BB BE: 50 voters in Bukit Batok

by Claris Ng and Elias Wee

IN LESS than 48 hours, more than 25,000 people will head to the polls to elect the next Bukit Batok Member of Parliament (MP). What will they be thinking when they cast their vote? Whom will they vote for? Why? Over the past seven days, we spoke with 50 voters. Here’s what they said:

Ms Rubiah Omar, 51, nurse

“Whoever wants to be [the MP for] Bukit Batok, must be a good person, must be a good leader. Show responsibility and, of course, not just that. Mannerism plays a part.”

Ms Peggy Tan, 43, unemployed

“I actually find that there is some truth that he [Dr Chee Soon Juan] might really have the heart for Singapore. Otherwise, he would have gone [overseas] to make a lot of money. After all, he is a professor, right? So I feel that there’s sincerity on his part but [he has] too many bad records. I don’t know whether he has really changed, so I don’t dare to vote for him.”

Ms Lim Xin Yan, 29, business development executive

“The previous MP [David Ong] was doing a good job, so it’s a bit disappointing and unfortunate that we have to have this by- election… He’s helped my dad quite a bit on his legal issues and stuff like that. He’s been very down-to-earth, meeting people. So, he’s not bad.”

Mr Lim William, 53, taxi driver

“At the age of 39, nobody wanted me. All I needed was a job to survive. And what did the government do? They did nothing… Besides just SDP and PAP, let’s say there’s a third party. My vote will go to either one [of the opposition parties], except PAP.”

Madam Sheela Bosceo, 52, admin officer

“I will vote for Mr Murali. I have known him for the past 12 years as I used to work in the Indian Association. He is very kind and friendly, down to earth and has a soft nature. I don’t know anything about Dr Chee, only that he is a “Dr” and he wears red. Mr Murali is a top lawyer and a great person so he will do well for Bukit Batok.”

Madam Tan Meow Lan, 52, housewife

“I will vote for Dr Chee. He is good at talking and I want an alternative voice in Parliament.”

Mr Muralikaran Venkadesan, 46, senior technician

“I would like to vote for PAP. I am a grassroots leader and I have stayed in Bukit Batok for 17 years. I meet Mr Murali at events. He is very smart and always smiles. My vote is based on PAP and Mr Murali.”

Mr Dominic Chan, 37, manager

“I haven’t decided who to vote for. It is a combination of all factors. I think the candidate is most important followed by the party. I will see if the candidate can serve the interests of residents and the country and deal with issues like transport.”

Madam Lina, 50, project secretary

“I will vote for Dr Chee. The way he talks, his promises, I think he can deliver. I am frustrated with the PAP and a lot of things hurt me as a citizen. Dr Chee has the calibre to be a leader. The charisma is there. He had problems last time but every human being makes mistakes. It is time to forgive. I will give him a fair chance cause I want him to be our voice in Parliament.”

Mr Chua Yong Hui, 65, cleaner

[In Mandarin] “I will vote for Dr Chee. I think he is a bit pitiful, so should support him. I shook hands with him. He is friendly, and has changed a lot. What he believes in, he pushed for it.”

Mr Hamidi, 38, building maintenance

“I will vote for Dr Chee. I am a supporter of Dr Chee more than SDP. He has made a lot of sacrifices to uphold what he believes in. In that sense he is my hero. We need more opposition in Parliament. David Ong has done a good job, but the thing is we need more opposition. If we are lucky, then Dr Chee can go in.”

Mr Calvin Yap, 57, project coordinator

[In Mandarin] “I will vote for Dr Chee. I think he is a talent. He is articulate but most importantly he is straightforward. I don’t like when they speak in circles. Right is right, wrong is wrong. He never said that he is very good also, he just says what is right. We must give the Opposition a chance to speak in Parliament.”

Mr Ken Lim, 34, HR manager

“I will vote for Dr Chee. I am not looking at micro sites like town council issues. We need another voice in Parliament, the Government needs to be pressurised, you can see it with the Workers’ Party. Dr Chee is a renowned speaker, he speaks well and his experience makes him a quality politician. Not many MPs match him. He is well educated and has the quality to add pressure to the Government. We can take care of the small things ourselves.”

 

Mr Tony Hong, 57, taxi driver

“I will vote for Dr Chee. We must have Opposition’s voice in Parliament. Dr Chee is courageous. I will give him a chance.”

 

Mr Suhaini Sallah, 53, mail room officer

“I will vote for Dr Chee. From last election, I supported SDP. I want him to have a voice in Parliament. A lot of things in the Government I am not happy with, like jobs, foreign talent, education. All the things Dr Chee says are facts, there are some things we wish for the Government to change.”

Mr Emdy, 53, real estate agent

“Both parties have good points. Dr Chee Soon Juan is a good speaker, and coming from a poor background, he wants to help the residents which I think is good. It is good to have a mouthpiece for the people. However, if the opposition wins, I’m worried that funds may be pulled out.”

Mr Joe Lew, 38, vice president in banking sector

“The party should take care of the constituency, show their dedication, and listen to what people have to say.”

Ms Medeline, 29, self-employed

“SDP. They are more experienced as Dr Chee Soon Juan has shown his dedication over the past 30 years, hence we should give him a chance.”

Mr Thomas, 54, consultant

“I am looking for transparency, where did our money go? There seems to be no accountability. I think they owe people an explanation.”

Mr Vincent Chia, 58, retiree

“PAP. The Government has done a good job all this while. PAP has gone through the process of running the country. As compared to other countries, when money is being collected, we can see progress in Singapore. It’s a pity if Mr Murali does not win as he has the passion and energy to serve the people.”

Madam Wong Lai Ngo, 65, housewife

[In Mandarin] “I will vote for PAP.”

Mr A. E Wee, 63, retiree

“I will vote for PAP as they can manage the constituency. SDP raises things that are correct, but nothing important yet. It seems like it is meant to confuse older people, for instance by introducing CPF.”

Mr Richard Koh, 68, retired

“You see, Bukit Batok is actually part of the Jurong Town family, so if Murali got [in], there would not be much change actually, its impact [would be an] improvement, a continuation.”

Mr John Tan, 30, HR executive

“I think I will be supporting the incumbent party because he [Mr Murali] is from a party that has a track record, the town council has experience and a track record as well, but more importantly I think that the candidate from the opposition, I don’t really agree with his past behaviour, I think it left a negative impression with me.”

Mr Osman Tanon, 51, not employed

“I’m thinking PAP, because I stay Bukit Batok [and Mr Murali is from the] same [party] as David Ong, [they] help me altogether, they say Bukit Batok we help you.”

Madam Chin Jia Ju, 67, housewife

[In Mandarin] “Although Dr Chee Soon Juan made some mistakes in the past, I think he has matured, thus we should give him a chance. Why can’t we give him a chance?”

Mr Tok Joo Seng, 43, crane operator

“My side, vote for my future only. We [Bukit Batok residents] all need help, candidate can help we all okay already.”

Mr Ho Wee Keong, 44, technical officer

“I would like to give him [Dr Chee] a fair chance to work for this by-election. I don’t know much about Murali but I can see that Dr Chee is trying his very best and all this while we have PAP for Bukit Batok, so I want to give it a shot.”

Mr Ong Kai Chuan, 27, assistant manager

“I think someone who has integrity and is as transparent as possible, basically what you see on stage is what you get off-stage and everything else like being able to do what he or she promised and being able to deliver.”

Mdm Siti Mariam, 54, cashier

“I feel like I will have no confidence in them [SDP], [since] I already stay put in PAP rental house.”

Ms Lim Poh Ling, 40, promoter

[In Mandarin] “If PAP can take care of the people, especially the elderly, disabled and the handicapped, it will be good. The party should show more concern for the people. For example when they promise something, they should fulfill their promises. Another issue is that the elderly take more time to cross the road, and I have witnessed times when the green man turns red and the elderly are still crossing.”

Mr Sundram Purusothaman, 59, protection officer

“Mr Murali and Dr Chee ah, I don’t know both parties also got problem also.”

Mdm Niesah Maricar, 58, freelance nurse

“We have [trusted] PAP for all these years because they [upgraded] a lot of things, they do a lot of things that you cannot deny you see. So much difference from 50 years ago, to me, I still support PAP.”

Ms Elizabeth Jacob, 55, patient service officer

“They should be able to look into public requests, to a certain extent to help. One thing is that slightly older staff are unable to get employed. The candidate must be supportive, and if residents have any kind of problem, [they should] try to resolve things that can be solved.”

Mr Marcus Soh, 28, audit associate

“The MP should be accountable for what he says and does what he promises. He should be on the ground, interacting with people and knowing what they face. Also, someone who is kind, and think of the welfare of the elderly.”

Mr Ng Wee Hock, 34, senior planner

“I look for whether they can contribute to the Bukit Batok estate and contribute as an MP in Parliament. The person must be down to earth, have integrity, and be willing to help from their heart.”

Mr Gan Henry, 63, partner of a company

“I suppose I will vote for PAP. The resume, experience, they have run a town council before. I’ve been here for over 30 years, and they have been doing quite well, so I see no reason to change, unless something goes bad.”

Mr Melvin Soh, 41, engineer

“Someone that can have a vision to see the potential problems coming up from a residential point of view. Not only current issues but future potential issues. The most fundamental is integrity and the connection with the residents.”

Mr Sunil Kumar, 32, service coordinator

“I’ll vote for someone not from PAP. Let’s give someone else a chance, see how they do it, as we haven’t had that [a change] in Singapore [in Bukit Batok]. Dr Chee looks like someone who can do something different. I like the way he speaks and that he has new ideas.”

Mr Joe Tai, 27, senior account executive

“I think the MP should be caring towards the people of the estate. Because if people look for help, they will go to the MP. He must have the charisma, and know how to bring Singapore forward.”

Mrs Reena Rai, 34, cashier

“I feel that an MP should be honest, take care of the people and the environment. We can see what they have done, and on that basis, I will vote.”

Mr Shane Mack, 50, pastor

“Someone who works for the area for the betterment of the residents, whatever way, their heart is for the people and not for personal gain. They must be accessible and be able to come up with solutions. A grassroots leader is always better because [he has] a proven track record of working in the grassroots.”

Ms Tan Ching Ching, 42, customer service officer

“I look for someone who is effective, helpful, strong in helping us in whatever we need.”

 Madam Wendy Ng, 53, personal assistant

“I feel that the MP should be knowledgeable, sincere, and present himself well to the public. He should not make empty promises.”

Mr Lai Ah Lun, 65, semi-retiree

[In Mandarin] “SDP. I went to the SDP rally, what I like were the new initiatives, especially the insurance for the unemployed. I like his new ideas.”

Mrs Jessica Yap, 47, freelance service trainer

“I want someone who cares about the people and shows good examples. Someone who finds out what the people need. I’m not that interested in what happens in the past, whether their old or young, whether they are rich or poor.”

Madam Lai Mei Lian, 53, sole proprietor

“Bukit Batok has been under PAP, and has been run nicely by PAP. Lately, they have updated quite a lot of things. But personally, I think might be good to have a different voice, and see what an opposition party can do for us.”

Ms Fanny Lim, 31, team secretary

“Politicians should look at what the residents really need, and serve the residents well. Whichever party, it’s fine.” 

Mr John Kan, 23, temporary support officer

“I look for someone who is on the ground, responsible, and putting residents on his mind first. They should also be dedicated to improve his residents’ lives. In addition, [he should care for] not only his residents, but also Singaporeans, and put them as a top priority.”

Mr Palaniappan Karuppiah, 62, not employed

“A strong candidate that is willing to help all the people. Previously, all I put PAP, they have helped us and done good benefits for the people.”

 

Additional reporting by Wan Ting Koh, Simon Vincent, and Vishnu Preyei.

Featured Image by Natassya Diana.

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