Democrats unveil Peoples’ Plan for Sembawang

Singapore Democrats

The SDP unveiled its Peoples’ Plan for the Sembawang GRC yesterday at a rally at the Woodlands Stadium. Speaking to a 13,000 strong crowd, Dr James Gomez gave the residents much to cheer about by lay out proposals that included better medical facilities and more efficient public transport system.

The SDP Sembawang team comprise of Mr John Tan, James Gomez, Jarrod Luo, Mohd Isa and Sadasivam. We present the plan below:

Introduction

This Peoples’ Plan is presented to the voters of Sembawang GRC as a discussion document for their feedback. It has been assembled based on the SDP’s Sembawang GRC team’s review of resident needs.

Sembawang GRC as it stands today has evolved from kampungs in Lorong Fatimah, farmlands in Mandai and tracts of industrial lands and military installations. Today it houses those who made the transition from those areas and new residents who primarily live in HDB, some private dwellings and as a site for some industries.

PAP’s emphasis for the constituency has largely relied on “upgrading” and the hardware. SDP’s People’s Team would like to focus on the “heartware”.

We make the following recommendations for the consideration of Sembawang voters:

Medical

Medical facilities available to the residents of Sembawang are inadequate as over 200,000 people are residing in this part of Singapore. With the addition of foreigners, we need more medical facilities for the immediate short term. Waiting time is more than 3 to 4 hours at the polyclinic.

Void decks can be converted into polyclinics or extend the existing polyclinic by building an annex at the vacant land next to it (opposite Block 302).

Transport

Feeder service charges are too high. Residents need to pay 71 cents for a single trip to the market, civic centre or the MRT station. Even for 1-2 stops, residents need to pay 71 cents, senior citizens need to pay 53 cents for a single trip. Currently private condominiums are providing free shuttle services.

SDP’s Town Council will operate feeder buses at a cheaper rate. We will put into place a constituency feeder transport system that is self-funded and non-profit oriented.

Aged care

There are a fair number of senior citizens living in the constituency and who gather in senior citizen corners in the day around blocks in Marsiling who are housed in blocks 3 and 4.

Rather than sending our senior citizens abroad to be cared for in homes in Johor Bahru, Batam or Bintan as has been suggested, the SDP Town Council will look into converting void decks and other relevant areas within the estate to integrate our elderly with our constituency.

Financial assistance

Given the influx of foreigners, depressed wages and personal circumstances, many families are in need of financial assistance and provisions.

As part of The SDP Promise, the People’s Team in Sembawang GRC will contribute 50% of our salary towards an endownment fund to support the needy in the constituency.

Social and educational services

A range of social, religious, non-governmental and quasi-government organisations are providing a variety of assistance such as education services and welfare support which in cases result in overlap.

For more effective outreach to clients, the town council will help co-ordinate the provision of the different assistance programmes offered by these organisations.

Conclusion

Funding for these initiatives will be based on a mixture of Town Council Funds, MPs salary for an endownment fund and contributions from private and non-profit sectors.

The above are the key recommendations put forward by the SDP’s People’s Team on behalf of the residents of Sembawang GRC. This plan has been collated from residents’ feedback and it connected to the ground. It will be finalised by residents at SDP’s Town Council’s first Town Hall meeting after elections.

Note: More photos at SDP’s photo gallery.

Speeches at SDP’s 3rd Rally GE2011 (Sembawang GRC)

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