Social mobility, community issues close to hearts of 4th group of new PAP candidates

SOCIAL and community issues were the focus of four candidates introduced by the People's Action Party (PAP) on Thursday, in one of three sessions on its second day of unveiling new candidates.

They are driven by a "mission of service to the community", said PAP vice-chairman Masagos Zulkifli, who introduced the candidates.

The team includes former civil servant Eric Chua Swee Leong, 41, who was previously director of the SGSecure Programme Office and was a Singapore Civil Defence Force scholar. He wishes to work with youths and start a mentorship programme for those from less privileged backgrounds in particular.

Asked why he was choosing to enter politics now, Mr Chua - whose first child was born just last week - said that he had made the decision with the support of his family, as this seemed "the right time" to take on weightier responsibilities.

Youth and education are also the focus for Republic Polytechnic senior lecturer Dr Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah, 42, who highlighted the importance of education in enabling social mobility.

"I hope to be the voice in Parliament that upholds social mobility," he said. He took a "non-linear path", as a Normal Academic student who went on to Temasek Polytechnic, followed by the National Institute of Education, and later, Nanyang Technological University, where he obtained his degree at the age of 31 and went on to gain a postgraduate doctoral degree in 2017. Dr Wan Rizal is married with four children.

GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign UpVIEW ALL

Social entrepreneur Yeo Wan Ling, 44, who runs online caregiving platform Caregiver Asia, wants to be the "in-community champion for caregiving programmes", through avenues such as training and local support groups. Prior to Caregiver Asia, she had been with the Economic Development Board for over a decade.

Coming into politics allows her to bring her experience to a larger platform, not only addressing day-to-day needs but affecting national policies, she said.

LinkedIn head of public policy and economics (Asia Pacific) Alvin Tan Sheng Hui, 39, wants to use his skills and experience to "help Singaporeans prepare for the future of work". But he is also passionate about racial and religious harmony, chairing the Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng Citizens Consultative Committee Inter-Racial & Religious Confidence Circle (IRCC), as well as greening and sustainability. He is married with two children.

Following two introductory sessions on Wednesday and three on Thursday, the PAP will introduce the rest of its 26 new candidates on Friday.

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