PAP=beautiful town, Opposition=slum: SDP responds

(source)

PAP's plans for the different constituencies island wide are a political gimmick because they are passing off national infrastructural projects and private developments as municipal plans exclusive to PAP wards.

The PAP team in Sebawang has announced a $500 million renewal plan for Sembawang GRC just days before the elections.

The SDP would like to ask PAP's Sembawang GRC team how they came up with this sum of $500 million. Where does this $500 million come from and what is the breakdown? Who or which agency is contributing to this $500 million? I am sure the residents of Sembawang and the Singapore public as a whole would like to know.

We would also like to point out that public housing and infrastructure projects are part of the continuing plans of national agencies. In the case of Sembawang's 5500 new housing units, who is building them? The town council? Based on media reports, these 5500 units also include private housing units. How did this become part of the PAP Sembawang GRC team renewal plan? Is the PAP now a private housing developer?

Plans for kindergartens and nursing care facilities have also been announced. Who are providing these services? The Town Council? Kindergartens in PAP wards are largely a monopoly of the PAP Community Foundation; care facilities are provided by voluntary organizations. Where are the details of these initiatives?

Certain types of upgrading plans for HDB require co-payment by residents. What are the details of this upgrading programme announced by the PAP?

Voters need to scrutinize these so-called PAP constituency plans. They will see that they are not original but a mish-mash of national and private projects integrated and passed off as a PAP exclusive constituency plans. PAP constituency plans are nothing more than a political gimmick.

PAP's Sembawang GRC team had five years to put forward a development plan for Sembawang but they did not do so. Now one seems to have suddenly appeared so close to the elections that it has has been publicly announced a mere 96 hours before nomination day.

This is not how you look after your community's needs by passing off national and private project and developments as an exclusive constituency plan. The residents of Sembawang need to have a more detailed explanation of this “renewal” plan. They need to see through PAP's political gimmicks.