Highlight reel of the evening's proceedings at the Open Field at Stadium Boulevard. Featuring Mr Bryan Long, Mr Abdillah Zamzuri, Dr Ting Choon Meng, Mr James Aruldoss, Mrs Lina Chiam, Mr Choo Zheng Xi, and Ms Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss. Special guests for the evening were Mr Chiam See Tong and Mr Tan Cheng Bock.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Mountbatten SMC SPP Rally - Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss' Speech
The video of my speech from the Mountbatten SPP rally.
Mountbatten SMC SPP Rally - James Aruldoss' Speech in Teochew and Malay
My husband, my rock, and my personal translator who speaks multiple languages.
Mountbatten SMC SPP Rally - Benjamin Pwee's Speech
Benjamin Pwee, SPP candidate for Bishan Toa-Payoh, speaking at the Mountbatten SMC rally on Sunday night.
Mountbatten SMC SPP Rally - Choo Zheng Xi's Speech
One of my campaign volunteers, 30 year old lawyer Choo Zheng Xi, explaining why he joined my campaign team.
Mountbatten SMC SPP Rally - Dr Ting Choon Meng's Speech
A resident of Mountbatten and a friend of mine, Dr Ting Choon Meng explains why he's supporting me. Thank you Dr Ting.
Mountbatten SMC SPP Rally - Bryan Long's Speech
Bryan Long, the from the SPP team for Bishan Toa-Payoh, speaking for me at the SPP Mountbatten Rally. Thanks Bryan!
Jeannette Chong Aruldoss - Nomination Day
TRANSCRIPT OF SPEECH DELIVERED ON NOMINATION DAY – 1ST SEPTEMBER 2015:
Mountbatten voters, 4 years ago I stood before you and told you of my desire to serve you. Four years have now passed, but my desire to serve you has only grown more intense, and more urgent.
We need to close the gap between what our government is delivering - and what we deserve. We need to close the gap between the system we now have - and the society we want.
Let me speak-up for you, because my opponent sometimes cannot speak, for fear of the party whip. Let me stand up for you, to fight for your entitlements, because our leaders sometimes do not hear our voices.
Mountbatten voters, come polling day, vote for me. I will be your tireless MP in Mountbatten, and your fearless fighter in Parliament.
My Mountbatten Manifesto
Dear friends, do take a look at my manifesto for Mountbatten below. Many of the plans have been inspired by consultations with residents, and they address many of the heartfelt concerns of those who desire for Mountbatten to grow and thrive as a community.
Friday, August 14, 2015
A BURIED FORT - THE SPIRIT OF KATONG AWAITS RELEASE
In 2004, over 1000 volunteers worked to uncover Fort Tanjong Katong
in Katong Park and, in the process, recovered and fortified their community
ties.
A dry season in 2001 uncovered an outline of a bastion wall,
capturing the attention of Mountbatten resident, Jack Sim, who urged
authorities to investigate the site. In 2004, archaeologists were commissioned to
excavate the buried Fort. The initiative grew at a rapid pace and in space of
four weeks, $200,000 had been raised to fund the excavation.
Archaeologists and volunteers worked tirelessly to uncover a military
structure so intact that experts were quick to call it Singapore’s only ‘true
fort’. It was hailed as one of Singapore’s most important archaeological finds.
The uncovering of the Fort created an atmosphere of euphoria as more
than 1000 volunteers, ranging from students to working professionals, came
together to assist archaeologists. Lim Chen Sian, archaeologist and Head
Project Manager of the 2004 Fort Tanjong Katong excavation, marvelled the
project’s effect on the local community:
“It triggered something in
themselves and their environment [because] it’s more than just ‘My school
teacher told me this’ or ‘My textbook taught me that’. It became something
organic.” – Lim Chen Sian
(Source - http://www.goingplacessingapore.sg/heritage/2014/FortTanjongKatong.aspx)
The Fort stirred a fierce spirit within the residents of
Mountbatten. The discovery of history and the reappearance of a remnant of a
different era created a sense of ownership among the people. They united with a
new spirit – bersatu dengan semangat yang
baru – to uncover and perhaps even recover something they could call their
own. Something unique to their neighbourhood; a landmark they could be proud of.
The restoration of the Fort represented a similar re-building of a
spirit of community buried in the hearts of Mountbatten’s residents. As the Fort
was increasingly revealed, so were the ties of community. The Fort became an
important symbol of the neighbourhood’s identity, something not immediately
obvious, but clearly felt by the hundreds who volunteered in that period.
Unfortunately, efforts to uncover the Fort have run into obstacles over the years as the government cited costs of excavation and maintenance, and problems arising from the fact that the Fort extends into state land. It is a shame that local government organizations like the People’s Association did not push for initiatives like these to be completed. It is disappointing that Mountbatten’s political leaders did not seize this momentous opportunity to listen to its community and work with them to rediscover heritage and strengthen communal ties. This is certainly a let-down for the community at large. The Fort not only possesses a historical significance, but it also could have also served as a symbol of pride and identity for Mountbatten residents and for Singaporeans at large.
As the over a century-old Fort is reburied into the ground, the
atmosphere of community excitement surrounding it has also died down. The
hundreds of volunteers have since fragmented and moved on with their own lives
– perhaps wistfully holding on to the memory of a time when Mountbatten came
together uncover a piece of history they could claim as their own. In short, a
golden opportunity for community-building has been squandered.
But the short excavation gave us a glimpse of Mountbatten’s
potential. A fort is a defensive structure that allows a group of people to
defend and fight as a stronger unit. It
is designed to turn away foes and to strengthen a community of people. It
surrounds, it protects, and it inspires. It is a physical symbol of the courage
and resilience of a people, because it sends the message, “We are here; we are
in this together; and we are staying.”
But a fort does not need to be standing to draw a community
together. Its metaphorical walls also can remind people of their unity and
spirit.
In 2004, the Fort allowed a community to be greater than the sum of
its parts. The gathering of 1000 enthusiastic
volunteers shows that the community can be strong and vigorous when it is
united for a cause.
I believe that this is but a tantalising taste of what Mountbatten
as a community is capable of when it is able to come together. I only hope that
the community will be given another opportunity to rediscover its identity and
be proud of its heritage.
If elected, I would fight for the well-being of the Mountbatten community,
defend its heritage and champion its unity of spirit.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Making Singapore Exceptional - Singapore's Challenges, Mountbatten's Story
Singapore’s Golden Jubilee makes me feel unspeakably proud.
Since our improbable conception as an independent nation sited within an
unstable geopolitical environment, we’ve managed to vault into pole position in
the region, punching well above our weight both economically and
geopolitically.
With the pride comes a deep sense of awe and humility as I
use this landmark anniversary to reflect on the challenges that lie ahead for
Singapore in general, and Mountbatten in particular.
To my mind, it’s not enough to ask what we need to do to
maintain Singapore’s standing: we need to push ourselves to ask what it will
take for us to make Singapore an exceptional country.
To me, the answer to that question lies in our people and
our communities.
One of the greatest challenges we face as a nation moving
ahead will be to maintain and strengthen community bonds in the face of
increasing population pressures.
Nationally, increasing social mobility is critical to
keeping Singapore strong and cohesive. Our national philosophy of meritocracy
must continue being our guiding light, but we need to recognize that as each
succeeding generation of Singaporeans passes, our system of meritocracy confers
inherent advantages to those already ahead that the less economically well off
do not benefit from.
Locally, what makes Singapore strong is our sense of
community, reflected in our built environment and our common spaces. When we
speak of bringing back the “kampong spirit”, we must never lose sight of the
fact that for the “kampong spirit” to thrive, our “kampongs” need to be
preserved.
There is no better place to reflect on these challenges than
from the vantage point of Mountbatten.
Within the constituency, there’s a diverse range of people
from different socio-economic backgrounds: some of the wealthiest in our
country live in the landed estates in the constituency, while some of the
poorest live in rental housing estates.
Singapore’s challenge, in closing the mobility gap between
those who’ve made it and those who aspire to make it, is writ large in
Mountbatten. This is a challenge we need to confront, and a gap we need to
close.
Singapore’s challenge to preserve, promote and enhance our
national identity, is also Mountbatten’s. Mountbatten is a constituency with a
unique identity and a rich history.
Encompassing parts of Katong, Mountbatten has a distinctly
“Katong” spirit that’s hard to put your finger on but which you’d immediately
recognize if you chit chat with the elderly convent schooled aunties at Dakota
Crescent.
The built environment of Mountbatten is also unique: one of
Mountbatten’s most recognizable estates is the 17 blocks at Dakota Crescent,
with the iconic small tiled dove playground.
To keep our Mountbatten community strong, we need to
preserve, promote and enhance the built environment of Mountbatten, as well as
the local businesses that have taken root in the community and which sustain
it.
Mountbatten is a small constituency, but one with a distinct
identity. I believe Mountbatten, like Singapore, can punch above its weight if
we get our priorities right.
While celebrating how far we’ve come as a nation
economically and on the world stage, it’s important never to lose sight of the people
and communities that make up Singapore. Our people and our communities have
made Singapore strong, and I am committed to strengthening our people and our
communities because I believe that together, we can make Singapore exceptional.
Happy National Day. Majulah Singapura!
 |
| An exceptional view of an exceptional country. Happy Birthday Singapore! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)