By Imelda Saad | Posted: 13
November 2010 2144 hrs
SINGAPORE: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said
that whether he stands in the next General Election or not will
depend on his health and the Prime Minister's decision.
Minister Mentor Lee has been taking care of Tanjong Pagar
constituency since it was a single-member ward in 1955.
Tanjong Pagar is now a Group Representation Constituency (GRC)
covering a vast part of central Singapore including areas like
Moulmein, Tanglin and Tiong Bahru and is helmed by six PAP
MPs.
It is one of the big GRCs, with a voter base of 148,141 at the last
General Election in 2006.
Now at 87 years of age, Mr Lee said his decision to stand in the
next General Election will depend on two things.
He said: "If I'm fit, I'm prepared to stand but whether I stand or
not, it's up to the Prime Minister."
Minister Mentor Lee and his PAP team may face competition in the
polls due by February 2012.
The Reform Party has indicated it will contest Tanjong Pagar if it
has enough candidates.
"Welcome. We'll contest them," said Mr Lee.
Since Tanjong Pagar became a GRC in 1991, it has never been
contested.
The last time Tanjong Pagar was contested was way back in 1988 when
it was still a single-member constituency.
Then Mr Lee had faced off with independent candidate Gnaguru
Thamboo Mylvaganam.
Mr Lee had won about 80 percent of the valid votes.
Minister Mentor Lee remains confident about his team's
success.
He said: "You think they'll win in the next election? You can sense
the crowd, you can feel the ground. I don't have to answer
you."
With changes to the Parliamentary Elections Act, the six-member
Tanjong Pagar GRC may be hived off as the new laws will pave the
way for more smaller GRCs.
On the likelihood of any team member in the Tanjong Pagar GRC being
asked to helm a single-member constituency, Minister for
Communications, Information and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew said: "My
team is looking forward to it."
Earlier Saturday at a community event, Mr Lee urged residents to
hold on to their property.
He said part of Singapore's success lies in its home ownership
policy where every Singaporean has the opportunity to own a home,
which will appreciate in value.
Minister Mentor Lee said: "So all those who own houses, I urge you
not to listen to the estate agents...and go and sell your flats
because that's a stupid thing to do. You may sell it and not get a
rental flat for a long time and you cannot gain from a rental flat.
Any improvement to a rental flat goes to the government, so please
remember that."
One way the value of public housing is enhanced is through
upgrading, such as the S$1 million project launched on
Saturday.
The project will see covered linkways connecting eight blocks of
flats to the Tiong Bahru MRT station.
