GE2025: Ong Ye Kung says he can best serve Sembawang GRC residents if he is both MP and minister
SINGAPORE: Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Monday (Apr 28) he will watch over the welfare of Sembawang and Woodlands town residents from Cabinet if elected, as he pointed out the benefits of having an MP who is also a minister.
He gave an example, saying that as health minister, he drove the implementation of Age Well SG, expanded the network of Active Ageing Centres and gave more funding to each centre.
When he saw that the Sembawang Active Ageing Centres became better resourced from the Ministry of Health (MOH), he worked with volunteers to expand the range of activities for seniors.
'It is extremely satisfying when I can see the policies made in MOH in Outram Road land in Sembawang and benefitting the residents here,' said Mr Ong, whose People's Action Party (PAP) team will be contesting Sembawang GRC against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Solidarity Party (NSP).
'I cannot do this if I am not the minister for health, and the MP of Sembawang at the same time. The SDP thinks it is a problem. I think they are trying to hoodwink you. I can best serve you when I am both a Minister and an MP."
Speaking at PAP's rally in Sembawang, Mr Ong highlighted the improvements made by MPs to Sembawang over the years, including building the Bukit Canberra community hub, which also houses Singapore's largest Active SG gym.
The empty field in Admiralty is now Yusof Ishak Mosque and home to a regional hospital, the Woodlands Health hospital and more projects are in the pipeline, he said. This includes developing the area around the future Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) station in Woodlands to provide new homes, entertainment, recreation, community facilities, parks and workplaces.
'One thing (the SDP) says, I think is disingenuous, they say all these plans and projects that I just described to you, they are going to happen anyway, because the PAP will be the government.
'Whoever is the MP, never mind. Choose (the SDP), and all these things that I just mentioned will still happen,' he said.
'Really, I don't think SDP can come here for one month and make such sweeping statements.'
Besides Mr Ong, the other four PAP candidates at Sembawang GRC are Mr Vikram Nair, Ms Mariam Jaafar, Mr Gabriel Lam and Mr Ng Shi Xuan. All five candidates, along with Ms Poh Li San - PAP candidate at Sembawang West SMC - were at the rally held at a field beside Sun Plaza.
During his speech, Mr Ng said he asked Mr Ong if there is scope for people with 'very healthy balances' to use more of their MediSave.
This came after Mr Ng said he spoke to a senior resident who posed him the question.
'(Mr Ong) said he has an open mind and it's something the ministry has been studying. So many healthcare policies have been transformed under Min Ong; I hope we have a policy for this one soon,' said Mr Ng.
Ms Mariam outlined improvements to Sembawang GRC that the team is hoping to implement if elected.
She said they would focus even more on youths in Sembawang, launching new community scholarships for those who make a positive impact on the community, regardless of their background.
They are also looking to expand the Store@Woodlands Programme, which provides food and essential items to low-income and vulnerable families.
'To me, being your MP is more than about making speeches inside parliament, it's about making your lives better outside of parliament, today and in the future,' said Ms Mariam.
Mr Lam said that if he is elected to parliament, he would like to see more support for ex-convicts.
He would do so by helping their families, providing the former offenders – which he called 'overcomers' – with the right employment opportunities and issuing refurbished laptops to their children who might not be able to afford new devices.
During her speech, Ms Poh, who is up against SDP's Chee Soon Juan in Sembawang West SMC, said that this is not a time for "political experiments".
'It deserves a proven person. Someone who's been here with you. Someone who knows what is at stake," said Ms Poh, who represented the Sembawang West division of Sembawang GRC after the last election.
The recent electoral boundary changes saw the creation of Sembawang West SMC from Sembawang GRC.
She acknowledged that Dr Chee is passionate and has walked a long political path, but has not served 'a community from within'.
'Passion alone does not build playgrounds, nor support seniors, nor comfort a struggling family.'
She said that Sembawang West was only just getting started.
'We are ready for the next chapter. We need a clear path forward. We need chapter two of Sembawang West to be bold, compassionate and rooted in experience.'
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AsiaOne
a day ago
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New Paper
a day ago
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It sparked discussion over rising rentals and healthcare costs. Mr Andrew Chim, 37, the co-owner of I-Health Medical Holdings, had told The Straits Times that his bid was justified because of the attractive attributes of the area. The unit is in the middle of five Build-To-Order projects with 5,000 households, and near upcoming developments like a new mixed-use project and a shopping mall, he said. On June 4, Mr Ong pointed to the new tender approach for GP clinics that MOH and the Housing Board had launched at the Bartley Beacon development in May. Under this new "price-quality evaluation model", quality of care will account for 70 per cent of tender evaluation, and rental price for the remaining 30 per cent. The Bartley Beacon tender closed on May 29 with a total of 18 tenderers. Mr Ong said MOH received proposals with rental bids significantly below that for the Tampines site. MOH and HDB are assessing the proposals and aim to award the tender by August. Mr Ong noted that the tender for the Tampines clinic was launched in December 2024 and awarded in March 2025, before tenders took on the price-quality evaluation model. The new model, which will be the norm moving forward, will shift the focus away from rental rates. "It will be a meaningful shift, both in improving primary care and ensuring greater affordability," Mr Ong said. Responding to media queries, HDB said in a statement that the bid of $52,188 is significantly higher than the average tendered rent of around $9,800 a month for similar-sized clinics let by HDB in 2024. It also said the bid for the Tampines clinic is the highest per sq ft (psf) rent that HDB has received for GP and dental clinics of this size to date. At 52 sq m, or 560 sq ft, the rent for the unit works out to around $93 psf. HDB said all tenders awarded for GP clinics to date are based on tendered price, and the submitted bids are business decisions influenced by factors such as location, shop size, trades and market conditions. "The rental for this Tampines clinic does not set any price requirements for future tenders by HDB, and it also will not affect the rentals that HDB is charging other existing clinics," it said. HDB added that it is committed to ensuring residents have affordable and quality healthcare services in the heartland. GPs who run clinics in HDB estates either rent directly from the state, or from landlords who own HDB commercial units. GPs whom ST spoke to felt the $52,188 rental was too high to be sustainable. Some doctors who rented from private landlords described a volatile rental market that has seen prices rising after the pandemic. Dr Conrad Chin, who runs E. L. Chin Family Clinic and Surgery in Clementi, said he thought the rental amount was outrageous. "Most older doctors do not pay above $2,000 for rent. I doubt that the ($52,188) price is sustainable in the long term," he added. Dr Wong Choo Wai, who runs two HDB clinics in Bedok and Jurong, said that if rent is not sustainable, the clinic will have to pass on the cost to patients. Dr Wong, who rented before buying his own units in 2009 and 2015, said the rental market has been volatile. "When the clinic starts doing well, private landlords may jack up the rent," he said. In 2009, the landlord for his Bedok unit asked for a 40 per cent increase in rent. As the rent "did not make sense" for the clinic, Dr Wong bought a neighbouring unit for about $750,000. "I'm thankful I made the decision to buy, or else I would be at the mercy of the landlord," he added. A doctor who runs a clinic in Clementi, and declined to be named, said he hopes the $52,188 rent will not trigger rent hikes as small businesses are already struggling with rentals. "Anything over $10,000 would be difficult for me to run the clinic. As solo GPs, we don't make that kind of money to justify the rental," he said. Parkway Shenton chief executive Tay Wee Kai said that rents at its clinics in HDB estates have increased across the board after Covid-19. "This is partly due to inflation and also due to some landlords adopting a 'catch-up' mentality and expecting higher rent," he said. Mr Tay added that during the pandemic, rents remained stagnant and even went down at some locations. Its branches in HDB estates comprise about half of its more than 30 clinics.
