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Khaw stays put, guns for another strong mandate
By Salma Khalik & Aaron low
The PAP's Sembawang GRC team leader, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, outside the Nomination Centre at Admiralty Secondary School. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
IN THE end, contrary to rumours that he might be the muscleman moved to shore up other GRCs, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan stayed put and declared that he was confident his team would once again beat its Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) rivals.
As in 2006, he is gunning for a strong mandate.
His team in the last election garnered the highest percentage of valid votes in a GRC - 76.7 per cent.
The big attraction for voters this time is the PAP's $500 million plan to develop the constituency. Unveiled last week, it includes better beaches, flat upgrading and more cycling tracks.
'We are now going to the people for a mandate - a very strong mandate - to realise and translate these into real action on the ground,' Mr Khaw told reporters after nomination papers were filed at Admiralty Secondary School.
Others on his team are Senior Parliamentary Secretary Hawazi Daipi, Ms Ellen Lee, and newcomers Vikram Nair and Ong Teng Koon.
Earlier, the SDP team's James Gomez asked Mr Khaw to explain where the $500 million would come from.
He called the plan a 'gimmick', and said it was 'a mish-mash of development projects, infrastructural projects as well as private projects, cobbled into one and passed off as a PAP exclusive renewal plan for Sembawang GRC'.
Mr Khaw retorted: 'Gimmick means saying things, performing magic, illusion, and never delivering. (But) ours is real serious stuff.'
He added: 'If they don't even know how public projects are financed, then better not entrust them with the responsibility of running the Government.'
His GRC would team up with adjoining Nee Soon GRC - helmed by Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam - and form one town council should they both win, he disclosed.
'This is a multimillion-dollar business,' he said. 'You want honest people to manage those funds so that residents will have good returns.'
Khaw stays put, guns for another strong mandate
By Salma Khalik & Aaron low
The PAP's Sembawang GRC team leader, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, outside the Nomination Centre at Admiralty Secondary School. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
IN THE end, contrary to rumours that he might be the muscleman moved to shore up other GRCs, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan stayed put and declared that he was confident his team would once again beat its Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) rivals.
As in 2006, he is gunning for a strong mandate.
His team in the last election garnered the highest percentage of valid votes in a GRC - 76.7 per cent.
The big attraction for voters this time is the PAP's $500 million plan to develop the constituency. Unveiled last week, it includes better beaches, flat upgrading and more cycling tracks.
'We are now going to the people for a mandate - a very strong mandate - to realise and translate these into real action on the ground,' Mr Khaw told reporters after nomination papers were filed at Admiralty Secondary School.
Others on his team are Senior Parliamentary Secretary Hawazi Daipi, Ms Ellen Lee, and newcomers Vikram Nair and Ong Teng Koon.
Earlier, the SDP team's James Gomez asked Mr Khaw to explain where the $500 million would come from.
He called the plan a 'gimmick', and said it was 'a mish-mash of development projects, infrastructural projects as well as private projects, cobbled into one and passed off as a PAP exclusive renewal plan for Sembawang GRC'.
Mr Khaw retorted: 'Gimmick means saying things, performing magic, illusion, and never delivering. (But) ours is real serious stuff.'
He added: 'If they don't even know how public projects are financed, then better not entrust them with the responsibility of running the Government.'
His GRC would team up with adjoining Nee Soon GRC - helmed by Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam - and form one town council should they both win, he disclosed.
'This is a multimillion-dollar business,' he said. 'You want honest people to manage those funds so that residents will have good returns.'
