GE2020: DPM Heng moves to East Coast GRC; first three-cornered GRC fight in Pasir Ris-Punggol

DEPUTY Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat's move from Tampines GRC to East Coast GRC; the first multi-cornered fight for a group representation constituency (GRC); and two new People's Action Party (PAP) candidates standing in single seats were among the surprises at Nomination Day on Tuesday, as political parties confirmed their slates for the July 10 General Election.

Other burning questions were put to rest, as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's younger brother Lee Hsien Yang, who had recently joined the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), did not end up contesting as a candidate.

Nearly halfway through the allotted hour for candidates to submit their papers, only four out of five members of the PAP team for East Coast GRC had been spotted at their nomination centre, St Anthony's Canossian Primary School. Then Mr Heng turned up, in a sign that he would be taking over as anchor minister in the constituency, where the PAP is expected to see a tough fight against the Workers' Party.

The rest of the PAP's East Coast team are incumbents Maliki Osman and Jessica Tan, former Fengshan SMC MP Cheryl Chan, and first-time candidate Tan Kiat How.

Moving to Tampines GRC instead is Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon, formerly from Ang Mo Kio GRC. Other PAP candidates moving to new areas include Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee, who moved from Jurong GRC to West Coast GRC; former Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Melvin Yong, contesting in Radin Mas SMC against the Reform Party's Kumar Appavoo; and former Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Liang Eng Hwa, facing Singapore Democratic Party chairman Paul Tambyah in Bukit Panjang SMC.

A GRC will see a multi-cornered fight for the first time, with three parties facing off in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC - the PAP; the Singapore Democratic Alliance, which has contested there since 2006; and Peoples Voice.

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Also seeing a three-cornered fight is Pioneer SMC, which is being contested by former West Coast GRC PAP MP Patrick Tay, PSP's Lim Cher Hong, and independent candidate Cheang Peng Wah.

Two new faces from the PAP are facing solo fights in single member constituencies. Singapore's first female brigadier-general Gan Siow Huang is running in Marymount SMC against PSP's Ang Yong Guan, who has competed in previous GEs under the Singaporeans First and Singapore Democratic Party banners.

Former civil servant Yip Hon Weng is running in Yio Chu Kang SMC, where a three-way fight was dodged as the Reform Party gave way to the PSP's candidate Kayla Low.

With the close of nomination proceedings and the issuing of the notice of contested election, the nine-day campaign officially began on Tuesday afternoon.

For Nomination Day developments and more on Singapore GE2020, go to bt.sg/ge2020