Tharman gives new Jurong candidates the thumbs up
The three new People's Action Party (PAP) candidates being fielded in Jurong GRC are taking to their roles 'like fish to water', according to Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
The anchor minister for Jurong GRC was asked by reporters whether having the new entrants in the GRC - Mr Desmond Lee, Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr David Ong - would put the PAP team at a disadvantage.
'They are very comfortable, extremely hard-working and they have got a self-effacing quality which I think Jurong people like,' Mr Tharman said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the ground-breaking ceremony of a seniors' activity centre in Taman Jurong.
'They will not have the slightest difficulty in being exemplary MPs. I say this with complete confidence,' he said.
The General Election will be a reaffirmation of what his team has been doing, he added, as it has done a lot in the past 10 years and has 'a track record that we feel is credible'.
'It is not about having nice words in a manifesto. It is about delivering support on the ground and making real improvements that people can see,' he said.
One example: working with government agencies to improve transport links to the area.
Asked if he thought the battle with the National Solidarity Party - which has confirmed it will contest in Jurong GRC - would be a tough one, he said: 'They may not be very well-known. But I take everyone very seriously.'
He also addressed issues in the area, including the high number of foreign workers in Housing Board void decks at night.
While it was a problem about eight or nine years ago, he said, the issue was not a major one now since the police and employers stepped in to, among other things, improve dormitory facilities and recreational activities.
'I know the NSP has to try to find some issues, and I do not blame them for trying to find an issue,' he said. 'But frankly, it is well under control.'
Jessica Lim
The three new People's Action Party (PAP) candidates being fielded in Jurong GRC are taking to their roles 'like fish to water', according to Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
The anchor minister for Jurong GRC was asked by reporters whether having the new entrants in the GRC - Mr Desmond Lee, Mr Ang Wei Neng and Mr David Ong - would put the PAP team at a disadvantage.
'They are very comfortable, extremely hard-working and they have got a self-effacing quality which I think Jurong people like,' Mr Tharman said.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the ground-breaking ceremony of a seniors' activity centre in Taman Jurong.
'They will not have the slightest difficulty in being exemplary MPs. I say this with complete confidence,' he said.
The General Election will be a reaffirmation of what his team has been doing, he added, as it has done a lot in the past 10 years and has 'a track record that we feel is credible'.
'It is not about having nice words in a manifesto. It is about delivering support on the ground and making real improvements that people can see,' he said.
One example: working with government agencies to improve transport links to the area.
Asked if he thought the battle with the National Solidarity Party - which has confirmed it will contest in Jurong GRC - would be a tough one, he said: 'They may not be very well-known. But I take everyone very seriously.'
He also addressed issues in the area, including the high number of foreign workers in Housing Board void decks at night.
While it was a problem about eight or nine years ago, he said, the issue was not a major one now since the police and employers stepped in to, among other things, improve dormitory facilities and recreational activities.
'I know the NSP has to try to find some issues, and I do not blame them for trying to find an issue,' he said. 'But frankly, it is well under control.'
Jessica Lim
