Tough fight in Punggol East, says PAP’s Koh Poh Koon

SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate Koh Poh Koon said he expects a tough contest against three other opposition candidates in his fight to retain the Punggol East seat.

The other three candidates are Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam of the Reform Party, Mr Desmond Lim of the Singapore Democratic Alliance and Ms Lee Li Lian of the Workers’ Party.

On Wednesday morning, over 500 PAP activists occupied half the field at the Nomination Centre to support Dr Koh.

Once the nomination process was over, the supporters fanned out as the PAP campaign machinery kicks into high gear.

Dr Koh said he is going to speak to residents, try to understand their needs and to try coming up with solutions to their problems.

Dr Koh admitted that this is going to be a close and a tough fight, but he is ready for the challenge.

He said: "Over the next week or two as we visit the blocks, there will be opportunities to interact and I think that will be a good time for them to know me better and for me to know them better as well. Reaching out to voters, the strategy is always the same. Listen more, empathise more and also interact more."

Backing Dr Koh is seasoned politician Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who has been re—elected to Parliament four times in the neighbouring Pasir Ris—Punggol GRC.

Mr Teo himself was elected as an MP in the Marine Parade by—election in1992.

Mr Teo said: "Over the next few days, he will go out and try and meet many, many more residents and reach out to as many as he can. I think when they meet him, they will find that he is a sincere, down—to—earth person, works hard and wants to work together with them to make their lives better, to make Punggol East better."

Mr Teo urged residents to carefully consider whom they think would best represent them in Parliament.

— CNA/ck/fa