Residents of Sembawang, friends and neighbours, thank you for being here today.
Today, I ask you to draw a line.
- A line between what the PAP calls “town development” versus what you really want.
- A line between “town development” decisions made for you versus decisions made by you.
- A line between the PAP passing off and politicising national plans for self-promotion and electioneering purposes versus genuine ground-up ideas that put the people of Sembawang and Singaporeans first.
With this preamble, the Sembawang GRC team is proud to launch the Singapore Democratic Party’s Sembawang Town Plan.
The plan will act as a nucleus, calibrated through Town Halls, and serve also as an outline for the constituencies in SDP’s Northern Strategy.
We call the plan: Putting the “Heart” in the Heartland.
The implementation of the plan is our commitment to you – a community-driven vision that reimagines how we live, work, connect and care for one another in this place we all call home.
For too long, planning in Sembawang has been done to us, not with us.
Just before elections, we see the same performance by the PAP:
- Mentioning the opening of new MRT stations
- Talking up national HDB estate upgrading plans,
- Highlighting elements of URA masterplans –
- All of these and other national plan announcements are done to create an impression that it is the PAP that is doing all these – with a view of claiming credit for it. Nothing can be farther from the truth.
Meanwhile, since the last two elections, the residents of Sembawang have continued to face a set of unresolved issues.
- From cluttered corridors and stairwells;
- Water run-offs and flooding caused by heavy rains;
- Amenities development being unresponsive to the changing demographic needs of the elderly, young people and young families;
- Overcrowding in common areas around MRT train stations and dirty public toilets;
- And the list goes on.
These ignored concerns have made neighbourhoods in Sembawang feel like concrete columns – to which people scurry to after a hard day’s work and caregiving responsibilities to be by themselves – without the support of a wider community.
It’s a pity that the PAP town management has turned Sembawang into this.
With the SPD, there is a better way forward. A way that puts people – not the self-centred PAP politics of re-election — at the heart of town development.
The SDP’s way – we like to call it the “People’s Way” – recognises that infrastructure alone, without inclusion of the community or “heart”, is meaningless.
For the SDP – a town is more than concrete and corridors – it’s about community, dignity and shared purpose.
So what are we proposing?
First, we’re going to fix the basics – things that have been broken, delayed or promised for years without action.
- You should not still be walking in the rain because sheltered pathways that were “in the pipeline” five years ago are still in the “pipeline”.
- You should not be gathering at temporary bus stops that continue to be temporary.
- Flood-prone areas, especially near playgrounds, walkways and lift landings, should not still be ponding every time it rains.
- Rain should not be coming into your corridor and hitting your front door and entrance and seeping into your homes.
- You should not be subjected to overcrowded feeder buses during peak periods.
- Last-mile connectivity should not still be an afterthought in 2025.
These are not new issues.
They are just unresolved ones, ignored by PAP’s Aljunied-abandoning and Sembawang-parachuting Ong Ye Kung and his team.
By electing SDP MPs, you will have these issues resolved firmly.
Your SDP MPs will also organise regular Town Hall meetings to gather your feedback – even if there are difficult requests, we will do our best to resolve them.
We will not be like Ong Ye Kung, ignore you, or avoid you just because you raise difficult concerns.
The SDP Town Plan is based on the feedback of Sembawang residents. It is my pleasure to present the following ideas from the residents:
One, introduce a bicycle management storage system that will keep your bicycles secure and sheltered from the weather.
It will be integrated with a bicycle care service to ensure your bicycles are always in good working order and safe.
Two, we will introduce under-the-block storage spaces to encourage that corridors and stairwells are kept clutter-free and comfortable for passage.
The storage facilities can also include lockers to receive online deliveries.
Three, we will create co-working spaces with Wi-Fi, air-conditioning and ample seating.
Whether it’s for quiet study, remote work, or small group discussions – we want to give residents access to spaces that support new ways of learning, working and collaboration.
Four, we will identify and install more seating in accessible areas.
Armrests, backrests for added support, ramps and shelter will especially help Sembawang’s elders find a place to rest when they go outdoors.
Five, we will push for lifts on all major overhead bridges that still lack them.
Seniors, persons with disabilities, or parents with strollers will particularly see the benefits of this suggestion.
Six, we will open mindfulness and wellness centres where youth and working adults alike can find support for mental health.
These spaces will serve as welcoming environments where people can connect, reflect, and feel heard.
Seven, we will launch community-led nature mapping and documentation projects of green spaces in Sembawang.
This is to ensure that the area’s natural environment is not eroded by unchecked development and careless planning.
Eight, we will demand action from the relevant agencies to keep our coastal waters clean.
We will track that these agencies monitor the pollution levels in the water and hold accountable those who pollute the water.
Ninth, we will support those who work to care for stray cats, dogs and other wildlife.
We will provide microchipping initiatives, a community care fund for animal welfare, and education campaigns that promote empathy and coexistence.
All of these proposals come from the residents and have one simple principle: that a town must be people-centric.
That a town belongs to its residents – not to the PAP’s real estate portfolio.
Unlike Ong Ye Kung, who, just before this election, tried to pass off the URA Masterplan for Sembawang as the PAP’s – the SDP does not take national or public projects, slap an SDP label on them and call it its own.
We believe in real participation – where the town plan is a product of its residents.
That’s why the SDP will organise regular town halls across all our constituencies in the SDP’s Northern Strategy.
These town halls will be an opportunity for residents to voice ideas and provide feedback to SDP MPs. So the SDP MPs can implement a plan that the people want.
If you want a town plan and MPs that work for you – vote SDP. Vote SDP MPs.
Once again, the Sembawang GRC Team is pleased to officially launch SDP’s Sembawang GRC Town Plan: Putting the ❤︎ in Heartland.
A plan by you and for you.
It is just SDP’s honour to facilitate this for you.
Read SDP’s Sembawang GRC Town Plan: Putting the ❤︎ in Heartland here.