PAP's first slate of new faces hail from diverse sectors

Singapore

THE People's Action Party (PAP)'s first slate of four new candidates reflect the party's decision to bring in more "new faces from different segments of society" to better reflect the different segments of society and bring different interests into focus.

Among the various issues they said they are keen to front are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), disadvantaged families and youth.

Edward Chia, 36, who is co-founder and managing director of Timbre Group, said he hopes to be an effective voice for SMEs in Parliament.

He said: "Covid-19 has been a big blow to many SMEs and entrepreneurs and Timbre is no exception. So you may then ask why am I not hunkering down in my business and instead standing to be a Member of Parliament. I've always believed that for individuals and businesses to succeed, society must first be successful."

In addition to his interest in better support for SMEs, Mr Chia said he would like to focus on issues related to young families, innovation, entrepreneurship, and mental health.

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Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who is the PAP's first assistant secretary-general, introduced this first slate on Wednesday morning.

When asked where the candidates might be fielded, Mr Heng said the party was finalising its deployments and will announce details "in a few days' time". That being said, Mr Chia has been seen with MP Liang Eng Hwa and has been tipped to be fielded in the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

Former civil servant Desmond Tan, who was chief executive of the People's Association (he stepped down on June 15) and also served as a brigadier-general with the Singapore Armed Forces, said he wants to speak up for youth, especially those from disadvantaged families. He has in recent weeks been highlighted in Facebook posts on grassroots matters by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is the anchor minister for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

Mr Tan, 50, grew up in a flat in Bukit Ho Swee that at one stage housed 12 people. He said the kindness and generosity of his neighbours stayed with him over the years.

"These core values connected deeply with me until today, that we have to take nothing for granted and constantly look out for each other... I hope I can contribute to preserve the social mobility that is so crucial in our growing society. And I want to do my part to ensure that every child, every youth in Singapore can continue to succeed in life."

The third candidate, lawyer Nadia Ahmad Samdin, 30, is an associate director at TSMP Law Corporation. Ms Nadia also serves as a panel adviser at the youth courts and as a befriender to young women in reformative training.

Beyond the "immediate" task of working with Singaporeans to ensure the country emerge stronger, Ms Nadia said Covid-19 has made clear the importance of technological adoption for both students doing home-based learning and seniors unable to connect with friends and families during the circuit breaker.

She also added that as a diver, she hopes to tackle issues of sustainability. "I'm confident in my generation, and I hope to be a voice for my generation," she said. "We value sustainability, and not just sustainability in the traditional sense, but also... sustainable economic growth that is equitable, first and foremost, while preserving the environment and upholding the values of Singapore."

A total of 26 new candidates will be introduced in a series of sessions over three days. The PAP said in a statement that the new candidates have a median age of 43, with the youngest at 30 years old and the oldest at 56 years old. The party added that it took "significant" effort to bring in more women candidates, with 10 in the line-up this year.

The final new face introduced in the first slate was Ivan Lim, 42, general manager for specialised vessels at Keppel Offshore & Marine. Mr Lim is an active volunteer at Henderson-Dawson constituency and is concerned about the elderly and disadvantaged children, especially those with special needs.

"I chose to serve with PAP because the party values and attributes are close to my heart, in particular, being compassionate and also being self-reliant. On the ground, I'm concerned about elderly residents and children who require social assistance, especially those with special needs," he said.

"I believe in building our community together through listening and learning continuously. A greater connection with our people will lead to a greater outcome for everyone."

For more of our Singapore GE2020 coverage, go to bt.sg/ge2020

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