Member of Parliament He contested the
1968 general election as a
People's Action Party (PAP) candidate in
Tampines constituency and won the seat uncontested. He retained his seat in the
1972,
1976,
1980 and
1984 elections. As the Member of Parliament for Tampines, Phua was a significant contributor to the Tampines Chinese Temple unifying 13 former demolished temples. As parliamentary secretary, Phua called for workers in the
Port of Singapore to adapt to advances in the maritime industry. In an opening address to the inaugural Ecafe regional port seminar attended by 22 countries, Phua further urged the government to upgrade the port's facilities and operations. This was to avoid what he termed "a vicious circle" where progress was accompanied by a lack of skilled personnel. In August 1968, Phua was appointed the first chairman of the Traffic Advisory Board and tasked with reducing traffic congestion. He commissioned Singapore's first radar training simulator at the Department of Civil Aviation in February 1969. In November 1970, Phua called for local artists to learn Western techniques "to raise the standard of art in Singapore". In 1971, Phua said "patriotism [was] important for prosperity" and also urged younger people to volunteer for community service.
Ministry of Defence Phua was promoted to senior parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Defence on 1 January 1972. On 12 March, Phua led a goodwill delegation of thirty-one Singaporeans to Malaysia in order to promote closer ties. He became the first president of the
Singapore Armed Forces Reservist Association (SAFRA) in 1972 and was instrumental in the planning of its first three clubhouses, with the first opening on 19 February 1975. SAFRA instituted favorable policies for national servicemen under his leadership, including priority for
Housing Development Board apartments. He retired from politics in 1988, opting not to contest
that year's general election, and relinquished his presidency of SAFRA in 1989. == Personal life and death ==