http://www.straitstimes.com/politic...des-former-aljunied-grc-candidate-ong-ye-kung
PAP reveals Sembawang GRC line-up, includes former Aljunied GRC candidate Ong Ye Kung
Published
Jeremy Au Yong
Mr Ong Ye Kung, 45, director of group strategy at Keppel Corporation, will make his second attempt at getting into Parliament at the coming election.
The former candidate in Aljunied GRC was officially introduced as part of the new-look PAP Sembawang GRC team on Friday morning, along with newcomer Amrin Amin, 36, a corporate lawyer.
The five-member constituency, led by National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan, also includes Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Vikram Nair.
That amounts to three changes to the team that contested in 2011 due to retirements and boundary changes.
<img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/articles/2015/08/13/oyk138.jpg?itok=mk2gRiZn" width="300" height="200" />Related Story
[h=4]The one who got away[/h]
Senior Parliamentary Secretary Hawazi Daipi and Ms Ellen Lee are both retiring from politics. Mr Hawazi and first-term MP Ong Teng Koon also had their wards moved to the new Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC in the latest electoral boundary changes. At the same time, Dr Lim's Canberra ward - which used to be in Nee Soon GRC - has now been absorbed into Sembawang GRC.
Though Mr Hawazi's departure from politics had been announced earlier, Ms Lee's retirement was confirmed only on Friday.
Singapolitics: Khaw Boon Wan announcing Ellen Lee's retirement
Mr Khaw paid tribute to Ms Lee, saying she had always put her "heart and soul" into everything she was doing" and brought a lot of empathy to her work in the constituency.
"We thank her from the bottom of our hearts," he said as her colleagues gave her a hearty round of applause.
He said the newcomers to his team, Mr Ong and Mr Amrin, have their hearts in the right place.
"That's what we look for in all candidates. Capabilities are easy to judge because we are recruiting them when they are working. But what's not easy to assess is values. We look for people who are honest, have integrity and selflessness," he said at the event in the SWAMI Home, a home for needy elderly.
Singapolitics: Khaw Boon Wan introducing Ong Ye Kung and Amrin Amin
Mr Ong was in the high-profile PAP Aljunied GRC team that was defeated by the Workers' Party in 2011. The former top civil servant had been touted as being of ministerial calibre by various Cabinet ministers.
He said he learnt much from 2011 and added: "Never let one loss become a defeat. Never let one setback become a failure."
Singapolitics: Ong Ye Kung on 2011 experience
Mr Amrin is corporate lawyer at Joseph Tan Jude Benny LLP. He was active in grassroots work since 2004 and was Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam's legislative assistant from 2004 to 2006.
Having come from humble beginnings - he grew up in a 3-room flat - he said on Friday that he had an "ordinary life blessed with extraordinary people in an exceptional country."
Singapolitics: Amrin Amin on wanting to champion social mobility
<img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/articles/2015/07/29/graphic-image-interactive.jpg?itok=aYWSbwFv" width="300" height="200" />Related Story
[h=4]Interactive: A look at the new electoral boundaries and the biggest changes[/h]
PAP reveals Sembawang GRC line-up, includes former Aljunied GRC candidate Ong Ye Kung
Published
Jeremy Au Yong
Mr Ong Ye Kung, 45, director of group strategy at Keppel Corporation, will make his second attempt at getting into Parliament at the coming election.
The former candidate in Aljunied GRC was officially introduced as part of the new-look PAP Sembawang GRC team on Friday morning, along with newcomer Amrin Amin, 36, a corporate lawyer.
The five-member constituency, led by National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan, also includes Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Vikram Nair.
That amounts to three changes to the team that contested in 2011 due to retirements and boundary changes.
<img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/articles/2015/08/13/oyk138.jpg?itok=mk2gRiZn" width="300" height="200" />Related Story[h=4]The one who got away[/h]
Senior Parliamentary Secretary Hawazi Daipi and Ms Ellen Lee are both retiring from politics. Mr Hawazi and first-term MP Ong Teng Koon also had their wards moved to the new Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC in the latest electoral boundary changes. At the same time, Dr Lim's Canberra ward - which used to be in Nee Soon GRC - has now been absorbed into Sembawang GRC.
Though Mr Hawazi's departure from politics had been announced earlier, Ms Lee's retirement was confirmed only on Friday.
Singapolitics: Khaw Boon Wan announcing Ellen Lee's retirement
Mr Khaw paid tribute to Ms Lee, saying she had always put her "heart and soul" into everything she was doing" and brought a lot of empathy to her work in the constituency.
"We thank her from the bottom of our hearts," he said as her colleagues gave her a hearty round of applause.
He said the newcomers to his team, Mr Ong and Mr Amrin, have their hearts in the right place.
"That's what we look for in all candidates. Capabilities are easy to judge because we are recruiting them when they are working. But what's not easy to assess is values. We look for people who are honest, have integrity and selflessness," he said at the event in the SWAMI Home, a home for needy elderly.
Singapolitics: Khaw Boon Wan introducing Ong Ye Kung and Amrin Amin
Mr Ong was in the high-profile PAP Aljunied GRC team that was defeated by the Workers' Party in 2011. The former top civil servant had been touted as being of ministerial calibre by various Cabinet ministers.
He said he learnt much from 2011 and added: "Never let one loss become a defeat. Never let one setback become a failure."
Singapolitics: Ong Ye Kung on 2011 experience
Mr Amrin is corporate lawyer at Joseph Tan Jude Benny LLP. He was active in grassroots work since 2004 and was Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam's legislative assistant from 2004 to 2006.
Having come from humble beginnings - he grew up in a 3-room flat - he said on Friday that he had an "ordinary life blessed with extraordinary people in an exceptional country."
Singapolitics: Amrin Amin on wanting to champion social mobility
<img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/articles/2015/07/29/graphic-image-interactive.jpg?itok=aYWSbwFv" width="300" height="200" />Related Story[h=4]Interactive: A look at the new electoral boundaries and the biggest changes[/h]
