Residents of Punggol South can soon look forward to more amenities.
Their Member of Parliament, Teo Ser Luck, said the younger towns will have childcare centres in the next three years. There will also be fitness centres for the elderly in the Hougang precinct that forms part of Punggol South.
He is also looking at providing more multi-storey car parks in the new estates.
The newer precincts in Buangkok and Sengkang are home to younger families who are facing a shortage of parking lots. This is partly due to many residents owning more than one car per household.
The area’s 24-hour amenities have also proven to be popular, with non-residents parking illegally, or occupying the lots of residents.
To solve this, Mr Teo and his team of grassroots leaders have worked with relevant agencies to install gantries at car parks, reserving them for season ticket holders.
The precinct now has open areas as temporary parking spaces too.
Mr Teo Ser Luck, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and Mayor of North East District, said: “Supply of car parks is not sufficient. So we’ve been able to work with HDB to have more car parks in my constituency.
“Secondly, there’s a need for more childcare, infant care centres because a lot of young couples are living around the new area – the Buangkok and Compassvale area.”
The Punggol South division is part of the Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.
In the last General Election in 2006, the People’s Action Party fielded six candidates, including Mr Teo who embarked on his first term.
With the upcoming General Election due by 2012, Mr Teo said he is ready for the competition.
He said: “Some opposition members came to my constituency. They’ve visited my constituency before. At one time, they came more often than other times. Well, I welcome anyone who wants to come.
“It’s not just nine days of campaigning, it’s not just the few months before the preparation. It’s the years of hard work by your grassroots leaders and yourself to actually meet the needs of the residents – then you can win the support of theirs.”
When asked about the possibility of his division being carved out as a Single Member Constituency, Mr Teo said: “We are a six-man team. Of course, the speculation is always that we will break up because it’s such a big team.
“I won’t discount that fact, but the decision has yet to be made. I have not been informed, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
Competition aside, Mr Teo said he wants to focus on the task ahead – building a wholesome environment for young and old in his constituency.
In Hougang, the population consists mostly of the elderly, and by the end of 2011, the division is set to be 100 per cent barrier-free – as compared to the current 60 per cent – thus making it easier for the elderly to move around.
Source : Channel NewsAsia – 26 Oct 2010