Jurong GRC team leader and DPM Tharman apologises to Bukit Batok residents on behalf of PAP

"We are deeply sorry that this has happened. It is totally unexpected."

Martino Tan| March 12, 05:54 PM

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has responded to the sudden resignation of MP David Ong Kim Huat, who represented Bukit Batok SMC.

This comes just two hours after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the news in a note on his Facebook page.

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by Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday, 12 March 2016

Speaking to the media at a constituency event, DPM Tharman apologised to the Bukit Batok residents on behalf of the ruling party, reassuring them that the SMC's needs will be taken care of.

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Tharman apologises to Bukit Batok residents on behalf of PAP; says first priority is to make sure Bukit Batok is in good hands ahead of by-election. http://bit.ly/1plNv30

Posted by Channel NewsAsia Singapore on Saturday, March 12, 2016

Below is DPM Tharman's statements in full:

"Mr David Ong has apologised. But I want to say to Bukit Batok residents on behalf of the party that we are deeply sorry that this has happened. It is totally unexpected. But it has happened. And we must now rebuild. And we will. Our first priority is to make sure that Bukit Batok is in good hands until the by-election.

That's our first priority. It is a single member constituency, not part of the GRC. But it's part of the Jurong family, together with Jurong GRC and Yuhua (Minister Grace Fu's SMC). So we will make sure that it is taken care of. And that's why Mr Desmond Lee (Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of National Development) will be here on the ground making sure that residents' needs are met. Making sure that the grassroots are together. We rebuild from here.

Secondly, Mr Ang Wei Neng (2nd term Jurong GRC MP) will take over as Chairman of the town council because it was David Ong who was also chairman of the town council and that will also happen with immediate effect.

So this is a set back. Residents will be disappointed. David Ong has worked extremely hard. I mean, he's a really hard-working MP, he spends 4-5 times a week in Bukit Batok, weekends, weekdays, nights. He will be disappointed, but please don't worry. We will take care of Bukit Batok."

 

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Jurong GRC team leader and DPM Tharman apologises to Bukit Batok residents on behalf of PAP

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