JEANETTE CHONG-ARULDOSS LAUNCHES MANIFESTO FOR MOUNTBATTEN SMC

The Singapore People's Party's (SPP) Ms Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss has launched her manifesto for Mountbatten, which focuses on keeping food costs affordable, enhancing social mobility and preserving Mountbatten's heritage.

Labeling her proposals the "Mountbatten Manifesto" today, she summarized her campaign into 5 points.

“Residents know that Mountbatten is famous for its local food. I pledge to work with local stallholders and local government agencies to ensure that rental prices are kept affordable so that the community can continue to enjoy their favourite food at affordable prices,” she said on food prices.

On public transport, Ms Chong said she hopes to improve transport connectivity within Mountbatten, and pledged to create a Mountbatten Social Mobility Bursary for children of the disadvantaged.

“I want to demonstrate how Singaporeans can work together as a community," she said on her plans to raise S$100,000. "Where those who are better off will be able to help those who are not so better off.”

On maintaining the town's heritage, she said that she hopes to preserve Dakota Crescent, an estate built in the 1950s, which is slated for redevelopment by the end of 2016. Residents are likely to be "very disappointed" if it disappears, she said. "I want to explore feasible ways to conserve at least a representational amount of the flats so that the community and Singaporeans may have a physical reminder of where we came from.”

In Parliament, she hopes to increase accountability and transparency by raising questions. But her priority will be to run the town council professionally and help Mountbatten residents, she said.

In GE 2011, Ms Chong contested the ward under the National Solidarity Party (NSP), but lost to the incumbent PAP candidate Lim Biow Chuan. She gathered 41.4% of the vote.

Ms Chong-Aruldoss left the NSP, where she was secretary general, earlier this year after she lost her bid to be voted party president.