GE2025: Parties continue to introduce prospective candidates as election draws near

[SINGAPORE] Various teams from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and the opposition were out and about on Sunday (Apr 6) across different parts of the island, as voters got the chance to meet some of the prospective candidates that could be fielded at the upcoming general election (GE).

Here is a wrap-up of what happened at some of the community events.

Former perm sec sighted with Chua Chu Kang MPs

Former permanent secretary Jeffrey Siow was spotted on Saturday with the incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) of Chua Chu Kang GRC, sparking speculation that he may be fielded as a PAP candidate in the constituency.

Siow, who was the second permanent secretary at the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, had been a principal private secretary to then-prime minister Lee Hsien Loong from 2017 to 2021.

Chua Chu Kang GRC is anchored by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, with Low Yen Ling, Don Wee and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim as the other incumbent MPs.

Former MOF director seen in Jalan Besar

Shawn Loh, a former Ministry of Finance (MOF) director, was seen at an event in Jalan Besar together with the constituency’s MPs – anchor minister Josephine Teo, along with Heng Chee How, Denise Phua and Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah.

BT in your inbox

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

Sign Up

Sign Up

The 38-year-old Loh interacted with residents at an event where lower-income families received free groceries and school supplies.

Also at the same event was David Hoe, the director of philanthropy at Majurity Trust and a district counsellor for the Central Singapore Community Development Council, of which Jalan Besar is a part.

On Saturday, Hoe was seen at the launch of Jurong-Clementi Town Council’s five-year masterplan together with long-time grassroots volunteer Cassandra Lee. Their presence was a sign that the pair could be fielded by the PAP in the new Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

SEE ALSO

GE2025: PSP unveils manifesto focused on reducing cost of living, building new social compact

GE2025: Where the parties stand on key issues

GE2025: PAP, WP and PSP agree that Singapore needs foreign talent. But they differ on the balance

GE2025: Proposals 3 parties in Parliament have put up to deal with cost-of-living pressures

GE2025: How parties are dealing with concerns over housing needs

More

Ex-SAF chief of staff, former MOT director seen in Punggol

Former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) chief of staff Goh Pei Ming and former Ministry of Transport (MOT) director Foo Cexiang were seen in the new Punggol GRC at an event organised by DBS Bank.

Also present were the current MPs from Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC – Teo Chee Hean, Janil Puthucheary, Desmond Tan, Sharael Taha and Yeo Wan Ling – as well as Punggol West SMC MP Sun Xueling.

Goh, 42, also attended an event in East Coast GRC with some of the MPs there. His final day with the SAF was on Mar 31. He had also served as SAF inspector-general and chief sustainability officer.

Foo, 40, left MOT on Apr 1 where his had overseen private and future mobility, including electric vehicle policy.

Also spotted at the same DBS event was Valerie Lee, Sembcorp’s head of corporate affairs for Singapore and South-east Asia.

Lee, who said she is a community volunteer in Pasir Ris, was also previously seen in both West Coast GRC and East Coast GRC.

Also sighted in the east is shipping lawyer Gho Sze Kee. The potential PAP new face was seen at an SG60 event with incumbent MPs for the Marine Parade cluster on April 6.

PSP unveils manifesto focused on reducing cost of living

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) announced its manifesto, with reducing the goods and services tax and imposing a levy on employment pass holders among some of the policy proposals.

Chairman Tan Cheng Bock said the manifesto is “a culmination of almost two years of work” by its Non-Constituency Members of Parliament Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa.

The manifesto contains more than 60 policy proposals. They cover six key areas: cost of living; housing; jobs and wages; social safety net; education; and governance.

“(The manifesto) is a work in progress,” said Leong, the party’s secretary-general. “We believe, in PSP, that any credible political party must have credible policies.”

He noted that in their first four years in Parliament, PSP NCMPs had raised what they thought are the “most urgent problems” of Singaporeans – including jobs for citizens, as well as housing and cost of living.

Leong confirmed that PSP will contest in West Coast-Jurong West GRC and Chua Chu Kang GRC. It will also field fewer candidates than the last election in 2020, but the numbers have yet to be finalised. – Reporting by Navene Elangovan

Three-way fight brewing in Sembawang

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) introduced its five-member team that is set to contest in Sembawang GRC. They are deputy head of policy James Gomez, vice-chairman Bryan Lim, treasurer Surayah Akbar and members Alfred Tan and Damanhuri Abas.

Akbar, a 42-year-old music publisher, is taking part in an election for the first time, while the other four have stood in previous polls.

The National Solidarity Party (NSP) has also indicated its interest to contest there. NSP secretary-general Spencer Ng said his party remained committed to Sembawang and intends to meet the SDP for talks to try and avoid a three-cornered fight.

The incumbents in Sembawang are a PAP team comprising Ong Ye Kung, Lim Wee Kiak, Vikram Nair, Mariam Jaafar and Poh Li San. Ong, who is Minister for Health, said a three-cornered fight can be expected and that will give residents more choices in exercising their democratic right to vote. He told the media on Sunday that his team will campaign on the party’s values, its track record and plans for the community in the coming years.

For more election coverage, visit our GE2025 microsite