During a walkabout on March 26, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong stated very clearly to the media that he is concerned that the residents living in Hougang and Potong Pasir will lose out on upgrading if they do not vote for the People’s Action Party and its candidates.

The issue of upgrading has persistently surfaced during periods leading to General Elections especially in opposition-controlled Hougang and Potong Pasir.

The PAP dangles the carrot of upgrading programmes in front of the voters of Hougang and Potong Pasir, promising the voters over there of upgrading projects in the event that PAP candidates are voted into office and using the stick to caution the residents in Hougang and Potong Pasir of the consequences of a continued opposition presence in the both single-member constituencies.

This is exemplified by a report in the local media on a speech made by the Senior Minister at a community dinner on 9 April 2006 where he says he might consider giving residents of Realty Park in Hougang upgrading, if 60% or more than 60% of the residents there voted for the PAP’s candidate, Eric Low.

Speaking to reporters after he mingled with 100 of the estate’s residents at a community dinner, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who has been charged with helping PAP candidate Eric Low win back the ward, said residents told him it was not fair if they supported the PAP but lost out on goodies, if the ruling party lost the ward.

Said Mr Goh: “They raised an interesting point. Supposing this place supports Eric Low. Not just 50 per cent (but) 60 per cent and above and the constituency is not won back by the PAP. Why should they be punished?”

In short, the PAP is punishing voters who voted the opposition into power, punishing voters for not accepting the incentives for voting PAP. In this case, the PAP has to give precedence to constituencies who voted PAP when considering the priority and allocation of funds for any upgrading programmes. In the words of the Minister Mentor, the residents of Hougang and Potong Pasir have to face the fact that they have to wait for their turn at the end of the queue.

A reasonable enough argument by MM Lee. Every government that comes to power will always reward its supporters and make sure that they fulfill their election promises to these people who brought them to power in the first place.

However, this above policy of the PAP have resulted in creating “estates of the 1950s” in Hougang and Potong Pasir. Whose fault is it? The PAP attributed such a predicament to the voters of Hougang and Potong for not choosing PAP candidates. Thus, the voters there have to live with the consequences of having an opposition MP in their ward.

Is it really the fault of the voters or is it the responsibility of the ruling government voted into power for the next 5 years to ensure that all residential blocks in Singapore are upgraded?

As long as the PAP does not reclaim power in the 2 opposition controlled wards, the author can foresee the same scenario propping up election after election. The PAP will come along and asked the people in Hougang and Potong Pasir to vote for their respective PAP candidates in order to enjoy substantial upgrading to their living environment, while the rest of Singapore continues to bulldoze ahead in their respective upgrading agendas. In order not to be left out in such incentives, you got to vote PAP or you will risking losing the bulk of the benefits assigned to Singaporeans elsewhere.

The residents of Potong Pasir have been waiting for 25 years for substantial upgrading to be done to their housing estates and the people in Hougang have been living in a “1950s estates” for the past 15 years.

With due respect to the Minister Mentor, the author would love to pose this question to the Minister Mentor, what is the current queue number for the voters living in Potong Pasir and Hougang? Is it still at number 22 and 23 respectively? When will their turn comes? These people have been waiting for the past 25 years.

The waiting continues…..