Independent candidate Jeremy Tan says he'll use S$16,000 monthly MP allowance for Mountbatten needs

Mountbatten SMC independent candidate, Jeremy Tan, 34, has made an unusual offer to voters if elected: He will channel his monthly Member of Parliament (MP) allowance back into community causes and programmes for residents of the constituency.

In return, he will accept a S$1 symbolic stipend.

MP allowance: About S$16,041 monthly

According to the Public Service Division (PSD), as at 2012 when ministerial salaries were last adjusted, the annual Singapore MP allowance is S$192,500.

This amounts to about S$16,041 monthly.

Tan told Mothership that anxieties about the cost of living and achieving financial stability have cropped up repeatedly during conversations with residents this election.

The retiree and former businessman, whose campaign slogan is, "Be retired, not tired", said: "It would be the responsible thing to do to give taxpayers' money back to the community."

"I have seen many comments online suggesting I am standing for election for the money, which is not true at all."

He highlighted that he has not solicited for donations this general election and is paying for his own expenses.

Put funds into areas that might have been overlooked

Regarding how he plans to use the S$16,000 monthly, Tan said he wants to be flexible and accomplish goals for the town.

"For example, I spoke to Uncle KC at Dakota Breeze who has back problems and he requires help sometimes to hail a ride," he said.

Tan said he can offset basic expenses for the elderly, such as transport costs to and from the hospital for checkups.

Such assistance falls outside the purview of formal subsidies, he said.

He elaborated that he needs to find "willing and able taxi drivers in the estate" who can help.

The taxi drivers can be assured of regular bookings to bring patients to and from hospital and be paid fares at prevailing rates, he explained.

He added: "Such things have to start somewhere and negotiated beforehand."

Helping with hefty costs

Cost of home repairs, he said, is also another area that residents have brought up.

Some homes in Mountbatten estate are already about four decades old.

One resident, Tan said, had a burst pipe at her home that costs S$2,200 to repair.

He said: "I am not saying I can help everyone with S$16,000 a month, but there are recurring issues I hear about."

He emphasised that what he has to offer should not duplicate the efforts already in place to assist those who are accepting help.

Another criteria is that the funds must produce tangible benefits and he has the flexibility when disbursing the money.

Tan explained his rationale: "People feel that they have to jump through hoops just to get some subsidies here and there."

When pressed for more details, Tan shared that he will also see to bereavement arrangements, such as wreaths for funerals, as well as disbursing tokens of appreciation during festive seasons, such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, and Deepavali.

This is on top of setting up and maintaining care corners and food banks.

Like-minded individuals can step forward

As he is also aware that S$16,000 a month is a lot for one person but not that much for the estate, he is extending an invitation to Mountbatten SMC residents and those beyond to join him in making contributions sustainably.

Tan said he is optimistic given his role as a non-partisan candidate.

His call for help this GE2025 has yielded more than 30 volunteers and counting so far.

Tan said: "If you calculate it, an MP allowance of about S$16,000 a month comes up to roughly S$200,000 a year, or about S$1 million in five years."

He added that if donors can match his contributions dollar for dollar, as much as S$2 million can be channelled into the community over five years.

Too ambitious?

Asked if his projections are ambitious, Tan said he thinks that if there is a small chance an independent candidate can start from nothing and win a seat in parliament, it will inspire people to step forward.

Tan added that his vision for running in Mountbatten SMC stems from his openness with working with people across the political spectrum as a non-partisan candidate.

He has pledged to be a full-time MP, given that he no longer needs to hold down a job.

Non-partisan advantage

He added that his openness extends to working with town councils in the People's Action Party (PAP) or Workers' Party (WP) constituencies in ensuring the management of the estate continues without a hitch.

"Town councils want to achieve economies of scale. It will benefit either PAP or WP town councils in lowering their costs by having Mountbatten SMC to manage," Tan explained.

"This, in turn, benefits residents, who share in the cost savings," he added.

If those options are not viable, Tan said he has plans to hire his own team of estate managers, given his experience as a former businessman who has hired more than 50 people previously.

He said he has been studying how estate management works behind the scenes, as well as finding out more about the costs of running amenities.

Asked what would he use his S$1 stipend on, Tan quipped: "Probably buy a drink from a stall in Mountbatten."

"But I'm not sure if I can still buy a drink for S$1 these days," he joked.

Top photos via Mothership & Jeremy Tan