Admirable people

Turns out that my hairdresser stays in Potong Pasir, a single constituency under an  opposition party between 1984 to 2011.

Recently I happened to be walking around that area on a visit to an elders' day care centre run by a church. As I was early for my appointment I roamed around the vicinity. There is a lot of renovation and upgrading activities going on and you can tell that the sprucing up had started with the apartment blocks nearer the main road and central area and now progressing further into the fringe area.

I was astonished to see the state of some of the HDB blocks where the repair has yet to be carried out. With paints peeling off the walls and the staircase chipped and stained they looked totally run down and in disrepair, a far cry from the normally well maintained HDB flats in other neighbourhood.

In July 2012, shortly after the ruling party won the PP seat, News@Asiaone reported:

"Residents in Potong Pasir are finally getting the chance to upgrade their flats and surroundings, ending their 28-year wait.
Announcing the news on Thursday, its MP Sitoh Yih Pin said he received approval for upgrading from both the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Housing Board (HDB) early this week". (All upgrading work used public tax money)

I recalled my hairdresser remarking that Potong Pasir is now very different from a few years ago, much more pleasant and livable. I joked she will no doubt vote for the ruling party this coming election. 当然 (of course) she said and added that the flats have appreciated in value, and then with a tinge of guilt justified that the residents have supported Chiam See Tong (ex-MP) all the way until his wife took over when he suffered from ill health.

As I sauntered among the blocks of flats which are yet to be upgraded and spruced up, I can not help but admire the selflessness of the residents who did not succumb to dirty politics for almost 3 decades, admirable people.