Latest news with #BukitPanjangSMC
Business Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
Singapore election 2025: PAP leads against SDP in sample count
[SINGAPORE] The People's Action Party's (PAP) candidate for Bukit Panjang SMC, Liang Eng Hwa, has secured 61.41 per cent of the votes for the single-seat ward – defeating the Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) candidate and chairman, Paul Tambyah. He ended up with 19,116 votes. Meanwhile, Dr Tambyah trailed with 12,015 votes, representing 38.59 per cent of the vote share, based on data released on Polling Day (May 3). There was a total of 31,131 valid votes, while 350 votes were rejected. Liang is a managing director at DBS, while Dr Tambyah is an infectious diseases expert at the National University Hospital. Bukit Panjang SMC's boundaries remained unchanged from the 2020 General Election (GE). The straight fight for the constituency this year marked a rematch between Liang and Dr Tambyah. The PAP's margin of victory widened from the last election, where Liang secured 53.73 per cent of the vote, against Dr Tambyah's 46.27 per cent. That remains the slimmest margin of victory recorded for the PAP in the single member constituency (SMC). BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Though GE2025 is the second time they are fighting against each other in the Single-Member Constituency (SMC), they have also faced off elsewhere. In 2015, Dr Tambyah was fielded in SDP's Holland-Bukit Timah team, while Liang contested the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) on the PAP's side. Dr Tambyah has said on the campaign trail that municipal projects and services would continue even if SDP candidates were elected over PAP ones. Singapore's civil service and government agencies are professional and apolitical, he said. But how town councils are managed will change should the SDP win, he added, promising more regular engagements and wiser spending. In response, Liang said that it was 'naive' to think that it did not matter who a constituency's Member of Parliament was. Estate projects do not get done on 'autopilot', he said, adding that improvements happen through MPs pushing for change and continually engaging stakeholders. Prior to 2020, PAP and SDP had faced off in Bukit Panjang SMC in every GE since 1988 – which had a three-way fight – except for 1991 and 1997, as the constituency did not exist, and 2001, when Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC went uncontested. Still waiting on final results Meanwhile, in newly created Sembawang West SMC, PAP candidate Poh Li San is ahead with 53 per cent of the votes in the sample count, with SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan trailing with 47 per cent. Although not final, the numbers are said to be fairly indicative of the possible outcome for a constituency; sample counts typically have a confidence level of 95 per cent, plus or minus four percentage points. Before Sembawang West was carved out of Sembawang GRC ahead of the election, Poh looked after the ward. SDP previously contested Sembawang GRC in 2011 and 2006, though that year Dr Chee was not eligible to contest due to his status as an undischarged bankrupt. After his return to politics, the party did not run in the GRC in 2015 and 2020. During election hustings, Poh said that residents would be able to discern clearly between those who have 'done real work' in the SMC with commitment to stay, and those who 'just show up' shortly before the election. Taking a jab at PAP MPs, many of whom also hold full-time jobs, Dr Chee responded that 'real work' can only be done by those who spend their working hours full-time in the estate and among residents. SDP candidates would outdo the PAP in managing town councils and raising pertinent issues in Parliament if elected, as they would be full-time MPs, he said. Noting the long waiting times at Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS), he said that he would try to shorten them. He also pledged to address residents' concerns – from healthcare costs to their children's education – at town hall meetings, if elected. PAP's Poh acknowledged that MPS can take many hours. But she said that Dr Chee's speech reflected a 'fundamental mistake' of what these sessions are about. They are a 'safe, private space' for residents to share their challenges and seek help, and 'not a town hall for public political theatre', she said. Note: As this is a sample count, the election result could be different. Counting is still in progress. The public should wait for the announcement of the election result by the returning officer, Han Kok Juan, which will be broadcast live on television. For more election coverage, visit our GE2025 microsite
AsiaOne
03-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
PAP's Liang Eng Hwa retains Bukit Panjang SMC with 61.41% of votes over SDP's Paul Tambyah, Singapore News
Results for Bukit Panjang SMC in GE2025 Liang Eng Hwa (PAP) 64.41% Paul Tambyah (SDP) 38.59% The People's Action Party (PAP) has won Bukit Panjang SMC in a rematch against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). PAP's Liang Eng Hwa received 19,116 votes while SDP's chairman Paul Tambyah received 12,015 votes. The four-term PAP MP had called Prof Tambyah "a formidable opponent" in an interview with The Straits Times last month. "He wants us to think that he's the underdog, but I don't think that's the case. He stands a good chance, like me, of winning the SMC. The outcome could go either way, and I'll do my best," said Liang. During a rally speech on Tuesday (April 29), Prof Tambyah reassured Bukit Panjang residents that estate projects and services in that constituency would continue even if SDP candidates were elected in place of PAP ones. After all, Singapore's civil service and government agencies are among the most professional and apolitical in the world, he pointed out. In response, Liang said at a rally speech in Bukit Panjang the next day that it was "naive" of Prof Tambyah to think that constituency projects would continue on "autopilot" under a new Member of Parliament (MP). Agreeing that Singapore's civil service and government agencies are indeed professional and efficient, they could also reject projects that did not align with their current plans or that they have no budget for, he pointed out. "And that is why MPs like myself, we play an important role in advocating for our residents," he said, adding that the most of the time, the process is not "smooth-sailing". "So, it is actually naive to think that it doesn't matter who is your MP - that agencies will do all these things for you; to carry out these projects for you. It's not the case," said Liang. He described MPs as bridging the gap between the agencies and residents. In GE2020, Liang narrowly defeated Prof Tambyah with 53.73 per cent of the vote to win this SMC. The contest was the closest among all SMCs in that election. Bukit Panjang is the largest SMC with 33,566 voters. For our GE2025 microsite, visit here. editor@
Straits Times
03-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
GE2025: PAP's Liang Eng Hwa retains Bukit Panjang with 61.41% in rematch against SDP's Paul Tambyah
SINGAPORE - Incumbent PAP MP for Bukit Panjang SMC Mr Liang Eng Hwa successfully defended his seat with 61.41 per cent of the votes, fending off familiar rival Professor Paul Tambyah of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). Mr Liang won in a closely-watched rematch against Prof Tambyah, with a notable vote share increase compared to the 2020 election, where Mr Liang narrowly won with 53.73 per cent of all valid votes. It was the closest contest among all SMCs in that election. For a constituency where observers were expecting a tight race, voters gave the ruling party a comfortable margin this time round. The single member constituency has been touted as a hot seat, with SDP chair and infectious diseases expert Prof Tambyah making his second bid against Mr Liang, a four-term MP and popular backbencher. This is the fifth election the PAP and SDP have faced off in the SMC, which represents the largest single-member constituency with 33,596 voters. Mr Liang, a managing director at DBS Bank, represented the Zhenghua ward in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC for three terms since 2006 , and was moved to Bukit Panjang SMC in 2020 after the retirement of its PAP MP Dr Teo Ho Pin. When Prof Tambyah joined the fray that year, Bukit Panjang SMC recorded the largest voter swing against the PAP in a single member constituency - 14.65 points down from Dr Teo's 68.38 per cent in the 2015 election. Before hustings officially started, Mr Liang told The Straits Times on April 11 that he saw Prof Tambyah as 'a formidable opponent'. On the national front, Prof Tambyah - also a professor of medicine at the National University of Singapore - had proposed a single-payer system where mandatory health insurance is imposed on all Singaporeans, with the Government managing the central fund. While Health Minister Ong Ye Kung had critiqued the proposal by pointing out that insurance premiums and taxes would rise significantly if subsidies were removed, Prof Tambyah argued that national healthcare expenditure had gone from $9 billion to more than $26 billion under Mr Ong's leadership. Prof Tambyah explained that the single-payer plan would ensure the Government is the biggest buyer of services, which would drive costs down, as whatever the insurer loses in terms of profit margins would be made up by the sheer volume of orders. Mr Liang responded by reiterating Mr Ong's stance that removing healthcare subsidies would result in higher insurance premiums. Closer to home, the pair had sparred on several issues including the role of an MP, the lack of lift access in some Housing Board flats in Bukit Panjang, and the running of the town council. Throughout a week of rallies, Prof Tambyah had told residents to vote without fear as improvement projects in estates and services would continue to run even if an opposition candidate won, pointing to examples in WP -held Sengkang, Aljunied and Hougang. Prof Tambyah had reasoned that such projects and services were provided by professionals in the civil service or agencies, which are apolitical in nature. In response, Mr Liang argued that it was 'naive to think that it doesn't matter who your MP is', and that agencies would work on 'autopilot' to carry out such projects. Mr Liang had pointed out that many of the town's improvements, such as the two flyovers that link the town to the Kranji Expressway, were not originally planned, but came only after he acted on residents' concerns and secured approval from the authorities for the project. He had the backing of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC candidate Mr Edward Chia, who described Mr Liang as a responsible MP, and said it would be difficult to execute planned upgrades with two separate town councils. Mr Liang had proposed to continue running Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Bukit Panjang under one town council if the PAP won both constituencies. He said the arrangement would allow residents to enjoy economies of scale in areas such as maintenance and landscaping works. Conversely, Prof Tambyah had argued that he would run the town council without EM Services - a company that manages several town councils in Singapore - and pledged to be more responsive to residents' needs. This was a hard-won battle for Mr Liang, who was diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer in July 2023. He resumed his MP duties in mid-September 2023, following the completion of his radiotherapy treatment. Despite the health scare, he had said he wanted to continue serving as cancer did not change his sense of purpose and mission. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Business Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
GE2025 sample count: PAP's Liang Eng Hwa leads in Bukit Panjang SMC with 62% against SDP's Paul Tambyah
[SINGAPORE] The People's Action Party's (PAP) candidate Liang Eng Hwa is leading with 62 per cent of the votes in the sample count for Bukit Panjang SMC, ahead of Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) chairman Paul Tambyah. Dr Tambyah has garnered 38 per cent, based on early data released at 9.46 pm on Polling Day (May 3). Although not final, the numbers are said to be fairly indicative of the possible outcome for a constituency; sample counts typically have a confidence level of 95 per cent, plus or minus four percentage points. Mr Liang is a managing director at DBS, while Dr Tambyah is an infectious diseases expert at the National University Hospital. Bukit Panjang SMC's boundaries remained unchanged from the 2020 general election (GE). The straight fight for the constituency in 2025 marked a rematch from the last GE. Though GE2025 marked the second time the two candidates fought against each other in the SMC, they had previously faced off elsewhere. Dr Tambyah was fielded in SDP's Holland-Bukit Timah team in 2015, while Liang contested the GRC on the PAP's side. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Dr Tambyah has said on the campaign trail that municipal projects and services would continue, even if SDP candidates were elected, instead of PAP ones. Singapore's civil service and government agencies are professional and apolitical, he said. But how town councils are managed will change, should the SDP win, he said, promising more regular engagements and wise spending. Responding, Liang said that it was 'naive' to think that it does not matter who a constituency's Member of Parliament (MP) is. Estate projects do not get done on 'autopilot', he said, adding that improvements happen through MPs pushing for change and continuously engaging stakeholders. Prior to 2020, PAP and SDP had faced off in the constituency in every GE since 1988 – where it was a three-way fight – except for in 1991 and 1997, when the SMC did not exist; and 2001, where Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC went uncontested. Note: As this is a sample count, the election result could be different. Counting is still in progress. The public should wait for the announcement of the election result by the returning officer, Han Kok Juan, which will be broadcast live on television. For more election coverage, visit our GE2025 microsite
Straits Times
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
GE2025: SDP candidates rebut Ong Ye Kung's claim that Chee Soon Juan abandoned Bukit Batok
SDP chief Chee Soon Juan at the rally for Bukit Panjang SMC at Beacon Primary School on April 25. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE - Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan spent years walking the ground in Bukit Batok, only to have the single-member constituency removed in the latest review of the electoral boundaries, his party's candidates said on April 25. At SDP's second election rally, candidates banded together to defend Dr Chee, after Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said at a PAP rally the day before that Dr Chee had 'abandoned Bukit Batok to come to Sembawang West'. The Bukit Batok single seat was absorbed into the new Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC with the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report on March 11, and Dr Chee announced later that month his intention to contest the Sembawang West SMC in this election. The veteran opposition politician previously contested and lost in the now-defunct ward twice, the latest in GE2020 in which he garnered 45.2 per cent of the vote against PAP's Mr Murali Pillai, who notched 54.8 per cent. 'You simply erase the hard work of Dr Chee for the last 10 years, winning the hearts and minds of Bukit Batok residents by resorting to tactics of a playground bully,' said SDP's Sembawang GRC candidate Damanhuri Abas at Beacon Primary School in Bukit Panjang. 'Sadly, we are still dealing with a reality that allows the PAP to maintain an uneven political playing field where they can move the goal post,' he added. Several other speakers, including fellow SDP Sembawang GRC candidate James Gomez, noted that Mr Ong also moved to Sembawang for the 2015 election after being part of the losing PAP team in Aljunied in 2011. Party chairman Paul Tambyah said he listened to Mr Ong's speech again on April 25 and could not believe Mr Ong 'actually accused the candidate of abandoning his residents to go to a constituency for political agenda'. He then added that he was not sure if Mr Ong was referring to Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong or Dr Tan See Leng, who moved on Nomination Day to head the PAP's slates for Punggol and Chua Chu Kang GRCs, respectively. Party chairman Paul Tambyah speaking at the SDP rally for Bukit Panjang SMC at Beacon Primary School on April 25. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH 'Although he kept referring to Dr Chee in his speech, it was quite obvious that somebody who abandoned their residents one hour before Nomination Day was far more questionable,' Prof Tambyah said. When asked about the PAP moves, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong explained on Nomination Day that it was to ensure a better spread of the party's senior leadership, given the retirement of Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean. Despite the rebuttals by his fellow candidates, Dr Chee himself did not address Mr Ong's comments in his speech, saying only that he would address them at the party's next rally on April 26. Instead, Dr Chee, who was the last speaker of the night, spoke at length against PAP's immigration policies, which he said have resulted in issues such as overcrowding and increased cost of living here. 'If foreigners are here to put the icing on the cake, to help us excel in a certain industry or sector – in other words, supplement our economy – it wouldn't be so hard to swallow,' he said. But he added that it was 'very hard to accept' that Singaporeans 'don't have the ability, the smarts, the drive to take our own country forward'. He pointed out that the SDP is not against foreigners, but 'it is the irrational, the irresponsible immigration policy of the PAP that we are questioning'. Dr Chee noted that Singapore's population has crossed the six-million mark and that the Republic is the third most densely populated country in the world, with the growth 'fuelled by the increase in foreigners'. 'We have an existential problem in our country and if we continue to allow the PAP to bring in more and more foreigners, our problems of mental health, cost of living, overcrowding, environmental degradation and overall quality of life are all going to worsen,' he said. Supporters at the SDP rally for Bukit Panjang SMC at Beacon Primary School on April 25. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH He also called on PM Wong to articulate what he sees as an optimal population size for Singapore, adding that he would expand on SDP's vision for immigration in the coming days. Meanwhile, Prof Tambyah , a senior consultant in the division of infectious diseases at the National University Hospital, said Singapore is facing huge challenges in its public healthcare system. 'I've said many times we have some of the world's best doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. We also have good healthcare administrators, but the problem is the political environment under which they operate,' he said. In SDP's manifesto launched on April 20, the party proposed that maternal and paediatric services should be largely free and funded by the government from taxes. The proposal also includes a 'risk pooling system' that would cover primary services and treatment for chronic illnesses. 'The bottom line is that healthcare policy needs to focus primarily on getting people well. The SDP healthcare plan involves small co-payments which are kept and operates on the basis that no one chooses to get cancer or a heart attack,' added Prof Tambyah. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
