Two new faces for Jurong GRC
David Ong to contest Bukit Batok SMC
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam welcomed two new faces to his Jurong Group Representative Constituency team yesterday.
They are former Syariah Court deputy registrar Rahayu Mahzam, 35, and oncologist Tan Wu Meng, 40.
Mr Tharman also announced at the People's Action Party headquarters in Clementi yesterday that Mr David Ong Kim Huat, 54, will contest in the Bukit Batok Single-Member Constituency (SMC), which has been his ward for the past four years.
Madam Rahayu, a lawyer specialising in civil litigation and family law, will take over the Bukit Batok East ward from her mentor and Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, who is expected to contest the newly formed Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.
Meanwhile, Dr Tan will take over from retiring three-term MP Arthur Fong, whose Clementi ward in West Coast GRC now falls under Jurong GRC due to the redrawn boundaries.
Dr Tan, who is married with a daughter, is a consultant and specialist in medical oncology at Parkway Cancer Centre.
The rest of the five-member Jurong GRC team includes Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee and backbencher Ang Wei Neng.
Mr Tharman also announced that a separate office will be set up in Clementi for the convenience of residents. If elected, it will be known as Jurong-Clementi Town Council.
Jurong was the second-best performing GRC for the PAP in 2011, with a winning percentage of 67.0 per cent against a team from the National Solidarity Party.
Their likely opponents this time round will be the Singaporeans First party led by 2011 presidential candidate Tan Jee Say.
HOUSE VISITS
On his team's approach, Mr Tharman, who is also Finance Minister, said: "We believe in being on the ground all the time. We do it through extensive house visits and meeting with residents in their homes to find out their problems.
"One of the things we have built up a good track record in is working with government agencies to ensure residents' problems are solved. We have also built up very strong teams of volunteers, young and old, and active programmes to provide care for the elderly." - The Straits Times.
GE Spotlight: a lawyer & a doctor
NAME: Rahayu Mahzam
AGE: 35
OCCUPATION: Lawyer
WARD CONTESTING: Bukit Batok East
QUOTE: "I'm passionate about helping disadvantaged families, and I also hope to contribute to the development of policies to improve things for such families, as well as youths."
NAME: Tan Wu Meng
AGE: 40
OCCUPATION: Oncologist
WARD CONTESTING: Clementi
QUOTE: "Sometimes, the issue that determines a person's health is not just about numbers. It is also about family situations and in my work, I try to take on a role beyond the clinic."
GE 2015
SPOTLIGHT ON:
JURONG GRC
2015 GE
Voters: 130,428
PAP: Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Mr Desmond Lee, Mr Ang Wei Neng, Madam Rahayu Mahzam, Dr Tan Wu Meng
2011 GE
Voters: 125,276
PAP: Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Mr Desmond Lee, Mr Ang Wei Neng, Madam Halimah Yacob, Mr David Ong
% of vote: 66.96
SPOTLIGHT ON:
BUKIT BATOK SMC
2015 GE
Voters: 27,068
PAP: Mr David Ong
2011 GE
Did not exist, was part of Jurong GRC
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