Battle for Sengkang may pit WP's youth appeal against PAP's solidity

Singapore

A YOUTHFUL slate of candidates in Sengkang GRC could make the Workers' Party (WP) more attractive to the young demographic of the newly-carved out constituency, political observers told The Business Times.

However, it remains to be seen how much that advantage plays out, as Sengkang voters may also lean towards the safety of the People's Action Party (PAP) brand, amid the economic woes of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The PAP has fielded labour chief Ng Chee Meng, 51; Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health Lam Pin Min, 50; Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health Amrin Amin, 41; and lawyer Raymond Lye, 54.

The WP team for Sengkang GRC comprises three first-time candidates: social enterprise founder Raeesah Khan, 26; equity analyst Louis Chua, 33; and Essec Business School associate professor of economics Jamus Lim, 44. They are joined by lawyer He Ting Ru, 37, who contested Marine Parade GRC in 2015.

As a new constituency, Sengkang GRC is "fair game" for both the WP and PAP, said political observer Felix Tan, an associate lecturer at SIM Global Education.

The GRC, which has 120,166 voters, was formed by taking the Sengkang Central ward from Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and combining it with Punggol East SMC and part of Sengkang West SMC.

Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser of the National University of Singapore reckons that younger voters may relate more to the WP's messaging of having effective checks and balances in Parliament.

"The WP team has some new, but recognisable faces and names like Jamus Lim and He Ting Ru, who would likely harp on this narrative as well. Their being of the same generation, or closer to the generation of young voters, would also work to their advantage," he said.

However the PAP team's "stability, maturity, and experience" could also appeal to voters' insecurities over the Covid-19 pandemic, such as the fears of a "lost generation" emerging amid a global recession, Prof Tan said.

In any case, the jury is still out on whether a combination of youthfulness and social media savvy can tilt the odds in the WP's favour.

Natalie Pang, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, said: "Rallies have been a good thing for the WP. Whether they can replicate the kind of (impact) they get with a rally, we'll have to see over the next few days."

Dr Tan of SIM said: "If you look at the WP's videos, they are very artistically done and tug on a lot of heartstrings. Going into e-campaigning, they have made good use of the platforms."

But how much of this online traction can actually translate to votes remains to be seen, he added.

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