New team in Aljunied finding its feet

Upgrading projects are proceeding in opposition-held GRC

By Andrea Ong & Teo Wan Gek, The Straits Times, 5 May 2012

ONE year after residents of Aljunied made history by electing the first non-People's Action Party (PAP) team to represent a group representation constituency (GRC), murmurs of discontent have surfaced online. They involve municipal issues like rat infestations.

But Eunos resident Haslina Mohamad Sahron, 46, says: 'We haven't gone to the dogs. There may be some complaints about the WP, but last time there were also complaints about the PAP.'

The sales coordinator feels that the estate is as well maintained as before. 'Whichever party rules here, I just want to make sure they do a good job.'

The Workers' Party (WP) team - comprising Mr Low Thia Khiang, Ms Sylvia Lim, Mr Chen Show Mao, Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap - knew from the get-go that it could not take residents' goodwill for granted.

Says WP chairman Sylvia Lim, who is also chairman of Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC): 'We never expected any honeymoon period. From the time the polling results were announced, we knew we had to hit the ground running.'

Madam Haslina's sentiments appear typical, going by a Straits Times poll of 200 Aljunied GRC residents over the last fortnight. Most saw little change in the standard of estate upkeep, with over 75 per cent saying the estate was as clean as it was when the PAP was in charge. The remainder were equally divided between those who thought the estate was cleaner and those who felt it was dirtier. Nine in 10 said transport links are unchanged.

These findings appear to square with the WP's own sense that town management is proceeding reasonably well and residents are generally satisfied.

Ms Lim considers it a 'significant accomplishment' that the handover from the previous PAP-run town council to the WP's AHTC has been relatively smooth.

The WP is aware that managing AHTC well is key to its future success, as voters want their estates to be well maintained and spruced up.

That was why the WP made taking over and stabilising operations at AHTC its first priority over the past year, says Ms Lim, adding: 'What is foremost in the minds of WP MPs and WP is not to let our constituents down.'

As for the recent complaints about rats, Ms Lim says the town council is working with pest and rodent controllers to minimise pockets where rats can nest.

While residents feel the WP is holding the fort in keeping the estate clean, a bigger sign of change could be the upgrading projects going on across the town.

Upgrading projects which were ongoing or promised before last May's elections are proceeding, says Ms Lim. These include lift upgrading as well as projects under the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) and the Home Improvement Programme (HIP).

This is consistent with a shift away from the Government's old approach of treating voters in opposition wards differently from those in PAP wards. In last year's hustings, former foreign minister George Yeo made it clear that national- level upgrading plans for Aljunied GRC would carry on even if the WP won.

In Mr Singh's Eunos ward, there is an NRP project that was announced a few weeks before last year's polls. A previous exercise for residents to vote on whether the project should proceed did not garner the minimum 50 per cent support. Earlier this year, Mr Singh and town council officers went door to door to persuade residents and managed to get over 50 per cent of votes. They now have to put the proposed additions to residents and secure support from 75 per cent of them.

The working committees for such upgrading projects comprise Housing Board staff, consultants, representatives of the town council and grassroots organisations - usually the residents' committee.

Mr Faisal says the working relationship among committee members in his Kaki Bukit ward has been 'quite good'. Mr Singh says it 'is a little too early to tell' if upgrading has become a less contentious issue. Ms Lim notes, however, that lift upgrading 'has finally come to Hougang SMC' after it was placed at the end of the queue.

The WP is monitoring the disbursement of Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) funds for upgrading, which are given to town councils through the Citizens Consultative Committee. The division's grassroots adviser has to apply for the grant, which led to problems previously in opposition wards where the adviser was not the MP.

The WP is awaiting replies to its queries on CIPC, and nominations for three NRP and four HIP clusters to be upgraded. Residents are also keeping a close watch. Some, like builder Chng Chin Han, 48, worry about Aljunied's chances for upgrading.

The five WP MPs have also launched other programmes, including a welfare fund, food distribution and festive celebrations. Mr Faisal dipped into his MP salary to buy a flat-screen TV that residents can watch while waiting at his Meet-the-People Sessions. Mr Singh plans to start a health-screening programme for residents soon, in conjunction with volunteer students and doctors from the Duke-NUS Medical School.

The PAP has also not been idle. Mr Victor Lye, who succeeded Mr George Yeo as PAP branch chairman in Bedok Reservoir-Punggol, says the PAP 'will not be passive' in Aljunied. He has been on the ground serving people quietly, even those who felt awkward over 'voting in angst' last year.

NTUC deputy secretary-general Ong Ye Kung, the Kaki Bukit grassroots adviser and PAP branch chairman, says his grassroots have rolled out schemes like clinic subsidies for the old and free wheelchairs for the needy.

On the ground, political sentiments seem largely unchanged from last May when 54.7 per cent voted for the WP. Of the 200 residents polled, 148 agreed to reveal their votes. Of these, more than 80 per cent said they were satisfied they had voted for the right party.

Commenting on these results, Ms Lim thanked Aljunied residents for giving the WP the opportunity to serve them. The party wants to strengthen its roots in Aljunied and Hougang before preparing for contests in other constituencies at the next election, she says.