PM visits Potong Pasir ward

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Potong Pasir constituency on Sunday night and was warmly received by residents on his first visit there since 2001.

On Sunday, he visited the Potong Pasir Community Club's new annex - the brainchild of Member of Parliament Sitoh Yih Pin. The annex now hosts a post office, banking hall and supermarket - three facilities that were at the top of residents' wish lists. It also has a gymnasium, which Mr Sitoh promised to deliver, should he be elected.

Mr Sitoh declined to reveal how much the annex cost, but said the Government "subsidised the annex significantly".

He won the long-held opposition ward from the Singapore People's Party's Mrs Lina Chiam in the 2011 General Election. He lost the two previous elections - in 2001 and 2006 - to then incumbent Chiam See Tong.

On Sunday, PM Lee joined about 5,000 residents for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations and tried his hand at making mooncakes.

He said in a Facebook post last night: "MP Sitoh Yih Pin and his team have worked hard for more than a decade to win the support of residents, and to improve their lives. Thank you for the warm welcome and keep up the good work!"

When contacted, Mr Sitoh said he was grateful to PM Lee for his guidance and encouragement over the years: "Some people might forget that I have been (here) since 2000, 11 years of which I wasn't an MP. I am also indebted to the residents of Potong Pasir for giving us the opportunity to serve them."

This article was first published on September 9, 2014.
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