Desmond Choo, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tampines GRC and Mayor of North East District, has expressed confidence in continuing to serve the residents of Tampines Changkat, which has now been carved out as a Single Member Constituency (SMC) under the new electoral boundaries — if he gets the chance to stay.
Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao after a Meet-the-People Session on March 24, 2025, Choo shared that he hopes to continue serving Tampines Changkat due to the strong relationships he has built with his residents over the past 10 years.
“We’ve built a solid team and developed deep connections with the residents here. If given the opportunity, this is where I want to continue serving,” he said.
Choo explained that he has walked through every HDB block in Tampines Changkat about 4-5 times, forming friendships to the point where residents even sent him wedding invitations.
“I cannot let down the residents’ trust. I want to continue serving them, fulfill our plans, and deliver them in the best way possible. Hopefully, I have earned their trust, and they believe I can deliver on my promises.”
Choo’s political journey hasn’t been smooth. He previously contested Hougang SMC against the Workers’ Party (WP) during the 2011 General Election and the 2012 by-election, but both attempts were unsuccessful. However, since joining the PAP team in Tampines GRC in 2015, he has been successfully re-elected and serving the area since.
When asked about possibly facing the WP again now that Tampines Changkat has become an SMC, Choo said, “You cannot choose your opponent, but you can choose how you serve. That’s what we have been doing since we were elected.”
Even if there’s a multi-cornered fight, Choo said it won’t change his approach. “Because I’ve served the residents here for the past 10 years, more political parties joining the fight just means we have to work harder to earn the residents’ trust and maintain the relationship for the next five years.”
He also emphasized that the effort is not just his alone, but a collective one from his team. “This isn’t just my story. It’s our collective journey. We hope our sincerity resonates with the residents because that’s what truly matters.”
The newly carved Tampines Changkat SMC consists of eight areas from Tampines GRC and one area from East Coast GRC, covering a total of 23,802 voters.
