Latest news with #JurongGRC
CNA
22-05-2025
- Health
- CNA
10 years in Clementi: Tan Wu Meng on politics, family and the sacrifices he had to make
SINGAPORE: 'I never wanted to let you see me cry.' Those words from his then-nine-year-old daughter struck Dr Tan Wu Meng deeply. The former MP was recalling the toll his political career took on his family – particularly during his time as a political office holder, which required frequent overseas travel. 'I felt very sad,' he told CNA in an interview at a coffee shop in Clementi Avenue 5, in the ward he served for a decade. Dr Tan was a People's Action Party (PAP) MP for Jurong GRC from 2015 until this year, when he did not contest the recent election. From 2018 to 2020, when he was also a senior parliamentary secretary for trade and industry and for foreign affairs, he was often abroad. It was only after returning to the backbench that he saw how his absence had affected his daughters. Dr Tan has two daughters, one in Secondary 2 and another in Primary 2. His elder daughter was around four years old when he first entered politics. After he returned to the backbench, she told him: 'Daddy, did you know that when you went for a trip overseas, I would cry quietly. But I never wanted to let you see me cry, because you might feel bad about fighting for Singapore, fighting for companies to bring factories and jobs to Singaporeans.' Dr Tan, an oncologist now with the National Cancer Centre, described such moments as sobering reminders of what public service demands – not just of politicians, but of their families. 'This applies to all young parents who are in politics. The kids don't always tell you the weight of it until afterwards,' he said. During his tenure, Dr Tan averaged five days a week on the ground: meeting residents, attending funerals, visiting markets and coffee shops and holding Meet-The-People Sessions (MPS). One incident that he remembers clearly was helping a grieving mother who was denied compassionate leave after her son died from an infection. Her employer told her she could 'take the three days off, but don't come back to work after that'. 'I was furious," Dr Tan recalled. "Anyone who messes with my resident like that, I have to do everything I can to try and make sure this kind of employer doesn't get a free pass. And some of these stories are what drive you to fight for residents in parliament.' His team took the matter up with the Manpower Ministry. ADJUSTING TO PUBLIC LIFE Dr Tan's political journey began in 2005, nearly a decade before his election, when he started volunteering at the MPS in Ulu Pandan. Mentored by experienced grassroots leaders – including a then-volunteer Tin Pei Ling – Dr Tan soon found himself increasingly involved. 'One thing led to another. I started helping out more in the community. I became the organising secretary of the Young PAP,' he said, referring to the party's youth wing. Eventually, in the lead-up to the 2015 General Election, he was invited to stand as a candidate. He agreed as he 'felt a certain duty to go ahead'. As he stepped into politics, Dr Tan made a conscious choice to shield his children from the public eye. His family live near Clementi, but he would intentionally stay away from their outings in the estate. He didn't want his kids to be known as "the children of an MP", he said. While some MPs chose to involve their families publicly, Dr Tan said each family had to choose what worked for them. For his, maintaining privacy offered stability. The role of an MP can be "quite all-consuming", he said, adding that even during family time, his mind was often on residents and how to improve their lives. 'Anyone who puts themselves forward for election to be an MP, regardless of whichever team you're on, regardless of your political persuasion, regardless of which party – these are folks who really deserve our respect as fellow Singaporeans.' "MY CLEMENTI RESIDENTS" During his time in parliament, Dr Tan became known for opening his speeches with the phrase 'my Clementi residents'. What began organically became a deliberate choice after residents told him it made them feel seen and heard. 'When you're trying to build a more fair and more equal society … sometimes there's also inequalities of whether people feel able to make their concerns heard,' said Dr Tan. 'You want to make sure these residents are heard in what is the highest law-making body in the land, which is parliament.' That sense of connection also shaped his approach to digital engagement, which he said has changed dramatically in the past decade. MPs now deal with residents not just in person, but also through Facebook, Instagram and even TikTok. Still, nothing replaces the intimacy of face-to-face conversations. 'Sometimes, someone shares their story, there's that moment, that pause, and you just kind of know there's something that you need to try and discover a bit more to help that family,' Dr Tan said. 'It's that sense of emotional availability. So if your resident is having a terrible time in life, people can tell you whether you feel for it, people can tell whether your heart is there in that moment.' Not all in-person encounters went smoothly. In 2018, Dr Tan was attacked during an MPS session. A 32-year-old resident rushed into the venue and assaulted him, leaving him with bruises on his arm and abrasions on his neck. His first thought was that he hoped no one else was hurt, since there were also seniors and children at the MPS, he told CNA. The man was apprehended by police, while Dr Tan returned to his MPS duties that same night after getting checked at the National University Hospital. The attacker had a history of drug abuse and was trying to seek help with a pending court case. He was later sentenced to three months' jail for the assault. Dr Tan has not met the attacker since, but has met his mother, who was apologetic. His team later helped the man with an unrelated appeal. SERVING IN GOVERNMENT Dr Tan said his experience as a political office holder helped him become a more effective backbencher. 'You now know how the policy is made, you now know how the policy paper is written, you also know how the PQ – parliamentary question – answer and follow-up is designed,' he said. He believes the backbench offers MPs more freedom to express convictions and represent constituents directly. However, he acknowledged that office holders also advocate for citizens – just through different channels. The range of topics that a backbencher can cover is also broader, Dr Tan said, compared to a political office holder whose focus is typically on things related to the ministries they are appointed to. From his time in government, Dr Tan also came to appreciate the interplay between local concerns and national interests. 'You want to advocate for residents. But at the national level, sometimes there has to be some triage. Agencies have to figure out which towns need help sooner, which towns may need help more urgently. But that's the nature of policy-making,' he said. He added that unlike local issues, which may yield visible outcomes quickly, national-level work is often long-term and less tangible. One such example was the development of the Price Kaki app during his time at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). Launched at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the app – developed in partnership with the Consumers Association of Singapore – lets users crowdsource and compare the retail prices of groceries, household items and hawker food. 'It was one of those ideas where we were able to launch it during my time at MTI, but in a sense, its full fruition came by quite some years later,' said Dr Tan. In March this year, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said Price Kaki had grown to list unit pricing for over 6,000 items, up from more than 1,200 when it was introduced. PLANS MOVING FORWARD Since the May 3 polls, Dr Tan has been supporting his successor in the ward, first-term MP David Hoe, during the transition. Mr Hoe, a charity director, was elected as part of the PAP slate that won Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC with 76.66 per cent of the vote against Red Dot United. 'Some of it was bringing David with me on community activities, helping him get to know residents and also just sharing with him my own thoughts on different situations in Clementi,' said Dr Tan. He has also taken time to brief his successor on families with complex or long-running issues in the ward. 'So it's just really supporting him in whatever way he finds helpful,' Dr Tan added. But he is also giving Mr Hoe 'the space to be his own person', and he is confident that Clementi will be okay under Mr Hoe's charge. As for why he left politics, Dr Tan said the party leadership understood his desire to be more present for his family, particularly his young daughters. While every MP ultimately serves at the discretion of party leadership, individuals can indicate their preferences. 'If you need me, I will continue. But if you don't need me, at this point I'm okay to just return to being an ordinary citizen outside the political arena,' said Dr Tan. 'And so we had a number of conversations, and eventually we came to an understanding that it would be okay for me to retire.' He recalled that a resident once told him: 'When you've got little kids growing up, every day is like a page turning. Except that if you miss those pages, you can't turn the pages back.'
Business Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
Singapore election 2025: PAP wins Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC with 76.66% of votes against RDU
[SINGAPORE] The People's Action Party (PAP) fended off Red Dot United (RDU) in the newly formed Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC with 76.66 per cent of 129,593 valid votes. Led by Minister for Sustainability and Environment Grace Fu, the PAP team clinched 99,345 of the votes against RDU's 30,248. Rejected votes came to 3,193. Other members of the team were Ministers of State Murali Pillai and Rahayu Mahzam, political newcomer David Hoe and Lee Hong Chuang, who contested in the Hougang seat in the last two elections. They beat an RDU slate comprising former candidates Osman Sulaiman and Liyana Dhamirah, as well as newcomers Ben Puah, Marcus Neo and Harish Mohanadas. RDU fielded the second-largest opposition slate in GE2025, with 15 candidates across three Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and two Single-Member Constituencies (SMCs). Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC was formed for GE2025, with the five-member constituency consisting of parts of Jurong GRC, Bukit Batok SMC, Yuhua SMC – which was helmed by PAP's Fu – as well as Hong Kah North 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 The former Jurong GRC was the PAP's best-performing constituency in the past two elections. Led by current President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, it took 79.3 per cent of the vote in 2015 and 74.6 per cent in 2020. Jurong Central SMC PAP incumbent Xie Yao Quan also beat the RDU in the new single-seat ward of Jurong Central with 80.51 per cent of the vote. Xie took 21,884 out of 27,182 valid votes cast, while Kala Manickam took 19.49 per cent or 5,298 of the votes. There were 531 rejected votes. Jurong Central SMC is one of the six new single-seat wards resulting from the electoral boundaries review. It was carved out of the former Jurong GRC, as well as portions of the former Yuhua SMC. Since entering politics in GE2020, Xie has been serving the Jurong Central ward within the former Jurong GRC. PAP incumbent Xie Yao Quan (far left) took 21,884 out of 27,182 valid votes cast in the new single-seat ward of Jurong Central. PHOTO: ST Kala made a surprise appearance on Nomination Day to contest Jurong Central, after being previously tipped to be running for Jalan Kayu SMC. The specialist educator was pulled out of the ward to make way for Workers' Party candidate Andre Low and avoid a three-way fight. For more election coverage, visit our GE2025 microsite
AsiaOne
03-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
PAP wins Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC with 76.66% of votes over RDU, Singapore News
Results for Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC in GE2025 People's Action Party (PAP) 76.66% Red Dot United (RDU) 23.34% The People's Action Party has won Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC with 76.66% of votes over the Red Dot United. PAP received 99,345 votes while RDU received 30,248 votes. The PAP's five-member team for Jurong East-Bukit Batok is led by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, who returned to a GRC slate after more than a decade. She previously served as an MP in Jurong GRC from 2006 to 2011 before moving to Yuhua SMC. The other members of team comprise newcomer charity director David Hoe, 37, former national gymnast and Hougang representative Lee Hong Chuang, 54, Minister of State for Health and for Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam, 44, and Minister of State for Transport and Law Murali Pillai, 57. The RDU team has waste management company director Osman Sulaiman, 50, entrepreneur and author Liyana Dhamirah, 38, contemporary artist Ben Puah, 48, principal software engineer Harish Mohanadas, 39, and boutique marketing agency director Marcus Neo, 33. Osman previously contested in the 2011 and 2015 General Elections with the Reform Party and was a candidate with the Singapore People's Party in 2020. Liyana Dhamirah, 38, was an RDU candidate for Jurong GRC in the 2020 General Election. Following changes to the electoral boundaries on March 11, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC consists of Bukit Batok SMC and parts of Jurong GRC, Yuhua SMC and Hong Kah North SMC. Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC has 142,510 registered electors. For our GE2025 microsite, visit here. editor@
Straits Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
GE2025: PAP wins Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, Jurong Central SMC
Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE – The PAP has won the newly created Jurong-East-Bukit Batok GRC, securing 76.66 per cent of the votes against Red Dot United (RDU) in the May 3 General Election. The ruling party also clinched the Jurong Central SMC, also newly created, with 80.51 per cent of the vote against RDU. Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu, Ministers of State Murali Pillai and Rahayu Mahzam, Mr David Hoe and Mr Lee Hong Chuang are part of the PAP team that beat the RDU team of Mr Osman Sulaiman, Ms Liyana Dhamirah, Mr Ben Puah, Mr Marcus Neo, and Mr Harish Mohanadas in Jurong East-Bukit Batok. In Jurong Central, PAP's Xie Yao Quan was up against RDU's Kala Manickam. In his victory speech at Bukit Gombak Stadium, Mr Xie thanked residents for a strong mandate and the trust they have placed in him. 'I said on nomination day that it has been the greatest honour of my life to have served you for the last five years,' he said. 'Well, that has changed. The greatest honour of my life now is to be able to serve you for another five years.' The PAP's Jurong Central candidate Xie Yao Quan greeting supporters at Bukit Gombak Stadium on May 3. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY In its campaign, the PAP team focused on alleviating concerns over the rising cost of living through local vouchers and food rescue programmes, as well as municipal issues such as building more sheltered walkways. Both Jurong East-Bukit Batok and Jurong Central were formed following the electoral boundaries review ahead of the election. With 142,753 voters , Jurong East-Bukit Batok comprises part of the former Jurong GRC as well as the Bukit Batok, Yuhua and Hong Kah North SMCs. Jurong Central SMC , with 29,667 voters, was carved out of Jurong GRC. The former Jurong GRC had consistently been among the PAP's best-performing constituencies in recent elections, securing a commanding 79.29 per cent of the vote in the 2015 General Election and 74.61 per cent in the 2020 General Election. A key figure behind PAP's traditionally strong electoral performance in that GRC was President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who served as an MP in the constituency for over two decades before he stepped down from the party to successfully run for the presidency. In the 2020 General Election, the PAP team also went up against a team from RDU, which was set up barely three weeks before the election. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Business Times
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
Singapore election 2025: PAP wins Jurong Central SMC against RDU
[SINGAPORE] The People's Action Party (PAP) has won the new single-seat ward of Jurong Central with 80.5 per cent of the votes against the opposition Red Dot United (RDU). PAP incumbent Xie Yao Quan took 21,884 out of 27,182 valid votes cast. His opponent, Kala Manickam, took 19.5 per cent or 5,298 of the votes. There were 531 rejected votes. Jurong Central is one of the six new Single-Member Constituencies resulting from the latest electoral boundaries review. It was carved out of the former Jurong GRC, with added parts of the former Yuhua SMC. Since entering politics in GE2020, Xie has been serving the Jurong Central ward within the former Jurong GRC. Kala made a surprise appearance on Nomination Day to contest Jurong Central, after being previously tipped to be running for Jalan Kayu SMC. The specialist educator was pulled out of the ward to make way for Workers' Party candidate Andre Low and avoid a three-way fight. For more election coverage, visit our GE2025 microsite
