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International Business Times
09-05-2025
- International Business Times
Singapore: 81-Year-Old Man Found on Bartley HDB Rooftop After He Went Missing for 6 Days
An 81-year-old man was found on the roof of a recently built apartment building in Bidadari after he lost communication with his family for six days. Lau Sung Pong, 81, was reported missing on May 1 after he failed to return home. Joyce, 55, told AsiaOne that her father Lau, who has dementia but has been counseled by physicians to continue his regular routine, took the bus two stops later than intended. In an interview, Joyce, who asked not to be identified by her full name, said, "He's generally strong and healthy, though his kidneys are not in the best condition due to his age". She is her father's primary caregiver. Joyce called the police after failing to find Lau for two hours while driving and walking. The police searched the Bidadari and Woodleigh neighborhood along with a number of family members in an attempt to locate the old man. On May 2, the police also released a request for information regarding Lau's location. Denise Phua, the Jalan Besar GRC Member of Parliament, also made a plea for assistance on Wednesday, May 7, in a Facebook post that received more than 1,400 replies. Amy Hoi, 43, who is Lau's niece, said, "We received several tips of his possible sightings, but we still could not find him throughout the next six days." Lau was discovered on the rooftop of Block 227A Bartley Walk on Wednesday, May 8, less than 300 meters from where he was last seen. Given that her father used to work in water tank repair and own a metal workshop, Joyce speculated that he might have wandered there as a result of his dementia. According to reports, the temporary occupancy permit for the build-to-order apartment is still pending. Several water tank contractors found the frail, slightly sunburned man and immediately called for an ambulance. Hoi said that her uncle's survival was a "miracle" because Lau had gone for several days without eating. "He is undergoing treatment as his kidney suffered trauma from the dehydration," she told Asia One, adding, "Other than that, he is very well." Joyce said that her father is recuperating in hospital, adding that her family appreciates all the well wishes and tip offs from good Samaritans. Hoi added, "Because of them sharing the news of Lau missing, we could reach out to such a wide network of people who really helped to look for him over these few days." "Words can never be enough to express how deeply grateful we are to all of them," she said. The Singapore Civil Defence Force told AsiaOne that they received a call for help at Block 277A Bartley Walk at approximately 6 pm on Wednesday. They added, "SCDF conveyed a person to Tan Tock Seng Hospital."
Straits Times
04-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
GE2025: S'pore's international partners note strong show of support for PAP in poll results, says Josephine Teo
(From left, in white) The Jalan Besar GRC team, consisting of Shawn Loh, Denise Phua, Josephine Teo, and Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah pose for a photo with residents on a walkabout at Beo Crescent Market on May 4. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE - Singapore's international partners have been watching the outcome of the May 3 general election, and apart from sending congratulatory messages, some have noted the strong showing for the ruling party. Speaking to reporters on May 4, a day after the PAP clinched a landslide victory with vote share of 65.57 per cent, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said those 'watching from afar' have also commented that Singapore voters have been 'very rational in recognising the risks and uncertainties'. '(Some have also) signalled their belief that a united Singapore is more prepared to weather these storms that are bound to hit Singapore,' she said of the PAP's win. '(Looking) at the results for the PAP in this general election, I think it is a very strong signal of support for the team led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong,' added Mrs Teo, who leads the PAP team that won Jalan Besar GRC. Singaporeans have returned the ruling party to power, heeding PM Wong's call for a strong PAP team to steer Singapore through coming storms. The party secured 87 of 97 seats in an election that took place against a backdrop of global uncertainty and trade wars. 'At the national level, there are many issues that we must tackle. Certainly, the geopolitical disruptions and the total reset of the international trade system, as well as the world order that we used to know and benefit from, will challenge us in the next term of government,' Mrs Teo said. She said that the government will identify ways to strengthen Singapore's position in this 'major reshuffling of circumstances'. She believes that Singapore has a strong parliament that will allow for the debate of options in a rational manner that also best serves the interests of its people. Mrs Teo and her team of MPs-elect for Jalan Besar GRC were at Beo Crescent Market and Food Centre thanking residents for their support on May 4. The PAP team that also includes Ms Denise Phua, Dr Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah and new face Shawn Loh, won 75.21 per cent of the votes. They defeated the People's Alliance for Reform , an opposition coalition, that wrested 24.79 per cent of the votes. Jalan Besar GRC MP-elect Josephine Teo embraces a resident while on a walkabout to thank supporters at Beo Crescent Market on May 4. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG Said Mrs Teo: 'We have always said we do not take any single vote for granted, and we have every intention of fulfilling our pledge – that is, to be honest, to be hard-working, and to be helpful in terms of the plans for our town.' Meanwhile, the PAP teams from Bishan-Toa Payoh and Marymount were also making their rounds early on May 4, greeting residents from an open-top bus and making pit stops at markets and coffeeshops. Expanding on an earlier pledge to push for a hawker centre in Bishan, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat told reporters that he will work with the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and National Environment Agency to achieve this. But it was still too early to give specifics. 'We see how hawker centres have benefited our residents in Toa Payoh and also in other towns, and I believe this will also benefit our residents here in Bishan,' said Mr Chee who had first raised this possibility at an April 30 rally. The four-man team in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC led by Mr Chee, which also includes Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Mr Cai Yinzhou, and Ms Elysa Chen, garnered 75.21 per cent of the vote against the Singapore People's Party in the May 3 polls. Mr Chee said he will get Ms Chen and Mr Cai, both political greenhorns, involved in town council work as he thinks it is a useful way for them to learn how to improve the lives of residents. When asked about balancing his grassroots work with his ministerial duties, Mr Chee said it was important to build and empower a team he could work with on these matters. MP-elect for Marymount SMC Gan Siow Hiang who will be returning for a second term told reporters at Bishan North Shopping Mall that she was humbled by the support and recognition from residents. 'I think the strong mandate gives us a lot of confidence that we should push ahead with the plans that we have in mind for Marymount,' said Ms Gan who captured 70.70 per cent of the vote share, against her PSP opponent Mr Jeffrey Khoo's 29.3 per cent. Ms Gan also noted some areas of improvement, including providing more caregiver support to residents in Marymount, which has a large proportion of middle-aged, middle-class residents with elderly family members. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Business Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
GE2025: PAP retains Jalan Besar GRC with near 10-point swing
[SINGAPORE] Residents of Jalan Besar GRC remain under the stewardship of the People's Action Party (PAP) slate helmed by Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo – with the ruling party clinching a near 10-point swing in the Whampoa ward. The four-member PAP team secured 75.21 per cent of the vote in the constituency, up from a vote share of 65.36 per cent in GE2020 and 67.75 per cent in GE2015. The incumbent team includes Denise Phua, who served as Mayor of Central Singapore District since 2014; Dr Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah; as well as political greenhorn and former Finance Ministry director Shawn Loh, who replaced Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How. Loh is currently the deputy group managing director of Singapore-based investment company Commonwealth Capital Group. PAP went head-to-head with opposition coalition People's Alliance for Reform (PAR) – who fielded a team comprising newcomers freelance private tutor Chiu Shin Kong; party treasurer Mohamad Hamim Aliyas; nurse Sarina Abu Hassan; and early childhood educator Vigneswari V Ramachandran. The PAP slate secured 70,345 votes while the PAR team gathered 23,186 votes. 3,331 ballot slips were rejected. 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 (From left) Sarina Abu Hassan; Chiu Shin Kong; Vigneswari V Ramachandran; and Mohamad Hamim Aliyas of the People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), was defeated by PAP in Jalan Besar GRC. PHOTO: ST Created in 1959, Jalan Besar GRC first became a three-member GRC from a single-seat ward in 1988. In GE2001, it expanded to become a five-member GRC. Then, in 2011, it was dissolved with the formation of now-defunct Moulmein-Kallang GRC that was won by PAP but with a vote share just shy of 60 per cent. Jalan Besar GRC made a comeback in GE2015. It comprised 106,342 registered electors this time, compared with 107,720 in GE2020. Yio Chu Kang victory PAR – an alliance of three parties that contested 13 seats in two GRCs and four SMCs this general election – also lost to PAP in Yio Chu Kang SMC. Incumbent PAP candidate Yip Hon Weng defended his seat with a double-digit vote margin in this general election. Yip Hon Weng at a walkabout at 628 Market along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4. The Temasek director was a political newbie in the previous general election in 2020. PHOTO: ST Yip, a director at Temasek, defeated Michael Fang of opposition coalition People's Alliance for Reform (PAR) with 78.73 per cent of the vote, up from 60.82 per cent in GE2020. Yip raked in 17,992 votes with PAR's Fang receiving 4,860 votes, while 557 ballot papers were rejected. In GE2020, the then political newbie received 14,775 votes, defeating fellow newcomer Kayla Low of the Progress Singapore Party who pulled in 9,519 ballots. There were 413 rejected votes then. Yip's opponent this election, Dr Fang, is a health sciences lecturer at a private college. He also contested in GE2020 but in Jalan Besar GRC, where his Peoples Voice team lost with 34.64 per cent of the votes. PAR's Michael Fang contested in the previous election in 2020 under the Peoples Voice banner in Jalan Besar GRC. PHOTO: ST In, out and around The Yio Chu Kang ward has faced repeated boundary changes over the years. In 1991, it became part of the Ang Mo Kio GRC. In GE2006, it was carved out into a single seat. In GE2011, it was reabsorbed into the PAP stronghold helmed by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. In GE2020, it was drawn into a single seat again, and this remained unchanged in GE2025 except that one polling district was shifted to Kebun Baru SMC. Yio Chu Kang SMC has 25,410 registered electors this time, compared with 25,962 in GE2020. For more election coverage, visit our GE2025 microsite.
Straits Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
GE2025: PAP wins Jalan Besar GRC, widens lead with 75.21% of votes
The PAP's Jalan Besar GRC candidates (from left) Shawn Loh, Denise Phua, Josephine Teo and Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah at Bedok Stadium early on May 4. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE - The PAP widened its lead in Jalan Besar GRC, winning 75.21 per cent of the votes against the People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), an opposition coalition. The four-member team is helmed by the current Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo and and includes incumbent MPs Denise Phua and Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah, as well as new face Shawn Loh. Mr Loh took over the GRC's Whampoa ward from Senior Minister of State for Defence Heng Chee How, who stepped down from the team. The PAR team that contested Jalan Besar comprises newcomers - freelance private tutor Chiu Shin Kong, nurse Sarina Abu Hassan, early childhood educator Vigneswari V. Ramachandran, and the party's treasurer Mohamad Hamim Aliyas. PAR wrested 24.5 per cent of the votes. The total votes cast were 93,531. This is the second time Mrs Teo has led the winning team in Jalan Besar , following her move from Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC in 2020. The result was an improvement from GE2020, where the PAP team won with 65.36 per cent of the vote against Peoples Voice (PV) – which is now a member of PAR. PV, then led by party chief Lim Tean, obtained 34.64 per cent of the vote. Mr Lim, who is secretary-general of PAR, did not lead his team in this general election. Instead, he was in a three-cornered fight with Singapore People's Party treasurer Williiamson Lee and Mr Alex Yeo of the PAP for Potong Pasir SMC. Jalan Besar GRC, comprising four wards - Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng, Kolam Ayer, Whampoa and Kampong Glam - represents the largest area of the downtown city centre of Singapore, followed by Tanjong Pagar GRC. In their campaign, the PAP candidates for the GRC focused on making Jalan Besar more vibrant and sustainable, more caring and inclusive, and where community bonds are stronger. On April 6, its town council launched the Jalan Besar Masterplan for the next five years, from 2026 to 2030, for a greener and more elderly-friendly town. The aim is to make Jalan Besar a more inclusive community for its residents. The constituency, one of the oldest in Singapore, will be upgraded to include way-finding features such as motifs and colour-coded zones to help residents, especially those with dementia, navigate the neighbourhoods. It was first created in the 1959 Legislative Assembly election and became a three-member GRC in 1988, comprising Jalan Besar, Kolam Ayer and Geylang West. It expanded to become a five-member GRC in the 2001 General Election after absorbing Whampoa, Kallang and Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng but was dissolved in 2011, with the formation of Moulmein-Kallang GRC. Jalan Besar GRC was contested again in the 2015 General Election. The GRC, known to be a PAP stronghold, has since 1988 seen contests from many political parties, including the Workers' Party, Singapore Democratic Party and Singapore Democratic Alliance. It also saw a walkover in 1991. Jalan Besar GRC has a high concentration of seniors as well as low-income households, but its demography has shifted with a number of build-to-order (BTO) residential projects up. Additional reporting by Hazel Tang Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
AsiaOne
03-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
PAP wins Jalan Besar GRC with 75.21% of votes over PAR , Singapore News
Results for Jalan Besar GRC in GE2025 People's Action Party (PAP) 75.21 per cent People's Alliance for Reform (PAR) 24.79 per cent The People's Action Party (PAP) has won Jalan Besar GRC with 75.21 per cent of votes over the People's Alliance for Reform (PAR). PAP received 70,345 votes while PAR received 23,186 votes. The PAP's team for Jalan Besar GRC is led by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo and includes incumbent MPs Denise Phua and Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah, as well as new face Shawn Loh. Loh was formerly a director of security and resilience programmes at the Ministry of Finance and is now deputy group managing director at Commonwealth Capital Group, a Singapore-based investment company focused on the food and beverage industry. At a press conference on April 16, Teo highlighted Loh's experience in both private and public sectors: "I believe that he will be an excellent fit with the team here, and he comes with many years of experience, not just in the public sector; I think it is also his private sector experience that I value in particular." The PAR's team is led by Vigneswari V Ramachandran, Sarina Abu Hassan, Mohamad Hamim Aliyas and Chiu Shin Kong. The PAR is a three-party alliance comprising the Peoples Voice (PV), the Reform Party (RP) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). During GE2020, the PAP team, led by Teo, won Jalan Besar GRC in the last election with 65.37 per cent of the votes, defeating the People's Voice (which is now a member of PAR) team headed by party chief Lim Tean. The constituency has 106,342 electors. For our GE2025 microsite, visit here. editor@
