PAP committed to building better S'pore, to roll out more programmes & scale existing initiatives: Desmond Lee

Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said during a rally on Apr. 27 that the People's Action Party (PAP) is committed to building and shaping a better Singapore for all Singaporeans by rolling out more programmes and scaling up existing initiatives.

Planning for Singaporeans in mind

Lee, who is the anchor minister for the PAP team contesting in West Coast-Jurong West GRC, said: "The message that you hear from the opposition is that we are moving in the wrong direction and the PAP is doing wrong by Singaporeans. That is not true."

The Minister for National Development said that the PAP has always planned for Singaporeans and the future generations in mind.

"We may not have all the answers all the time, but we are staying on course and charting our new way forward."

In his speech, Lee pointed out that the government has launched initiatives to tackle concerns about the cost of living and housing.

On the cost of living, Lee said that support was extended through the budget. The Minister also said he is working on the issue, as well as ensuring job security, in the new Singapore Economic Resilient Taskforce headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong.

The taskforce aims to help businesses and workers through the uncertainties brought on by the U.S. tariffs.

On housing, Lee said that the government has finished building all the homes that had been delayed due to the pandemic and is ramping up the supply for new housing.

"We are not done building and shaping Singapore"

In his rally speech, Lee also reiterated the nine key areas that he and his West Coast-Jurong West GRC team will focus on for the next five years if elected, which were included in the team manifesto.

This includes helping households cope with the cost of living by rolling out and scaling local programmes to supplement measures by the Government, ensuring good employment for job seekers by organising more career and skills fairs, and revitalising the neighbourhood with new sports and fitness facilities, among other things.

It also includes extending support to help seniors, empowering people with disabilities and mental health challenges, as well as their caregivers.

"We are not done building and shaping Singapore. We will never be done because we are always striving to do better for you," Lee said during the rally.

Lee said Senior Parliamentary Secretary Shawn Huang will focus on education and work with Patrick Tay, PAP candidate for Pioneer SMC and assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress, to bring “good jobs” to residents.

Lee added that Cassandra Lee will look out for young families, while Hamid Razak “feels strongly about seniors and healthcare”.

Good combination of experienced MPs and younger new candidates

Lee was the final speaker for PAP's Apr. 27 for West Coast-Jurong West GRC and Pioneer SMC at Jurong West Stadium.

Speaking before Lee were his teammates Huang, Ang, and new faces Lee, and Hamid.

PAP Pioneer SMC candidate Patrick Tay and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean also spoke at the rally.

In his speech, Teo expressed support for the PAP West Coast-Jurong West GRC team.

The team, Teo said, has a "good combination of experienced MPs and younger new candidates".

"And leading the team is Desmond Lee. You know how hardworking he is. He's dedicated to our residents. He works tirelessly for your night and day. He is a core part of [Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's] 4G team. He is also now at the forefront dealing with our current tariff crisis," Teo said.

"I can step down with [a] piece of mind and I hope that my residents will have [the] peace of mind knowing that they have good, strong teams to help take care of them for the full five years for the future."

West Coast-Jurong West GRC

The PAP West Coast-Jurong West GRC will be facing against Progress Singapore Party (PSP) in the coming election.

The PSP team, comprising chairman and former PAP member Tan Cheng Bock, secretary-general Leong Mun Wai and first vice-chairperson Hazel Poa, contested West Coast GRC in the last election and narrowly lost to PAP, which received 51.68 per cent of the votes.

The PAP team for West Coast GRC in the 2020 general election was also helmed by Desmond Lee.

Under the new EBRC report, parts of Jurong West and Taman Jurong from Jurong GRC merged with West Coast GRC to form the new West Coast-Jurong GRC.

There are a total of 158,581 electors in the newly formed GRC.

Top image via CNA/YouTube