Tharman a 'great MP' who will be missed, say Jurong GRC residents

His presidential move cited as a loss constituency to the but a big gain for the country

- BNB Diviyadhaarshini, Christine Siow, Yugesh Kannan and Suzanne Chan

Mr Sundararajan Palani has owned a small minimart at Taman Jurong Shopping Centre for the past 14 years.

About a decade ago, he met Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam for the first time during one of the MP's visits to the building. He and other shopkeepers mentioned the poor condition of the public toilets in the shopping centre, which was opened in 1995 and has about 60 stores.

Renovation work on the toilets started within a month, said Mr Sundararajan, 48.

He noted: "No major works were done on the toilets during my first four years here, but Mr Tharman took immediate action and the toilets were improved greatly."

Like many of the 50 residents who spoke to The Straits Times on Thursday, he said Mr Tharman has been a "great MP" for the people of Taman Jurong.

Mr Sundararajan described him as a genuine and compassionate MP who gets things done promptly.

"Mr Tharman running for presidency is a big loss to the constituency, but a great gain for the country," he added.

Mr Tharman, 66, announced on Thursday that he will step down from his political appointments and run for presidency in the upcoming election, which must be called by the end of President Hailmah Yacob's term on Sept 13.