From the Straits Times
May 31, 2008
Chiam fulfils walkway promise made at 2006 polls
THE completion of a covered walkway in Potong Pasir marks the fulfillment of a promise Mr Chiam See Tong made during the 2006 General Election.
On Saturday, the opposition MP ‘opened’ the walkway which links the MRT station to the town centre, amid a shower of colourful confetti and a rousing lion dance.
Hailing the walkway as proof that the opposition ‘will fulfill whatever we promise’, he told reporters: ‘At the last election, I said I will build this covered linkway, and now this task has been completed. We have done our job.’
The project, which costs the town council $250,000, also ended a dispute between Mr Chiam and Mr Sitoh Yih Pin from the People’s Action Party, who lost the contest for the ward in 2006 polls.
Before the election, Mr Sitoh had installed solar lamps along the pathway – where the walkway now stands – after obtaining lease of the land from the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).
When some of the lights were vandalised, Mr Sitoh declined to repair them, saying the land’s lease was due to expire.
Mr Chiam, on the other hand, said it was illegal for his town council to use its funds for the repairs, as the land was not under the council’s jurisdiction.
From the Straits Times
August, 2006
DAMAGED LIGHTS IN POTONG PASIR – CHIAM SEEKS TO BUILD NEW WALKWAY WITH LIGHTS
SOLUTION UNCOVERED?: The question of who should repair the damaged lights will become redundant if the town council gets approval to build a covered walkway, said Mr Chiam
THE saga of who is to repair some damaged solar lights along a pathway in Potong Pasir constituency took a new turn last night.
Its MP, Mr Chiam See Tong, is now seeking to build a covered walkway with lights for residents walking home from the Potong Pasir MRT station.
He told The Straits Times that he applied to the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) last week for permission to build the linkway to connect the MRT station to the town centre in Potong Pasir Avenue 2.
This new development follows a dispute between Mr Chiam and the People’s Action Party candidate, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, who lost the contest for the ward in the May General Election.
Earlier, before the election, Mr Sitoh had installed eight solar lights along a concrete pathway from the MRT station to Block 147, Potong Pasir Avenue 1. He had obtained the lease of the land from the SLA.
Six lights were vandalised. Mr Sitoh declined to repair them, saying the land’s lease would run out on Oct 31. Mr Chiam, on the other hand, said it was illegal for his town council to use its funds for the repairs because the land in question was not under the council’s jurisdiction.
He said in an e-mail last night: ‘In the case of building a covered linkway, we shall have to apply for permission before we can…construct a facility. We are now applying to the SLA to do that.’
His town council will also apply to use its sinking funds to pay for the covered walkway, he said. Mr Chiam also rebutted a comment made over the weekend by Mr Lim Boon Heng, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. Mr Lim had said that as MP for Potong Pasir, Mr Chiam was responsible for repairing the lights.
Said Mr Chiam: ‘Mr Lim Boon Heng should know that permission was granted to Mr Sitoh to build the solar lamps. Therefore, it is his duty to repair the lamps.” He added the issue would become redundant if the town council was allowed to construct the covered walkway.
Read also:
Chiam and Sitoh by Wert.sg.
