GE2025: PAP to field unchanged line-up in Holland-Bukit Timah; Liang Eng Hwa to defend Bukit Panjang
[SINGAPORE] The PAP team that will contest Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in the upcoming polls will remain unchanged, with Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan helming the same constituency he has represented for nearly two decades.
In neighbouring Bukit Panjang SMC, four-term MP Liang Eng Hwa, 61, will defend the single seat in a likely contest against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).
Apart from Dr Balakrishnan, the Holland-Bukit Timah team is made up of Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann, 50, lawyer Christopher de Souza, 49, and businessman Edward Chia, 41.
In a press briefing on Apr 15 at the Pang Sua Pond in Bukit Panjang, Dr Balakrishnan, 64, said the upcoming polls will take place at a time of profound change, where externally the world is beset by volatility.
He said: “We know that the old world order has ended, the new world order is coming, and we don’t know the exact shape.
“But what we do know is that a small, tiny city state, trade-dependent economy like Singapore will face the impact, perhaps in a more turbulent way than many other bigger economies. So, this is a time to be prepared domestically.”
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He added that the conversations and choices made in this election will have a major impact on whether Singapore is ship-shape and ready for the storms to come.
Why asked why there are no changes to the PAP slate, Dr Balakrishnan said after holding discussions with the prime minister, they felt the team still has the right blend of experience. For example, three of the members in his team are under the age of 50.
He said: “We believe this is still a team which has the right blend of youth, ideas, energy, vigour. Fortunately, we have had the time to deeply embed ourselves into the society. So that’s why the prime minister decide to retain the line-up for now.”
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But in the future, renewal is expected, he added.
He said: “This election is critical because Singapore needs to beef up the ranks of the 4G leadership at the national level, and there’s a need to do so in a PAP way, which is careful, deliberate and steady.”
He also said Liang is experienced, having served as an MP since 2006 and that the Holland-Bukit Timah team is a tried and tested team.
“Our residents know us, we have been here a long time. We’ve walked with our residents, listened to their ideas, their anxieties, hopes and aspirations,” said Dr Balakrishnan.
Holland-Bukit Timah is a four-member group representation constituency with 122,891 voters, many of whom live in condominiums and landed homes.
With boundaries redrawn, Holland-Bukit Timah will absorb part of Jurong GRC, which lies in Upper Bukit Timah Road.
Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council, which also manages the Bukit Panjang single seat, on Apr 5 announced a five-year masterplan, with a focus on making the area a “wellness heartland”.
In the pipeline is a new nursing home and active ageing centres in the neighbourhood, an upgrading exercise for the Bukit Panjang Neighbourhood 5 Park and more therapeutic gardens.
On Apr 15, the team of MPs gave updates on completed estate improvement projects such as refurbishment of community facilities, new hawker centres, and also upgraded exercise facilities. They also touched on upcoming projects such as a new community cinema and co-working spaces.
Liang, a managing director at DBS Bank, entered politics in 2006. The four-term MP said he decided to keep going because he still has the energy and ability to serve residents well.
Speaking in Mandarin, Liang said he and his family live in the estate. “Bukit Panjang is my home and my life is here. To serve Bukit Panjang residents is my honour.”
When asked about his health, he said recently underwent a medical check and continues with his regular medical reviews.
He said: “I have changed a lot of my lifestyle. I’m living more healthily now. I watch what I eat. I exercise more than before, so I feel a lot more energetic now.”
In July 2023, Liang was diagnosed with stage 2 nose cancer, and underwent 33 sessions of radiotherapy treatment before he was given a clean bill of health. He returned to his MP duties in September 2023.
There was talk that he would step down before the next polls, but on Apr 11 he said he will try his best to continue serving because his purpose in life has not changed.
Both Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC have seen a contest between the PAP and SDP in the last three elections.
In the 2020 General Election, the PAP team in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC won 66.36 per cent of the votes against the SDP team, which included former SingFirst leader Tan Jee Say.
Bukit Panjang was one of the most hotly contested seats in the same election, with Liang facing SDP chairman Paul Tambyah. The PAP retained the seat with 53.73 per cent of the vote.
For the upcoming polls, SDP has signalled that it is uncertain about fielding candidates in the GRC. Opposition party Red Dot United (RDU) on Apr 10 declared its intention to contest the constituency.
RDU also introduced three potential candidates it planned to field in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, which it has not contested in the past.
When asked how he saw the contest shaping up with a new opponent, Dr Balakrishnan said he knows the RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon, and his impression of Philemon is that he is a gentleman.
“He knows me, and he’s frank enough to express his divergent views. And I think that’s fair, completely reasonable at a time like this,” said Dr Balakrishnan.
SDP has said it will once again field Professor Tambyah in Bukit Panjang – the largest single-member constituency with 33,566 voters – in the upcoming polls.
On the “re-match”, Liang said Prof Tambyah is a formidable opponent and he expects a tight contest.
“I will do my best to serve our residents, to think about improvements and their well-being and to safeguard the way the way of life for our residents here,” said Liang.
Dr Balakrishnan was also asked about a recent controversial Facebook post made by former Nominated MP Calvin Cheng on Mar 13.
His official Facebook account was found to have “liked” the post, which proposed sending a group of activists to Gaza, as long as they never returned.
On Apr 2, Dr Balakrishnan said he did not “like” the post. He added he did not share the views put forth by Cheng, and he had taken measures to enhance his account’s security.
His press secretary said the same day that a report had been filed with Facebook parent company Meta over the unauthorised activity, and Meta was investigating.
Dr Balakrishnan said on Apr 15 that he has no updates on the Meta probe.
But he added that Singapore is a small, diverse, and open society and there will always be differences of perspective and opinion. But there must be mutual respect.
He said: “What is critical is that as we express these differences, there must be mutual respect, there must be courtesy, there must be recognition that we are all in this together.
“And even as we argue, debate or discuss, we must be constructive.” THE STRAITS TIMES
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