GE2020: Battleground at Aljunied GRC heats up as WP defends turf against PAP

THE opposition Workers' Party (WP) will defend Aljunied GRC against the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) at the July 10 General Election.

The WP's team comprises three incumbents - secretary-general Pritam Singh, chairman Sylvia Lim and Faisal Manap - as well as former Non-Constituency MPs Gerald Giam and Leon Perera, who will be joining the team in this constituency for the first time.

The PAP's slate consists of Victor Lye, Chua Eng Leong, Shamsul Kamar and first-time candidates Alex Yeo and Chan Hui Yuh.

Both teams arrived at Deyi Secondary School, one of nine Nomination Centres across Singapore, within minutes of one another at about 10.50am. Both parties' candidacies were confirmed at 12.30pm, with no objections raised by any of the candidates.

Speaking to reporters after WP's nomination, Mr Singh said that WP, as an opposition party, has to "fight hard" for every vote.

"The PAP is a formidable opponent. They have very, very deep resources, and I think Singaporeans appreciate that, so it will be a tough fight," he said.

He also expressed confidence that Mr Perera and Mr Giam will "do well for us" at the election.

"Both of them ... have proved themselves to be very capable NCMPs prepared to take on ministers in parliament, and more than that, I think they are very effective on the ground," he said.

Mr Lye of the PAP said in the group's thank-you speech: "We have been serving you from the heart continuously because we want you to bring us home. You are at the centre of what we do. It's been nine years. It's time, bring us home!"

Aljunied became the first GRC to be won by an opposition party in 2011, when WP's team, which included former party chief Low Thia Khiang and Chen Show Mao, took 54.72 per cent of the votes.

During GE 2015, however, WP defended the hotly contested constituency with a smaller margin - 50.96 per cent, after a recount of the votes - as all wards in Singapore saw a big swing towards the ruling party in a year where the country celebrated its Golden Jubilee and mourned the death of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

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