Dr Paul Tambyah engages Bukit Panjang residents at Pang Sua Pond dialogue ahead of GE2025

Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chairman Dr Paul Tambyah engaged residents of Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency (SMC) in an “Ask Paul Anything” session on 8 April 2025. The event was held at Pang Sua Pond, in front of Block 405 Fajar Road.

The community dialogue attracted between 20 and 30 residents over the course of the evening. Several stopped by to listen, pose questions, or engage in informal conversations with Dr Tambyah and SDP volunteers.

During the session, a resident asked directly whether Dr Tambyah would be contesting in Bukit Panjang at the upcoming General Election.

In response, Dr Tambyah said, “Yes, I will contest here. 100% I will be contesting here.”

When the resident followed up by asking, “Confirm?”, Dr Tambyah replied, “Yeah, confirm. Double chop, confirm.”

This exchange drew smiles from the crowd and firmly established that Dr Tambyah will be the SDP candidate for the Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency (SMC).

One long-time resident, who told The Online Citizen (TOC) he had lived in Bukit Panjang all his life, said he was not currently eligible to vote but was glad to see potential candidates engaging on the ground.

Healthcare and caregiving were key concerns raised during the session. Mdm Nancy, who had a brief conversation with Dr Tambyah and later shared her views with TOC, expressed disappointment over the delayed implementation of the enhanced Home Caregiving Grant.

The grant is set to rise from S$400 to S$600 per month but will only take effect in April 2026. Mdm Nancy said this delay was disheartening for families who are already struggling with caregiving responsibilities.

Dr Tambyah, responding to a question on the floor, said that if elected to Parliament, his first speech would focus on healthcare. He reiterated his intention to push for improvements in the healthcare system, particularly in affordability, access, and support for the elderly.

Another resident, identified as Mdm I, gave feedback about an incident in which she allegedly fell while travelling on a public bus. She expressed frustration about the lack of follow-up and hoped for better responsiveness from public service providers.

Mdm I said that although she would welcome improvements from the current government, she has not seen enough change. She expressed hope that Dr Tambyah could offer a fresh and effective approach.

SDP has been steadily increasing its visibility in Bukit Panjang through walkabouts and direct engagement. Dr Tambyah’s campaign is expected to focus on social policy, public health, and affordability—key pillars of the party’s platform.

As the session wrapped up, residents lingered around the Pang Sua Pond area, continuing to raise issues and engage in informal conversations. Dr Tambyah remained on-site until he had spoken with every resident who wished to share their concerns or ask questions.

Speaking to the media separately on the sidelines of the session, Dr Tambyah also addressed the SDP’s strategy regarding Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, which the party had contested in the past three general elections.

He said the party is still weighing whether it can field a four-member team there in the upcoming polls.

“We are exploring all possibilities,” he said, “and evaluating whether we have enough good candidates to offer residents a credible choice, or whether another party more focused on that area might step forward.”

Dr Tambyah added that SDP is currently interviewing potential candidates from both inside and outside the party, and is in talks with two other opposition parties that have expressed interest in contesting the GRC.

Asked about SDP’s focus on Sembawang instead, he said the party has had a presence in Singapore’s north since 2006 and views it as a natural area to continue building ground support.

In the 2020 General Election, Dr Tambyah contested Bukit Panjang SMC for the first time and secured 46.26 per cent of the vote against the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate, Liang Eng Hwa, who won with 53.74 per cent.

The close result marked one of the SDP’s strongest performances and set the stage for a potentially competitive contest in the upcoming polls.