'We have to look after this place': PSP's Tan Cheng Bock on probably his last GE in West Coast-Jurong West

Having served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for 26 years, Tan Cheng Bock is no stranger in the Singapore political scene.

On Sunday (Apr. 20), the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) chairman announced at a media doorstop that he would contest in the 2025 General Election for the West Coast-Jurong West GRC.

"This will probably be the last election for Dr Tan, a man who has devoted his whole life to the service of Singapore and Singaporeans," said PSP secretary-general Leong Mun Wai.

"A politician never dies"

Commenting about his thoughts on contesting in possibly his last election, Tan said: "A politician never dies. We just fade away."

"But where I am, whether in politics, I think we have to look after this place."

Tan, who will turn 85 in a few days, said that he wanted to share the concerns of the younger people and at the same time, "make them more responsible [about] how a country should be managed".

"It is not just by the PAP (People's Action Party). When I was [in] the PAP, I felt that sometimes we take for granted many things. And I think [there] should be a change."

He encouraged people to look at things from a different angle, stressing the importance of having more opposition in the Parliament.

"Not to break up this country, actually, to improve the debates in the House and also the ideas, because... ideas [are] not just a monopoly on the other side."

"I'm coming home"

When asked about how confident PSP is in winning the West Coast-Jurong West GRC, Tan said: "We are confident."

Tan said that the area is not new to the party, and that many people have approached and welcomed him and his team.

Tan said that the party was initially worried about the new boundaries, which were redrawn following the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC)'s report published on Mar.11.

"When they [pushed] us here, at first we were a little bit worried. But when I look around here, [I feel like] I'm coming home," Tan said.

The 84-year-old shared that he had clinics in the area and has been practising there for many years.

"When I go around, I'm so cheered by the fact that many of the residents call me 'the doctor'. So I hope they will now allow me and my team to look after them... and help bring this particular place to a higher level of growth."

Tough fight

Speaking to the media, Leong acknowledged that the battle in the West Coast-Jurong West GRC will be a tough fight.

"With the new boundaries and the short runway, we know it will be a tough fight," Leong said. "But nevertheless, we will not shrink from any tough fight."

The PSP secretary-general said that the party has been engaging with residents of Taman Jurong and Jurong Spring, and wished to strengthen the message that PSP "are here to serve them".

He spoke of "three main areas" PSP wished to address for residents in the West.

The first is to improve the facilities in the area so that the residents' property values can rise.

The second is to bring more jobs to the West, perhaps by expanding the one-North cluster of high-tech industry to be moved further to the West of Singapore.

Third, developing the living environment in the West to improve work-life balance, as there is more undeveloped land there.

Will contest against PAP

Tan served as the People's Action Party (PAP) MP in the Ayer Rajah constituency for six terms before stepping down in 2006.

In 2019, Tan founded the PSP comprising 11 other "like-minded Singaporeans", and contested in the West Coast GRC.

Tan's team, comprising Leong, Hazel Poa, Nadarajah Loganathan, and Jeffrey Khoo, lost to PAP with 48.31 per cent of the vote.

It was the closest fight of the 2020 election, which allowed PSP to send two Non-Constituency MPs to Parliament.

The West Coast GRC was dissolved following the new EBRC report. It will absorb parts of Jurong GRC and become West Coast-Jurong West GRC.

In the coming election, PSP will be contesting against the PAP team comprising Desmond Lee, Shawn Huang, Ang Wei Neng, Cassandra Lee, and Hamid Razak in the new constituency.

Top image via Mothership