Murali ‘set to move’ on plans, to be sworn in on Monday
Mr Murali Pillay of the People's Action Party waves to supporters during this thank-you parade through Bukit Batok on Sunday following his win over Dr Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party in the ward's by-election the day before. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY
SINGAPORE — The People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Murali Pillai will be sworn in as Member of Parliament on Monday (May 9), after winning the Bukit Batok by-election with 61.2 per cent of the votes on Saturday.
Speaking to the media after an hour-long victory parade around the constituency on Sunday morning, Mr Murali said that he wants to “power through” the plans outlined in his manifesto, and will share implementation details with residents over the next few months.
These plans, revealed over the course of his campaign, include a job placement programme, a healthcare co-operative, a youth mentorship programme and infrastructure improvement works.
“I’m raring to go ... I’ve already identified some partners. We certainly welcome more volunteers and then I’ll see how quickly I can implement those plans. Bukit Batok residents can expect to hear details in due course, in a matter of months,” said the 48-year-old lawyer, adding that he hopes to bring “as many partners as possible” on board these plans.
Besides rolling out these initiatives, Mr Murali intends to set some time aside to reflect on what could have been done better in two areas he identified.
“One is administration: How we can work things out better,” he said. “The other one would be in the context of the messages, whether they have been heard clearly, whether they ring with our Bukit Batok residents.”
After his victory parade, Mr Murali joined Jurong GRC MPs Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Ang Wei Neng and Yuhua MP Grace Fu in giving out flowers to female residents in celebration of Mother’s Day near Block 154 Bukit Batok West Avenue 8. Later, they tucked into lunch at a nearby coffee shop.
Mr Murali’s opponent, Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan, has said that he would continue to stay around and persuade those who did not vote for the SDP to do so in future.
This was welcomed by Mr Murali. “Ultimately, it’s good because we’re talking about serving our residents, and I welcome that,” he said, in response to a reporter’s query.
Asked what he made of being a minority candidate who successfully contested in a by-election, Mr Murali shied away from the label, and stressed that he views himself as “a fellow Singaporean first”. “I’m here to help all communities. It’s always been my orientation,” he said.
Mr Murali is the second minority candidate fielded by the PAP in a single-seat ward since the Group Representation Constituency system was introduced in 1988. The first was former Speaker of Parliament Michael Palmer, who stood in Punggol East in the 2011 General Election, and later stepped down over an extramarital affair. Mr Murali’s victory is also the first for the PAP after three losses in single-seat ward by-elections.
During the campaigning period, Mr Murali urged residents to call him “Ah Mu”, a nickname he said his friends have used previously.
“I did hear that among the seniors, it’s become a term of endearment and anything to improve communications is great,” he said. “So, I’m glad they like it.”
