SINGAPORE: Veteran PAP MP Charles Chong will be fielded in Joo Chiat SMC for the coming General Election.
This comes after its incumbent MP Chan Soo Sen announced his retirement from politics.
It was a farewell on many accounts, as the leader of Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC Teo Chee Hean saw his colleague Charles Chong off.
Mr Chong will be moving to contest the single seat in Joo Chiat, currently helmed by retiring MP Chan Soo Sen.
Mr Teo said: "We want to make sure that Joo Chiat residents continue to be well-taken care of, that's why we have asked Mr Charles Chong to come here and understudy Mr Chan Soo Sen.
"We want to make sure we have a good, experienced MP who will be able to continue to look after the residents well."
At 55-years-old, Mr Chan Soon Sen is well-liked among the Chinese-speaking residents.
But he's confident his successor will settle in well, with his ability to speak English and Mandarin.
Mr Chan said: "I'll go back to my full-time job, maybe I can then spend more time with my family.
"I will still continue to be on call with the party and also with Joo Chiat if they should need me. That is an open-ended commitment. Once a PAP member, always a PAP member."
Having taken care of Joo Chiat for almost 15 years, Mr Chan might be most well-known for revamping the area's image - from a sleazy town to a culturally-rich Peranakan village.
Now that he's passing the baton, what issues does his successor Mr Chong hope to address?
"I think (I'd address) parking problems. They have quite severe parking problems, especially in areas where the popular eating houses are," Mr Chong said.
"So, traffic congestion, parking problems -- that appeared quite a few times on the wish list.
"Mr Chan had been working on it, I hope to continue working on that too, and eventually try to solve and problem".
Meanwhile, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who's also MP for Marine Parade, was also working the ground, greeting residents from a part of Joo Chiat that had been absorbed into his GRC.
Mr Goh said: "I would like Joo Chiat to retain its identity as Joo Chiat, so that people know Joo Chiat means the old Joo Chiat.
"But there are two Mps; it doesn't matter, but Joo Chiat must retain its heritage and identity.
"So I'll see Charles Chong sometime next week to see how we can work together".
Mr Goh had earlier commented on the Marine Parade constituency's Facebook page, citing speculation that one of his MPs, Seah Kian Peng, could be fielded the single seat.
After news of Mr Chong's move, Mr Seah's follow-up comment on Mr Goh's post read: "Despite my making repeated statements to that effect, the media continues to ask me the same question. With all the speculation the last few days, it has caused also some anxiety amongst my GRLs and residents... .... now that news is out that Charles Chong is standing in JC, I am glad that this is finally settled".
-CNA/wk
This comes after its incumbent MP Chan Soo Sen announced his retirement from politics.
It was a farewell on many accounts, as the leader of Pasir-Ris Punggol GRC Teo Chee Hean saw his colleague Charles Chong off.
Mr Chong will be moving to contest the single seat in Joo Chiat, currently helmed by retiring MP Chan Soo Sen.
Mr Teo said: "We want to make sure that Joo Chiat residents continue to be well-taken care of, that's why we have asked Mr Charles Chong to come here and understudy Mr Chan Soo Sen.
"We want to make sure we have a good, experienced MP who will be able to continue to look after the residents well."
At 55-years-old, Mr Chan Soon Sen is well-liked among the Chinese-speaking residents.
But he's confident his successor will settle in well, with his ability to speak English and Mandarin.
Mr Chan said: "I'll go back to my full-time job, maybe I can then spend more time with my family.
"I will still continue to be on call with the party and also with Joo Chiat if they should need me. That is an open-ended commitment. Once a PAP member, always a PAP member."
Having taken care of Joo Chiat for almost 15 years, Mr Chan might be most well-known for revamping the area's image - from a sleazy town to a culturally-rich Peranakan village.
Now that he's passing the baton, what issues does his successor Mr Chong hope to address?
"I think (I'd address) parking problems. They have quite severe parking problems, especially in areas where the popular eating houses are," Mr Chong said.
"So, traffic congestion, parking problems -- that appeared quite a few times on the wish list.
"Mr Chan had been working on it, I hope to continue working on that too, and eventually try to solve and problem".
Meanwhile, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who's also MP for Marine Parade, was also working the ground, greeting residents from a part of Joo Chiat that had been absorbed into his GRC.
Mr Goh said: "I would like Joo Chiat to retain its identity as Joo Chiat, so that people know Joo Chiat means the old Joo Chiat.
"But there are two Mps; it doesn't matter, but Joo Chiat must retain its heritage and identity.
"So I'll see Charles Chong sometime next week to see how we can work together".
Mr Goh had earlier commented on the Marine Parade constituency's Facebook page, citing speculation that one of his MPs, Seah Kian Peng, could be fielded the single seat.
After news of Mr Chong's move, Mr Seah's follow-up comment on Mr Goh's post read: "Despite my making repeated statements to that effect, the media continues to ask me the same question. With all the speculation the last few days, it has caused also some anxiety amongst my GRLs and residents... .... now that news is out that Charles Chong is standing in JC, I am glad that this is finally settled".
-CNA/wk
