grassroots leaders
By Rachel Chang
With mainly old flats and working-class families, Boon Lay is the 'toughest' ward in West Coast GRC. But outgoing MP Ho Geok Choo did an excellent job in her 10 years as its MP, lauded team leader Lim Hng Kiang yesterday.
Later at night, the ward's grassroots leaders met the man who is likely to continue taking on the challenge - former high-flying civil servant Lawrence Wong.
Introduced by Madam Ho, he met more than 100 clan leaders and residents at a community dinner.
Mr Wong, who stepped down as chief executive of the Energy Market Authority (EMA) last Thursday, and Madam Ho declined comment, saying that he will be formally introduced as the incoming People's Action Party (PAP) candidate at a GRC-wide event today.
Mr Wong will likely join Mr Lim, Senior Minister of State S. Iswaran, Mr Arthur Fong and new face Ms Foo Mee Har in the GRC's line-up.
Mr Lim told reporters earlier that Madam Ho is 'handling very well' the difficult process of transition. 'She said she had 10 very good years in Boon Lay. She's leaving a very strong foundation for the next person,' he said.
He recalled how, in 2001, he inadvertently gave her the 'toughest' job by assigning her to the Boon Lay ward, which had just been absorbed into the GRC.
Its flats are old, and their designs not amenable to major change. With many working-class families, it was also hit badly by the recent financial crisis.
Despite the circumstances, Madam Ho pushed through upgrading projects and spearheaded community outreach programmes for the elderly and low-income, he said.
He revealed that a series of meetings had been held with key activists over the past two days to explain to them the changeover.
'Geok Choo has been very good in explaining,' he said. 'I think the activists are taking their cue from her. She's handling it very well, very positively, and so they admire her for what she's doing.'
Her successor, Mr Wong, was indeed greeted with bright smiles and hearty handshakes last night.
Mr Ng Soh Kim, the community club management committee chairman, said Mr Wong acquitted himself well at the event, speaking in Mandarin and Hokkien to clan leaders. 'He's young, but his background shows that he is very capable, and we welcome him.'
Meanwhile, Mr Lim said that Mr Wong comes with ' very strong credentials', adding that he knew Mr Wong first when the latter was principal private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong from 2005 to 2008, and then when he headed the EMA, a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which Mr Lim helms.
'I think his heart is in the right place, wanting to serve the people. Obviously this is a new challenge, none of us will know how this will work out. But the fact that he is prepared to give it a try, and he has the temperament for it, I think he should do well,' said Mr Lim.
Another new face likely to be fielded in the GRC is Ms Foo.
Mr Lim said that she has been deployed, as Madam Ho was in 2001, to one of the 'most difficult areas' in the GRC: Ayer Rajah.
The flats there are older, with a small proportion of private property. But Ms Foo took the news with aplomb, Mr Lim said.
He wryly added that the fact that she is a former Malaysian, who took up Singapore citizenship in 2008, would stand her in good stead: 'We're very lucky to have many candidates who are ex-Malaysians... They understand a wider diversity of societies where they grew up, so they are able to manage and deal with wide-ranging situations.'
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