Another young female candidate has thrown her hat into the ring for the upcoming General Election, promising an absorbing side-plot in the lead-up to polling day. What makes things even more interesting is that she will be contesting against the PAP’s Tin Pei Ling – who has attracted brickbats from voters – in Marine Parade GRC.
In a move that mirrors the Workers’ Party ‘suicide squad’ contesting in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Ang Mo Kio GRC in 2006 and obtaining 34% of the votes despite most of its members being under the age of 30, Nicole Seah, who is only 24, announced her candidacy for Marine Parade on Facebook, attracting more than 1,000 ‘likes’ on her fan page in less than 24 hours.
Ms Seah is an advertising executive with a multinational advertising agency, and like Ms Tin, was a graduate of the University Scholars Program at NUS. Ms Seah is also one of the leaders of the National Solidarity Party’s youth wing.
She is no stranger to the Marine Parade area, having spent most of her formative education years at Tanjong Katong Girls’ School and Victoria Junior College.
Ms Seah has said that issues such as the rising cost of living and its impact on lower-income Singaporeans will be the central focus of her campaign.
Ms Tin, 27, is the youngest PAP candidate to be fielded in more than 20 years. The Ernst & Young senior associate is married to Ng How Yue, who is the principal private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Ms Tin has been viciously criticised on the internet for being ‘vacuous’, ‘lacking substance’ and for not having a stand on key policy issues. She has also been criticised for her ‘immature’ behaviour, with a video of her stomping her feet and saying “I don’t know what to say!” following a Young PAP event going viral on the web.
PAP leaders, with the aid of the state-controlled mainstream media, have been quick to dismiss the criticisms, accusing Singaporeans of harbouring prejudices against Ms Tin because of her age and gender.
Marine Parade GRC is helmed by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. The constituency has not been contested since a by-election was held there in 1992. Mr Goh earlier commented that he had “absolutely no worries” about Ms Tin. The other PAP candidates in Marine Parade are likely to be Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin, Dr Fatimah Lateef and Seah Kian Peng.
It is not known who Ms Seah’s NSP team-mates will be, though it has been speculated that the party will field a young team.
In a move that mirrors the Workers’ Party ‘suicide squad’ contesting in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Ang Mo Kio GRC in 2006 and obtaining 34% of the votes despite most of its members being under the age of 30, Nicole Seah, who is only 24, announced her candidacy for Marine Parade on Facebook, attracting more than 1,000 ‘likes’ on her fan page in less than 24 hours.
Ms Seah is an advertising executive with a multinational advertising agency, and like Ms Tin, was a graduate of the University Scholars Program at NUS. Ms Seah is also one of the leaders of the National Solidarity Party’s youth wing.
She is no stranger to the Marine Parade area, having spent most of her formative education years at Tanjong Katong Girls’ School and Victoria Junior College.
Ms Seah has said that issues such as the rising cost of living and its impact on lower-income Singaporeans will be the central focus of her campaign.
Ms Tin, 27, is the youngest PAP candidate to be fielded in more than 20 years. The Ernst & Young senior associate is married to Ng How Yue, who is the principal private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Ms Tin has been viciously criticised on the internet for being ‘vacuous’, ‘lacking substance’ and for not having a stand on key policy issues. She has also been criticised for her ‘immature’ behaviour, with a video of her stomping her feet and saying “I don’t know what to say!” following a Young PAP event going viral on the web.
PAP leaders, with the aid of the state-controlled mainstream media, have been quick to dismiss the criticisms, accusing Singaporeans of harbouring prejudices against Ms Tin because of her age and gender.
Marine Parade GRC is helmed by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. The constituency has not been contested since a by-election was held there in 1992. Mr Goh earlier commented that he had “absolutely no worries” about Ms Tin. The other PAP candidates in Marine Parade are likely to be Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan-Jin, Dr Fatimah Lateef and Seah Kian Peng.
It is not known who Ms Seah’s NSP team-mates will be, though it has been speculated that the party will field a young team.
