PAP admits to its failings in Punggol East

Before the by-election hustings have really taken off, we are hearing from PAP’s own mouths the failings of its former and disgraced MP, in areas of municipal estate management. If Palmer is still in charge, we can safely doubt the issues being talked about will be adequately addressed but instead will surely continue to persist.

We have so far hear of some big issues like the stalled work at Sengkang’s Rivervale Plaza. After Palmergate we suddenly hear promises made by the PAP’s covering MP, Teo Ser Luck, that work will be completed in six months. Now, what was it that Palmer could not do that Ser Luck could? Or, was it something that Palmer did not do, or did not have time to do because of some extra curricular activities?

Of course we also heard from the helming minister of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, DPM Big Nose himself that they have to quickly “reach out to as many residents as they can” in this short few days running up to BE. Gee, one wonders where or what they have been doing with its resident outreach program this past year. If the PAP MP for Punggol East had done his job well, as the PAP’s national press is wont to proclaim, there would be no need for the PAP to press the panic button.

Apart from Big Noise, we keep hearing about municipal issues which require quick solutions and follow ups. Transport, child care, markets and eateries are some of them. Is the PAP telling voters that it has not done anything about all these all this time? Is it because the disgraced former MP did not have the time and opportunity to raise these issues in parliament because his role in the same parliament is restricted to that of being Speaker?

If that is the case, then Singaporeans would want to question the wisdom of the PM for appointing a Single Seat MP to be Speaker of Parliament, inadvertently preventing him from having the opportunity of speaking up for his residents. Wouldn’t it be better to appoint an MP from a GRC where there is cover provided for by the other MPs in the team? I worry for the residents under Halimah Yacob. Will Tharman and his team cover and speak up on behalf of the residents under her care?

So you see, admitting to its failings is one thing. The question is whether the PAP can see how these failings came about. I’m sure it does, going by the approach the PAP is purported to be adopting – to listen harder, reach out harder, and work harder. Unfortunately, we all know too well by now that this only happens for less than 9 days every 5 years. If we are lucky, we may get an additional 9 days of interests like voters of Punggol East are now getting.