General Election 2025

GE2025: PAP newcomer Lee Hui Ying says former MP Lee Bee Wah inspired her to join politics​

Ms Lee Hui Ying started volunteering at 19 and later became a mentee of PAP veteran Lee Bee Wah.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Deepanraj Ganesan
Apr 30, 2025

SINGAPORE – A knock on the door when PAP Nee Soon GRC candidate Lee Hui Ying was 19 kick-started a volunteering journey that might lead the 35-year-old to Parliament, if the May 3 polls are in her favour.

Outside her door was Ms Lee Bee Wah, on a house visit in the Nee Soon South ward, where she was the MP from 2011 until her retirement from politics in 2020.

“She was very warm and enthusiastic… she asked me ‘would you like to be a volunteer in the community?’,” recalled Ms Lee Hui Ying, who had just completed her A Levels at Nanyang Junior College at that time.

“My immediate answer to her was, why not? I think it was the right opportunity, and it was kind of timely. It was something I wanted to explore.”

Ms Lee Hui Ying, now 35, became a mentee of the PAP veteran, a point that Ms Lee Bee Wah made at an April 29 rally at Yishun Stadium.

Ms Lee Bee Wah, who was known for her colourful character and vocal advocacy for her constituents in Parliament, also said that “Hui Ying has a bit of Lee Bee Wah in her – (she is) a straight talker, sincere and hard-working”.

Does the younger Ms Lee agree? In an interview with The Straits Times on April 30, she said: “I’ve seen how she has really touched the hearts of residents. I see her as a role model in how she has tried to go beyond the extra mile to help each and every resident. I definitely want to follow in her footsteps.”

Ms Lee Hui Ying, who plays the piano and cello and was part of the Chinese Orchestra in JC, started her volunteering journey in Nee Soon South ward by being a letter writer at Meet-the-People sessions, before serving in various grassroots organisations.

At her mentor’s suggestion, she decided to join politics, and informed her father of her decision in late January.

She said: “I definitely wouldn’t have imagined myself joining politics when I was 19. I am very grateful that I got to meet (Ms Lee Bee Wah) at that time, unplanned... something that I never expected. That shaped me, grew me and developed me into who I am today.”

She was also inspired by Ms Lee Bee Wah’s character of not being afraid to speak up, and hopes to carry that spirit forward.

“She has always said ‘dare to speak up and dare to express it’. I would like to echo that view. It’s important and that’s precisely why I’m stepping up. I could have remained as a volunteer, but... I decided to step into politics because I (want) to represent the views of my residents in Parliament, present their issues in Parliament and find a solution to improve their lives,” said the younger Ms Lee, who has been volunteering for more than 15 years.


PAP’s Nee Soon GRC candidate Lee Hui Ying hugging former MP for the group representation constituency Lee Bee Wah (right) after the former’s rally speech at Yishun Stadium on April 29.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
If elected, she wants to be a voice for seniors in Nee Soon GRC, champion a better support system for young families, and address concerns that youth have about job security.

Ms Lee Hui Ying, who is single and has an older and younger sister, spent 10 years in government communications, in ministries including the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health (MOH). She is currently the Director of Communications at non-profit organisation Temasek Foundation.

While working at MOH during the Covid-19 pandemic, she and her colleagues had “sleepless nights”, often issuing press releases past midnight to update the media on the number of Covid-19 cases and cluster areas.

Through it all, she kept up her volunteer efforts as she believed in their impact.

What kept her going was “getting to know people, forging friendships, engaging in real activities where it actually impacts individual residents’ lives”.

Ms Lee Hui Ying is one of four political newcomers that are part of a refreshed PAP slate led by anchor Minister K. Shanmugam, 66. They are contesting Nee Soon GRC against a team from Red Dot United led by Mr Ravi Philemon, 56, at the upcoming polls.

Other members in the team are Mr Jackson Lam, 40, the head of a pest control and cleaning company; former nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi, 40 and Ms Goh Hanyan, 39, a former director at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information.

Despite Mr Philemon’s recent barb that the people of Nee Soon “do not know” who the four new faces are, Ms Lee said: “I’m new to politics, but certainly not new to Nee Soon. I am fortunate that I will be contesting in the place where I first started volunteering… so it is a full-circle moment.”

GE2025: WP Tampines team says it has experience handling residents’ needs, town council if elected​

The WP's Tampines Changkat candidate Kenneth Foo (third from left) and Tampines GRC candidates (from left) Michael Thng, Jimmy Tan, Faisal Manap, Eileen Chong and Ong Lue Ping.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Aqil Hamzah and David Sun
Apr 30, 2025

SINGAPORE - The opposition WP team in Tampines will work to ensure that ongoing projects in the town will carry on, should it be voted into Parliament, the party’s vice-chair Faisal Manap said on April 30.

The party’s Tampines candidates also sought to assure voters on the penultimate day of the election campaign that they will draw on their experiences to take care of residents’ needs and town council matters.

Mr Faisal, who moved out of Aljunied GRC to lead WP’s Tampines GRC team, said he will draw on his 14 years of experience as an MP, and his team will work hard with government agencies to ensure that ongoing projects will continue.

He was speaking to the media outside the Tampines 1 shopping centre in Tampines Central, flanked by the party’s candidates contesting Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC.

Community activities will also remain, said Mr Faisal, who oversaw the Kaki Bukit ward of Aljunied GRC, and he hopes to take a more communal approach to planning them.

Mr Kenneth Foo, WP’s candidate in Tampines Changkat, said the team will also consider the progress of the town’s projects, and if some are falling behind, it will work to resolve the problems that arise.

“We will also continue talking to residents, and understand their situation and wishes, and see which areas we can continue to advance,” he added in Mandarin.

Mr Faisal added that each of his team members has unique strengths.

For example, Tampines GRC candidate and technology start-up co-founder Michael Thng was a former consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, is a seasoned negotiator, and can use his skills to ensure that residents in Tampines are well taken care of, said Mr Faisal.

At the interview on April 30, Mr Faisal was also asked for his thoughts on Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s walkabout in Tampines with the PAP team on April 29, as well as Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s visit to the town on April 30.

Mr Faisal said the team was “humbled” by their presence.

“It shows that our presence does bring some form of competition. That is what we want,” he said.

Mr Faisal borrowed an analogy from former WP chief Low Thia Khiang. In 2011, Mr Low said WP’s role in Parliament was akin to being the co-driver of a bus driven by the ruling PAP and slapping the driver if he goes off-course, falls asleep or drives dangerously.

Mr Faisal said that was the purpose WP was contesting in Tampines.

“We want to give competition to the incumbent, so that they will do better and perform better.”

WP Tampines GRC candidate and former diplomat Eileen Chong added that the team believes competition will bring improvements.

“We welcome Senior Minister Lee and Prime Minister Wong coming to Tampines (to support their party’s candidates). We also had our secretary-general Pritam Singh and former secretary-general Low Thia Khiang come to show us support,” she said in Mandarin.

With the campaign entering its last stretch, Dr Ong Lue Ping, a Tampines GRC candidate for WP, said that although the team was tired, they felt very encouraged by Tampines residents.

The senior principal clinical psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health added: “Because of their warmth and their enthusiasm for us, I think that gives us additional energy, and we really look forward to serving them if we do have the opportunity.”

Mr Faisal was later asked to respond to comments made by Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli, who leads the PAP’s Tampines GRC team, the day before.

Mr Masagos, the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, had said several residents whom he met during house visits were worried about the mixing of race and religion with politics.

In response, Mr Faisal said he had pledged in front of attendees at WP’s rally on April 26 that he will serve everyone “fairly and equally, regardless of race, language and religion”.

His comments came after the authorities directed social media giant Meta to block access to posts by foreigners attempting to interfere in the May 3 General Election.

Government leaders have denounced the posts, which called on voters to select candidates along racial and religious lines.

Mr Faisal was also asked about the four-cornered contest in Tampines GRC. Apart from WP and the PAP, the National Solidarity Party and People’s Power Party are also gunning for the constituency.

He said the party’s focus is on what it can do for Tampines.

“Every party has the right to come in and contest... the focus right now is on what we can do for the community and for the voters.”

GE2025: Demographic shifts, three-way race put Potong Pasir in the spotlight​

Potong Pasir SMC, which includes the Bidadari estate, is now younger, more populated and contested than before. PHOTO: ST FILE

Gabrielle Chan
Apr 30, 2025

SINGAPORE - Once the smallest single-member constituency in Singapore, former opposition stronghold Potong Pasir has evolved in recent years – it is younger, more populated and at this general election, more contested.

Three candidates will battle for the single seat on May 3 – PAP’s Alex Yeo, Singapore People’s Party’s (SPP) Williamson Lee, and People’s Alliance for Reform’s (PAR) Lim Tean.

In the 2020 General Election, the ward had just 18,551 voters. Today, that number has surged to 30,971 – a 67 per cent jump – according to data released by the Elections Department. Of the 15 SMCs in this election, only one, Bukit Panjang (33,596), has more voters than Potong Pasir.

About 61.5 per cent of its residents are aged 45 and below, compared with about 54.3 per cent in 2020 – according to The Straits Times’ analysis using Department of Statistics data dated June 2024 – marking a demographic shift in a constituency once known for its greying population.

The transformation is largely driven by new Housing Board developments in the Bidadari estate, which has brought in young families.

Owing to the population spike, a portion of Potong Pasir was carved out and absorbed into the new five-member Marine Parade–Braddell Heights GRC for this election.

But even as the electoral map changes, Potong Pasir remains a politically symbolic battleground. Once the stronghold of veteran opposition leader Chiam See Tong – who held the seat for 27 years – it was wrested by the PAP’s Sitoh Yih Pin in 2011 by a razor-thin margin of just 114 votes.

Since then, the PAP has held the seat for two straight elections, each time facing off against the SPP. In the last election, Mr Sitoh secured 60.67 per cent of the vote.

Now, with thousands of new voters and changing demographics, candidates have much ground to cover.

Campaigning in Potong Pasir has centred around bread-and-butter issues, as candidates report hearing from residents about the rising cost of living, particularly in housing and healthcare, while walking the ground and knocking on doors.

From three-generation households to young couples with no children, PAP’s Mr Yeo said the ward’s demographics have shifted significantly.

The 46-year-old, who previously ran in Aljunied GRC in 2020, said: “The Potong Pasir in 2020 is very, very different from the Potong Pasir in 2025.

“If I were (in Bidadari), I would want to know who my representative is. So to do that, I have to be there. I have to walk the ground, I have to knock on every door. I have to introduce myself to every single person.”

This has been the core of Mr Yeo’s strategy. He prides himself on being contactable, even handing out his phone number to residents.

He added: “Nothing beats coming face to face and asking (residents) for their vote… and looking them in the eye and telling them, ‘Please, trust me. I have the plans for you. I promise you I will deliver.’”

The first step, he said, is earning trust and then, delivering on his promises.

His challenger Mr Lee is banking on the SPP’s legacy in the ward, as well as on fresh ideas.

While the 45-year-old, who was part of the party’s Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC team in the last election, wants to bring Mr Chiam’s kampung spirit back to Potong Pasir, he is also keen to be seen as a candidate in his own right.

Mr Lee has been walking the ground in Bidadari, speaking to residents and proposing community-driven changes – from family-friendly events to gatherings for dog owners. Older residents have also asked for estate upgrades like sheltered walkways, he added.

It will be an uphill task this election, he acknowledged, noting that his, and the party’s name, are not known among the newer and younger residents who are unaware of Mr Chiam’s work in the area.

He added: “I have to work hard, even harder, to prove to residents that I have the passion.”

For PAR’s Mr Lim, Potong Pasir is not unfamiliar territory. The 60-year-old lawyer said he has been doing “intensive work” on the ground over the past three years.

His campaign has included daily walkabouts and a steady stream of videos on social media. “I am very happy with the way the campaign has gone,” he said. “People know me, and it is evident.”

Mr Lim said a “vacuum” was left after the 2020 general election, when then-SPP chairman Jose Raymond retired from politics. The absence of an active opposition figure, he added, along with the area’s rapid growth, compelled him to contest the SMC.

Running as an opposition candidate brings its own set of challenges, Mr Lim said, particularly when it comes to resources.

He added: “In politics, resources are of utmost importance. But that is why I think it’s important to win an SMC like Potong Pasir, because it helps you expand your base and your party.”

GE2025: Universal minimum wage will scare businesses amid economic uncertainty, says Tan See Leng​

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng (second from right), flanked by his fellow Chua Chu Kang GRC candidates (from left) Choo Pei Ling, Jeffrey Siow and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, speaking to the media during a walkabout on April 30.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Osmond Chia
Apr 30, 2025

SINGAPORE - Now is not the time to introduce a universal minimum wage policy as it will risk driving businesses away amid economic uncertainty in the light of the US tariffs, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng on April 30.

“Currently, what is most important is to make sure that we are able to ensure that... our workers continue to have gainful, meaningful employment opportunities,” Dr Tan said during a walkabout at Chua Chu Kang GRC, which he is contesting.

“We think there’s a storm that lies ahead, and whatever study that people propose, there is a timing for everything,” added the anchor minister for the PAP team.

Dr Tan was responding to calls for a universal minimum wage policy made by the opposition PSP on the campaign trail.

The PSP, which is running against Dr Tan’s PAP team in the group representation constituency, has suggested setting a minimum monthly wage of $2,250 to help Singaporean workers cope with rising living costs.

One of PSP’s candidates for Chua Chu Kang GRC, Mr Lawrence Pek, had criticised the Government’s current wage policies as outdated and urged a review of the feasibility of implementing a universal minimum wage. Mr Pek was the former secretary-general of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF).

“Businesses are finding it very hard pressed, particularly with the uncertain economy, (to move) forward because of the tariff war,” said Dr Tan, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a walkabout at Lot One. “Now, if you impose anything, I think you’re going to really scare a lot of the businesses away.”

He said the Government has assembled the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce, led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, to look into the impacts that the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump would have on Singapore.

The priority now is to ensure businesses are supported and that workers continue to have meaningful employment opportunities, said Dr Tan, who is also the Second Minister for Trade and Industry.

Dr Tan said that a one-size-fits-all approach will not work in Singapore. Instead, the Government has a toolbox of wage policies work in tandem to support lower-income workers.

It includes the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), first introduced in 2014, which Dr Tan said is more robust than a minimum wage policy. The PWM is an initiative that aims to sustainably raise lower-wage workers’ incomes by linking wage increases to skills upgrading, productivity improvements and career progression.

Dr Tan said: “As a result, there’s a very proper wage ladder, a career ladder which (businesses) can find is a more sustainable model.”

He added: “Mr Pek, he was formerly in the SMF. I think he may have only understood, in part, but not much depth, as to what our PWM is all about.”

Dr Tan also highlighted the existing Workfare Income Supplement, which complements the PWM. The scheme is designed to encourage Singaporean workers to build their Central Provident Fund savings, earning them cash payments and additional fund contributions.

He said: “We have a whole suite of measures available that we will be able to draw on very quickly.”

The salaries of lower-wage workers here have also risen faster compared to those of the workforce as a whole, said Dr Tan, referring to figures highlighted in Parliament in March to show the results of Singapore’s progressive wage efforts.

PAP’s candidate for Chua Chu Kang GRC Jeffrey Siow, who was formerly the permanent secretary at the trade and industry and manpower ministries, said the universal minimum wage risks raising business costs and could deter firms from hiring Singaporeans.

“I would suggest that it is worthwhile to ask companies themselves what they think of this proposal, perhaps ask the SMF,” said Mr Siow. Mr Siow had earlier referred to PSP’s policy proposal as more of a “political tool” than a practical solution.

With the hustings coming to its final day on May 1, Dr Tan said the PAP team, who are mostly new to the GRC, have focused on visiting markets, the MRT station and residents at their home to introduce themselves to voters.

His team includes incumbent Keat Hong MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and new faces Dr Choo Pei Ling and Mr Siow.

Dr Tan said the team will come up with a 100-day plan to see how concerns raised by residents can be addressed, such as connectivity issues in Tengah, which will be prioritised.

Mr Pek, who was also at Lot One doing a walkabout with the PSP team in the evening of April 30, said he hoped the ongoing debate between parties during the hustings would raise greater awareness of the minimum wage policy.

“I stress, the socioeconomic situation in Singapore has changed dramatically over the last five years and is very different from all the labor policies that we had 10 years ago,” he said, repeating his call for a feasibility review on the universal minimum wage policy.

He was speaking alongside PSP teammates Ms Wendy Low, Mr A’bas Kasmani and Mr S. Nallakaruppan.

The team also pledged to tackle the rising cost of living and shortage of job opportunities — key concerns frequently raised by residents.

Ms Low, a lawyer, said the team plans to set up a studio to support both job seekers and mental well-being, and will tap on their networks of companies and contacts to connect residents with employment opportunities.

GE2025: Think of S’pore’s future, pick the right candidates, says PM Wong in last leg of hustings​

Goh Yan Han
Apr 30, 2025

SINGAPORE – Think about Singapore’s future in a changing world and choose the right candidates this election, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on April 30, the second-last day of the hustings.

He urged voters to consider three things, as the nation heads into the last stretch of campaigning.

“First, this election is about your future – for you, your families, your children, in a very changed world where we are facing serious and growing challenges,” said PM Wong, who was at a Tampines walkabout with PAP’s slates for Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC.

These challenges will have an impact on issues that matter deeply to Singaporeans, like cost-of-living, incomes, jobs and livelihoods; and or whether Singapore can even make a good living in this new world, he added.

His second point, reiterating his message from the past week of campaigning, was that the election is about choosing candidates who are honest, trustworthy and of good character who can serve in the constituencies and represent residents in Parliament.

Some of these candidates will form the leadership to govern Singapore and help to steer the country through the many storms it is facing and to take the nation to greater heights, said PM Wong.

“Thirdly, this election is about our ideals, what we want Singapore to be, the society that we envisage for ourselves, especially a harmonious, multiracial and multireligious society,” he said.

This was reminded to all in the middle of the campaign, he noted. On April 25, the authorities had moved to block three foreigners on social media for attempting to influence the election.

A day later, PM Wong called on the leaders of all political parties to clarify their stance on two fundamental principles: that identity politics has no place in Singapore, and that religion and politics should not mix.

“I’m glad everyone agrees that we should reject the mixing of race and religion into politics, and so I call on all Singaporeans to uphold these ideals of a multiracial and multireligious society and to uphold our harmony,” he said on April 30.

Such issues are always sensitive, and can get people riled up, said PM Wong.

But Singapore has come a long way in building a strong, multiracial and cohesive society as well as in forging a strong and enduring Singaporean identity, he said.

“I am confident that Singaporeans will understand what the issues are and what’s at stake, but in the end, Singaporeans will decide and we respect the wishes of Singaporeans in the election outcomes.”

The secretary-general of the PAP was making a visit to Tampines a day after he had visited Punggol and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong had visited Aljunied and Tampines.

When asked by reporters why they were making these visits, PM Wong said the party takes the election seriously.

“We make sure that we present the best possible case to residents, and we go where we are needed, particularly the senior leaders… Wherever we are needed, we will be there to support our teams,” he said.

“It shows that we take the national election seriously but we also take the local, the constituency seriously, and we want to provide the assurance to all residents, including the residents here in Tampines, that they will have a good, strong team with the full capabilities of the PAP behind them to serve them and to make sure we improve their lives.”

PM Wong also spoke on the transformation of Tampines over the decades, with national infrastructure upgrades as well as local initiatives.

“This is what previous PAP teams have done, and I’m confident that this PAP team will continue to do the same, and there is so much more potential to continue making Tampines better,” he said.

“We know there are concerns, we know there are needs. We know there are improvements that can be made. We are doing it at the national level, but I’m sure we can also do more at the local level,” he added.

PM Wong also noted that resources for upgrading programmes are allocated to all constituencies, whether it is PAP or opposition-held.

But local representatives in the constituency can make an additional difference, he said.

Government-allocated resources are the minimum, and depending on the quality of the team, they can go well beyond the minimum with projects taken on with residents, he added.

Speaking to the media after PM Wong, Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli said the team plans to make Tampines a model town together with the inputs of residents.

If elected, he will appoint incumbent MP Baey Yam Keng to chair the Tampines Town Council, said Mr Masagos, who is leading the PAP’s Tampines GRC slate that also includes Senior Minister for Manpower and Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon and new faces Charlene Chen and David Neo.

They are facing a multi-cornered fight with line-ups from the Workers’ Party, National Solidarity Party and People’s Power Party.

GE2025: Elections boil down to trust, and PAP has earned people’s trust, says Ng Eng Hen​

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said every election can get complicated because political parties tend to tell people very different things.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Sue-Ann Tan
Apr 30, 2025

SINGAPORE - Every general election boils down to a simple question of which political party the people can trust more, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

Speaking at a PAP rally in Bishan Stadium on April 30, Dr Ng added that every election can get complicated because political parties tend to tell people very different things.

He said: “Who do I trust more? It’s the same way you decide which bank to put your money in, which telco to subscribe to, which online platform to buy from. All these life decisions, big or small, is simply based on trust, isn’t it?

“The question is, how do you build trust? I tell you first that trust is not built on promises.”

Then, how is trust built, Dr Ng asked.

“It needs to be earned. Trust needs to be tried and tested through good times and especially, bad times,” he said.

“That’s the same way you choose your close friends, your relatives that you want to deal with, your life partner that you can depend on. You stay close to those you trust.”

If people choose correctly, the party they vote for will stand by them, help them in difficulties and celebrate their achievements. But if trust is misplaced, it can lead to despair and heartache, he added.

Dr Ng said the people of Bishan-Toa Payoh trusted him when he, a surgeon, was a nobody in politics, and rode “on the coattails” of senior colleagues like former deputy prime minister Wong Kan Seng and senior counsel Davinder Singh - both of whom were past Bishan-Toa Payoh MPs.

He said: “Because of their work and effort, you trusted me. But because you trusted and supported me, you gave me a chance to prove my worth.

“Bishan-Toa Payoh and Marymount have improved and, I hope, Singapore, too.”

The homes in the area are now among the most sought-after in Singapore despite it being a heartland area, he added, with a condominium designed by the same architect that designed the iconic Marina Bay Sands.

After entering politics in 2001 and holding a raft of portfolios, Dr Ng announced his retirement on April 18. The Bishan-Toa Payoh team is now helmed by Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.

Dr Ng, who was one of 10 speakers at the rally, said Mr Chee and the other MPs in his team are well-known to residents.

“Mr Chee neither needs an introduction nor my endorsement. He has proven in the last 10 years, and pushed many projects to improve Bishan-Toa Payoh and Marymount, and your lives,” he said.

The PAP is also a known party to Singapore’s voters, he added.

Dr Ng said the PAP has seen Singapore through its independence years, through separation from Malaysia. It built the Singapore Armed Forces into what it is today, faced the threat of terrorism, and came out of the Covid-19 pandemic with one of the lowest fatalities in the world.

He said: “We will not have got here if the PAP government did not win the trust of Singaporeans over the last 60 years. And the PAP government will and must continue to work hard and honestly, to continue to win your trust.”

He added that the new candidates - political newbies Elysa Chen and Cai Yinzhou - will have to prove themselves to the people, “just as I did 24 years ago”.

Dr Ng said: “I’m confident they will, but I ask you to give them a chance to do so. Give them five years to show that they care, and can be effective, to win your trust.

“If you vote for this new team under Mr Chee, Bishan-Toa Payoh and Marymount will be better five years later. If you vote for the PAP, Singapore will be better five years later.”

‘My resolve from the start has not changed’, says SDA’s Desmond Lim​

SDA chief Desmond Lim arriving at the Yusof Ishak Secondary School nomination centre on April 23.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Harith Mustaffa
Apr 30, 2025

SINGAPORE - Singapore Democratic Alliance chief Desmond Lim said his resolve to serve residents with a “people first” mentality has not changed since his party began contesting in the General Elections close to two decades ago.

In his pre-recorded online rally on April 30, Mr Lim told voters that his love and sense of responsibility for the community has only grown stronger.

The SDA said it decided not to hold physical rallies and have only online ones so that voters would not be inconvenienced.

The party - which is up against a PAP team in Pasir Ris-Changi GRC in this year’s elections - has not prevailed since it began contesting the area in 2006.

“Time passes, but my resolve from the start has not changed,” Mr Lim said in his Mandarin speech.

“From 2006 until now I have been contesting in Pasir Ris-Punggol,” he added, referring to the constituency that has been split up to form two four-member GRCs, Pasir Ris-Changi and Punggol GRCs.

“I want to work together with you and fight hard to achieve our common dreams and aspirations… this is important to me.”.

Mr Lim, who returned to his post as the party’s chairman after announcing his decision to step down after GE2020, intends to continue the legacy of former opposition MP Chiam See Tong, having served for 14 years as Mr Chiam’s Town Council adviser at Potong Pasir SMC.

“Singapore is a home for all of us, common Singaporeans. Not just for the rich and… elites, and not just for those who stay in a big bungalow… drive a Bentley or a Ferrari.”

Mr Lim’s team, including returning candidates SDA secretary-general Abu Mohamed, 74, Mr Harminder Pal Singh, 53, the party’s communications lead, and new face Chia Yun Kai, 32, is up against a PAP team led by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah.

SDA’s other candidates echoed Mr Lim’s sentiments, and promised to work towards addressing cost of living, housing and healthcare woes, as well as providing better job opportunities for Singaporeans amid competition from foreign talent.

Mr Abu spoke about how Singaporeans have been feeling the pinch for 15 years, and that young Singaporeans have said that it is not easy to get a job, despite having a university degree or polytechnic diploma.

“Many of them have applied for hundreds of jobs, but most of those applications received no response,” he said in Malay, noting that some have resorted to doing gig work.

Mr Chia said SDA will offer real solutions to ensure better wages and job security, where middle class families will no longer face “sleepless nights” worrying about their jobs or to put food on the table.

He said he had entered politics as he could not to stand back and see Singapore’s dreams of a better future slipping away.

“I may have been trained by the system but it is because of this I know the feeling. I experienced the pain, and I know Singaporeans deserve better,” he said.

Mr Singh told voters not to waste their vote, and said that voting for the opposition would help build a better and more balanced political system.

“A stronger opposition in Parliament... will force the PAP and the civil service to provide more thorough explanations of their policy... will prevent them form brushing aside valid questions and pushing through policies without proper scrutiny,” he said.

GE2025: Hougang belongs to residents, not to WP, says PAP’s Marshall Lim​

PAP candidate Marshall Lim said he respected Hougang’s history, but pointed out that the slate is wiped clean every five years.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Claudia Tan
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - Despite its years as a WP stronghold, Hougang does not belong to the party, but to its residents, said PAP candidate for Hougang SMC Marshall Lim.

Speaking at his first-ever rally on April 30, he said he respected Hougang’s history but pointed out that the slate is wiped clean every five years.

“You get a chance to decide what the future holds, and candidates like me get a chance to convince you that we deserve to be a part of the future,” he said.

Speaking to supporters during the rally at Anderson Serangoon Junior College, Mr Lim said that voters are not just choosing between two candidates or political parties, but two visions of Hougang, one rooted along “old lines”, and one where unity is the foundation.

“So, when you go to the polls on Saturday, remember that Hougang does not belong to the Workers’ Party, no matter what they say, and no matter how many documentaries they produce about it. Hougang belongs to you,” said Mr Lim, who took the stage at about 8.30pm.

The 38-year-old criminal lawyer is running against the WP’s Mr Dennis Tan, who is the incumbent MP there.

In the 2020 election, Mr Tan secured 61.21 per cent of the vote, beating the PAP’s Mr Lee Hong Chuang. The constituency has been in WP’s hands since former party chief Low Thia Kiang won it in 1991.

During the rally, Mr Lim, who is contesting an election for the first time, addressed the WP’s claim that Hougang residents have been “penalised” for voting for the opposition party.

On April 24, WP chief Pritam Singh said in a rally speech that Hougang residents voted for WP in the past and had their wet market and bus routes taken away as a result.

Mr Lim said: “That is the narrative that the Workers’ Party has repeated, time and again. And don’t get me wrong, I understand why it strikes a chord.

“But I am standing here today to tell you, that was then and this is now.”

He also responded to Mr Singh’s remark that he had borrowed Hougang’s fighting spirit so that he could label himself a “fighter”.

“But the truth is – the fighting spirit has always been within me. I have always believed in people, sometimes when no one else will believe in them.”


He cited his experience as a criminal lawyer, where he has fought for clients with mental illnesses and special needs.

“I fought because I believe every single person matters.

“And I will do the same for you. Being a fighter isn’t about how loud you shout or who you oppose. It is about having the strength to stand up for what is right and the heart to bring people together.”

Although Hougang residents care deeply about each other and their homes, politics has begun to test this care, said Mr Lim.

He brought up an incident where one of his volunteers was spat at twice while giving out cards outside Hougang MRT station.

“Now, I firmly believe that moment does not define Hougang, or anyone of us here tonight,” said Mr Lim.

“But I will not pretend that it did not disappoint me.

“(The incident) is a sobering reminder of just how far we have drifted from the kind of politics we deserve... Politics should not come at the expense of community, because Hougang is more than a symbol. First and foremost, Hougang is our home. And a home must be built on kindness, not division.”

Mr Lim also shared some of his plans to improve the estate, if elected.

These include pushing for more transport routes to Hougang Central and Kovan, expanding programmes to help low-income families, and keeping housing estates clean and well-maintained.

Beyond municipal matters, Mr Lim said that he will ask tough questions in Parliament and “push for real changes”.

“Because at the heart of my politics is care – care for each other, care for our community, care for our future,” he said.

“Hougang deserves to move forward, not to be held back by the weight of past politics. Let us turn the page, let us build something better, together.”

GE2025: PAP’s approach on difficult issues is to bring all Singaporeans together, says PM Wong​

PM Lawrence Wong and the PAP's Tampines GRC candidates posing for photos with residents during a walkabout on April 30.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Ng Keng Gene and Shermaine Ang
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE – When making policies, the PAP government’s approach is to try and bring all Singaporeans together, especially on issues that may accentuate differences between people, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Speaking to reporters after a walkabout in Tampines on April 30, PM Wong said the Government took this approach when handling difficult issues such as the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code, allowing Muslim nurses to wear the tudung in their workplaces, as well as the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“We try to forge as wide a national consensus as possible on these issues, and to make sure we continue to expand our common ground and bring Singaporeans together, so as not to accentuate our differences, nor to seek to exploit those differences,” said PM Wong.

“That’s the PAP way,” he added. “That’s the PAP’s DNA. And that’s how over the decades, we have been able to bring Singaporeans together, unite our people and forge a much stronger Singaporean identity today, and we will continue to take that approach.”

Asked about WP chief Pritam Singh’s criticism of the PAP’s use of “negative politics”, such as by denying opposition MPs access to People’s Association (PA) resources, PM Wong characterised this as an issue of policy and not negative politics.

“On policies, I take it that there will always be differences. We can discuss, we can debate robustly – even in Parliament – and there’s always room to improve,” he said.

“I don’t take the view that all our policies are perfect. They continue to be improved, fine-tuned, and we do keep on doing better, as our policies have been over the decades.

“And so are the same with our policies regarding PA,” said PM Wong.

He noted that there have been robust debates in Parliament before about the PA’s role.

“I’m sure there will continue to be debates on PA’s role, which we have always explained is non-partisan, and it helps to strengthen social capital in Singapore,” he said.

“But the WP and the opposition parties will have a different view, and we are happy to debate and make adjustments along the way, if we think it’s necessary.”

At a WP rally in Bedok on April 29, Mr Singh had also said the PAP changed its policy on municipal upgrades in opposition-held constituencies after it lost votes for the ruling party.

Mr Singh noted that Hougang and Potong Pasir voters were told in the past that their wards would be last in line for estate upgrades if they voted for the opposition.

He said the policy change shows that the PAP “only listens when it loses vote share and parliamentary seats to the Workers’ Party”.

Responding on April 30, PM Wong said policies – such as those on municipal upgrading – are not static.

“There was a logic, which we explained, about how we allocated in the past,” he said.

“That’s one possible logic you can use. It’s not that (municipal upgrading is) withheld. It’s a question of queueing and prioritisation, because we will do it. But it was a matter of when.”

He added that there was a logic previously “that if you didn’t support the PAP, then you don’t get it earlier than the ones that supported the PAP”.

“That logic, I think, is no longer wearable today,” said PM Wong.

He added that the policy change on the prioritisation of municipal upgrades was not just in response to the opposition protesting, because Singaporeans also expressed that there could be a better way of allocation and prioritising resources.

“That’s why, as I said just now, policies will always be fine-tuned with the input of Singaporeans,” PM Wong said.

“When we hear their voices, when we engage Singaporeans, we understand, we continue to improve policies.

“And in this case, we, over time, evolved and developed a system where we prioritise based on the age of the estates and the age of the blocks.”

PM Wong said that whether on municipal upgrades or other policies, the PAP is open to debate.

“We are happy to discuss, not just in Parliament, because the debates and the discussions and the inputs and the feedback we get come from multiple sources, including from Singaporeans directly,” he said.

On accusations by opposition parties that the PAP government is out of touch and not responsive enough, PM Wong said he understands such criticism and accepts that there may be individuals who have encountered “frictions” in the Singapore system.

“I always take the view that there is room to improve. There’s room to do better. We are not perfect,” he said.

But having more voices does not mean there will be better outcomes in Parliament, PM Wong added.

“It depends on the quality of the inputs in Parliament too,” he said, adding that the PAP does not take in inputs only from Parliament.

“We engage widely, we listen, and we will take in inputs from all Singaporeans,” said PM Wong, who added that this is something he has spent much time on since taking over as prime minister, such as by visiting every constituency across Singapore.

He said: “We will continue this journey with your support, to engage, listen, to hear your feedback, get your inputs, and to keep on making Singapore better for you and your families.”

GE2025: Red Dot United raises unemployment and job security issues at rally for Jurong Central SMC​

Jurong Central SMC candidate Kala Manickam (fourth from left) got emotional when she said she has met many individuals who were retrenched, or jobless and unable to find a job.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

Michelle Ng

SINGAPORE – Unemployment and job security were key issues raised by opposition party Red Dot United (RDU) at a rally on April 30, with candidates sharing personal stories and highlighting examples of how some Singaporeans have fallen through the cracks.

Several of the 12 candidates who spoke at the field at Boon Lay Way called for fair job opportunities and sensible approaches to immigration as solutions to address job security issues.

Jurong Central SMC candidate Kala Manickam got emotional when she said she has met many individuals who were retrenched, or jobless and unable to find a job, despite sending in countless resumes. “In all these years, one thing continues to be a pain, very deeply – even with the reskilling, upskilling, cross-skilling, whatever skilling, even with hard work, too many Singaporeans remain unemployed or under-employed.”

Madam Kala added that if elected, she will step forward to advocate for the dignity of Singaporeans.

“Gainful employment isn’t just about money, but is also related to mental health, family stability and national pride,” she said, adding that children are the most affected in such situations.

“The mental well-being of our young people is being affected and many of them are going through (it) in silence,” she said, before taking a moment to compose herself.

She commended her PAP opponent, incumbent first-term MP Xie Yao Quan, for his efforts to walk the ground and introduce support programmes to help with the cost of living and ageing.

“That’s commendable, but we must be honest with ourselves, these are basic expectations of an MP,” she said, adding that many residents have told her that Mr Xie does not speak up for them in Parliament.

“That is the key issue. A leader must be more than pleasant; he must be bold and courageous,” said the former Singapore Armed Forces officer.

In their rally speeches, several RDU speakers also said ministerial salaries should be lowered.

Nee Soon GRC candidate Pang Heng Chuan said: “Ministers want million-dollar salaries, justified as competitive pay. Fine. But if they want CEO pay, they must accept CEO accountability.”

When something goes wrong, “their heads must roll, not the juniors’”, said Mr Pang.

“Trim the waste at the top and use it to strengthen the backbone of this nation, housing, healthcare, eldercare and job support,” added the director at an international company.

Holland-Bukit Timah GRC candidate Emily Woo suggested pegging ministerial pay to median wages so that “leaders are invested in growing the incomes of all, not just the top 10 per cent”. This is on top of removing “duplicate office holders” and reducing the number of mayors, she said.

Nee Soon GRC candidate Sharon Lin hit back at Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu, who at a PAP rally on April 28 said the goods and services tax increase allows Singapore to tax tourists, as well as people who have no income here but spend on items like cars and watches.

In Mandarin, Ms Lin said visitors are in Singapore for only three to five days, and they are also eligible for tax refunds. “But Singaporeans have to live here and pay GST every day, whether you’re a student, an unemployed person or a low-income family,” she said.

RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon urged residents in the four constituencies RDU is contesting to vote for them. The party is going head-to-head with the PAP in Jurong East-Bukit Batok, Holland-Bukit Timah and Nee Soon GRCs and Jurong Central SMC.

Mr Philemon, who is standing in Nee Soon GRC, said a greater opposition presence in Parliament would provide a check and balance for the ruling party. “It is time to bring yang into society. We are the yang to the yin of the PAP,” he said.

GE2025: New polyclinic, state-of-the-art sports centre coming to Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC​

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat posing for photos with supporters at a PAP rally at Bishan Stadium on April 30.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Samuel Devaraj
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC residents can look forward to a bigger polyclinic, a state-of-the-art regional sports centre and more barrier-free and sheltered amenities soon, said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.

He will also push to get a hawker centre up and running in Bishan, he added.

Speaking at a rally at Bishan Stadium on April 30, he also spoke about completed projects, including estate upgrading.

Mr Chee said that in the last five years, there have been many improvements in the estate, with input from residents. For instance, facilities for residents to stay active and healthy have been beefed up, such as the ActiveSG Gym in front of the Toa Payoh West Market.

Future plans, he added, include the completion of the Toa Payoh Integrated Development (TPID) by 2030 or “one or two years earlier if possible”. It will be built on the site of the former Toa Payoh Sport Centre, which closed on Oct 31, 2023.

TPID will be home to the public library and town park, apart from the polyclinic and regional sports centre. Mr Chee said the new polyclinic will also offer women and children’s health services. He added that when the library moves over to the new development, the existing library site and surrounding area, including the open air carpark, can be redeveloped.

He said: “We have an opportunity with this move to work with the government agencies to reimagine and rejuvenate this area in Toa Payoh Central. And I hope it can bring more vibrancy and better services for all our residents.”

At the general election on May 3, Mr Chee will helm the PAP team which also comprises Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Ms Elysa Chen and Mr Cai Yinzhou against the Singapore People’s Party.

In his speech, Mr Chee paid tribute to Dr Ng Eng Hen and Mr Chong Kee Hiong – both of whom were Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MPs.

He said: “I’m very grateful to Dr Ng for his mentorship, and for his guidance since I joined politics 10 years ago in 2015.

“I would also like to thank my colleague Mr Chong Kee Hiong. Kee Hiong is retiring from politics after 10 years of service. And I want to thank him for his service and his contributions to Bishan-Toa Payoh residents, especially those who stay in his division, Bishan East-Sin Ming.”

Mr Chee added that he hopes to follow in Dr Ng’s footsteps and serve in Bishan-Toa Payoh until he retires.

If elected, he and his team will be on the ground starting next week, and Meet-the-People Sessions will start on May 6, he said.

In his rally speech, Mr Saktiandi, who was first elected to Parliament in 2015, said that apart from his work in the estate, he has also raised residents’ concerns in the House.

He said: “From pushing for anti-discrimination laws in employment, to advocating for retirement adequacy, support for single parents, clarifications on the Ethnic Integration Policy for HDB sales for minorities and other issues, I made sure your voices were heard.”

The two new faces in the team – Ms Chen and Mr Cai – spoke about their experiences in the social sector and how they would serve Bishan-Toa Payoh residents if they get elected.

Mr Cai, a social entrepreneur, said that for 10 years now, he has given free haircuts and helped seniors in Dakota Crescent with relocation to rebuild social ties, and has managed several active ageing centres, including one in Bishan.

If elected, he said he will work with schools on intergenerational projects, get volunteers to teach seniors digital skills, and work with businesses to provide health screenings, workshops and events pro bono or at low cost.

Ms Chen – executive director of the CampusImpact charity that helps disadvantaged youth – said she may be new to Bishan-Toa Payoh, but she is not new to working with youth and families.

Her plans include a focus on residents whose needs may not be easily identified, including middle-income families that are sandwiched between taking care of the needs of young children as well as their elderly parents.

Minister of State for Manpower and Education Gan Siow Huang, who will contest the Marymount single seat against PSP candidate Jeffrey Khoo, said her team has helped residents struggling with day-to-day issues, including organising 11 jobs and skills fairs in Marymount in the last five years.

Ms Gan, who entered politics at the 2020 polls, has also been helping residents with mental health conditions and disabilities, including working with social enterprises like Bizlink to provide more tailored support for jobs and training. “Whether you’re starting out, mid-career or exploring a change, I hope to support that journey,” she said.


Minister of State for Manpower and Education Gan Siow Huang posing for photos with supporters at a PAP rally at Bishan Stadium on April 30.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Wrapping up the rally, Mr Chee also touched on challenges facing Singapore, including how the global environment is getting more difficult, uncertain and turbulent.

He said: “This is not the first crisis that we are facing as a nation, and with your support, we can overcome this crisis again.

“We have the experience, we have the know-how to chart a course for the way forward. A way forward through choppy waters, because we know how to tackle challenges with real solutions.

“With the support of Singaporeans, we get things done, we look after our people, we improve lives, and we will build a better future for you and your family.”

GE2025: If ‘co-driver’ opposition wants a hand in steering, Singapore may crash, says Ong Ye Kung​

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that when the opposition presence grows, it will become more than a co-driver to the ruling party, which is in the driver’s seat.ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Zaihan Mohamed Yusof
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE – Health Minister Ong Ye Kung believes that a strong PAP government with a constructive opposition as a check and balance makes for an effective system of governance.

But this is not the same as wanting a strong opposition, he said at a rally on April 30.

He was responding to an earlier statement by WP vice-chairman Faisal Manap, who is leading the party’s slate in Tampines GRC. Mr Faisal had thanked Mr Ong for supposedly agreeing that Singapore needs a “strong opposition”.

“I am afraid that he is badly mistaken,” said Mr Ong.

Instead, the Health Minister expressed his fear that Parliament could become mired in paralysis.

Using a co-driver analogy cited during the 2011 General Election, Mr Ong said that when the opposition presence grows, it will become more than a co-driver to the ruling party, which is in the driver’s seat.


If the PAP loses another three or four GRCs after the 2025 General Election, it is likely that the co-driver “will have one hand on the steering wheel and say, ‘I also want to drive’,” he said.

“It can become dangerous. We may be at risk of crashing. And if we crash, the co-driver will say, ‘It is not my fault, I am not the main driver’. I fear that this is where we are heading to.”

The desired outcome of any general election is not to have a certain number of opposition MPs, but to produce an effective system of government, he said.

He said: “Singapore is very small and that is a significant disadvantage. But we make it up by being fast and decisive. If we are small and yet slow and uncoordinated, we have the worst of both worlds.

“Then Singapore will be in trouble. So, never go there.”


Mr Ong is the anchor minister for the PAP team contesting Sembawang GRC, which also comprises Ms Mariam Jafaar, Mr Vikram Nair, Mr Ng Shi Xuan and Mr Gabriel Lam.

The team was at a rally held at Evergreen Primary to support Sembawang West SMC’s PAP candidate, Ms Poh Li San.

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is contesting in both Sembawang GRC and Sembawang West SMC.

At the rally, Mr Ong also criticised the SDP’s healthcare proposals.

Noting that SDP’s Professor Paul Tambyah, an infectious diseases expert, expressed his desire to be the health minister in a recent podcast, Mr Ong said it was important to understand what Prof Tambyah’s healthcare proposals entail.

Repeating an explanation he made earlier in an interview, Mr Ong said that today, a hospital bill is paid in three parts – namely a government subsidy, a health insurance claim through MediShield Life and then MediSave.

“It is like a stool with three legs, and it is stable.”

But he said that the SDP has proposed a single-payer system, which means “you chop off two legs”, he said.

“From what Prof Paul Tambyah has said over the past couple of days, the one leg they want to keep is national health insurance. And Prof Tambyah said this insurance will be bigger than MediShield Life,” said Mr Ong, adding that it will cover both private and public healthcare.

If the Government were to take SDP’s suggestion, insurance premiums would be “super high”, he said.

He added that there is also a risk that premiums will continue to rise sharply, given the buffet syndrome. “(Since) you paid the restaurant one time, might as well eat as much as you can.”

Another key healthcare proposal from the SDP, he noted, was to merge Singapore’s three current healthcare clusters – National Healthcare Group, Singapore Health Services and National University Health System – into one to save costs.

But this would be very unsettling to the staff involved and if the SDP is thinking of merging to cut costs, this would mean a lot of retrenchments, Mr Ong said.


The SDP also proposed nationalising mental health treatment, but Mr Ong said the help that people with mental health conditions need, such as more sleep, exercise or social engagement, could come from the community, through groups like social organisations or schools.

“You don’t really nationalise these community groups,” he said.

The minister told the crowd that an important part of his job during an election is to scrutinise statements and proposals from the opposition to let voters know why they do not work or may even do more harm than good.

“Actually, I suspect that the opposition knows that our current policies are sound, well thought through and tested.”

He urged voters to hold opposition candidates to certain standards, and said: “If the PAP has no blank cheque this GE, shouldn’t the opposition have no free pass?”

He added that opposition candidates must have good character, honesty and integrity, demonstrate an ability to run a town council as well as be able to come up with alternative policies that are sound and coherent.

GE2025: PAP’s campaign in Sengkang GRC about showing commitment to the community, says Lam Pin Min​

The PAP's Sengkang GRC candidates (from left) Theodora Lai, Lam Pin Min, Bernadette Giam and Elmie Nekmat on a walkabout at Anchorvale Food Centre on April 25.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Ang Qing and Kok Yufeng
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - Over the past eight days of election campaigning, visiting MRT stations and coffee shops and knocking on countless doors, the PAP’s message to Sengkang GRC voters is one of commitment, said former senior minister of state Lam Pin Min.

Hoping to wrest the four-member constituency from the opposition WP, which won by a four-point margin in 2020, Dr Lam, who is leading a team of political newcomers, said his team’s campaign this time is not just about winning votes.

“It’s about standing up for what we believe in, showing our commitment to the community, and staying true to our values,” the 55-year-old told The Straits Times.

The ophthalmologist, who is the only candidate retained from the ruling party’s previous slate, said the past eight days have been “intense and fulfilling”.

It is a sentiment echoed by his PAP teammates, who spoke with ST on the campaign trail.

Dr Elmie Nekmat, 43, said that regardless of the election’s outcome, he hopes that he has helped residents in Sengkang Central through his efforts over the past four years.

“Even up to this point, it’s really not about winning or losing the election... It’s about the cause,” he added.

Dr Elmie, who teaches communications and new media at the National University of Singapore, said he wants to push for policies to protect seniors and children against online harms, like scams and internet addiction.

Residents have repeatedly voiced their concerns over online safety, which hit close to home when his 72-year-old father was nearly scammed.

Dr Elmie said he was not interested in joining politics initially, but was eventually convinced that doing so could help others on a wider level.

He started helping out at Meet-the-People Sessions in 2016, and after the PAP lost Sengkang GRC in 2020, senior members of the party asked him to chair the PAP branch in Sengkang Central.

Since taking on the role in 2022, the father of four daughters said he has visited homes weekly, written letters to students receiving Edusave awards by hand, and that his team of volunteers grew from fewer than 20 to about a hundred.

“It’s about putting in the hours, the time, the sweat, and that makes a difference,” he said, attributing this trait to the nights he spent studying alone at the void deck as a private A-level candidate after flunking the exams in junior college.

His teammate, Ms Theodora Lai, 39, said that since she started walking the ground in Sengkang in 2021, people have been telling her how difficult it will be for the PAP to win Sengkang.

“That does not dissuade me,” she said.

“Whatever the outcome, I will give it my best... It will be a tough contest for us. But that is not a reason for us to hold back in what we’re doing.”

The mother of a four-year-old daughter and six-month-old son, Ms Lai said she was shaped by her experiences following her own mother to volunteer at old folks’ homes when she was younger.

After graduating from university with an economics degree in 2009, she found a chance to serve the community as a case writer at Meet-the-People Sessions in Aljunied GRC and later in the then Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

Appointed as the PAP’s branch chair in Sengkang North in 2022 and later the grassroots adviser for the area in 2024, Ms Lai said she has been able to build deeper relationships with her residents.

“I feel even more determined... to represent them and make their lives better,” she added.

A co-founder of a deep-tech venture capital firm, Ms Lai said she has tapped her private-sector experience to kick-start various community initiatives in Sengkang, including partnering with Sengkang General Hospital to set up community health posts – which are points where residents can access health services in their neighbourhoods.

Ms Lai noted that there are still grouses among residents about connectivity and infrastructure in Sengkang. “Not to discount the efforts by the incumbent MPs, but these issues still remain,” she said.

Other causes she aims to champion include greater financial support for families in the “sandwich generation”. She also hopes to push for young Singaporeans to gain more exposure to different experiences, whether it is learning new skills or going abroad.

Even if the PAP does not win, she said: “I have already served Sengkang for many years prior to this, and I don’t think that will change.”

The slate, capped off by food and beverage group entrepreneur Bernadette Giam, will face the WP’s team comprising political newbie Abdul Muhaimin and incumbent MPs He Ting Ru, Louis Chua and Jamus Lim.

GE2025: ‘Plain and simple’ electioneering to state losing ministers won’t weaken Govt, says ESM Goh​

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng greeting supporters before a PAP rally at Keat Hong Plaza on April 26.ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Angelica Ang
May 01, 2025


SINGAPORE - The opposition’s assertions that the PAP government will not be weakened if it loses ministers is “plain and simple” electioneering that misleads voters, said Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

In a Facebook post on April 30, ESM Goh used the analogy of a football team to refer to Singapore’s political office-holders.

“If four seasoned members of a football team’s starting 11 are absent, will the team be weaker? According to the Opposition, the answer is ‘no’. Because you can use the reserves, they say,” he wrote.

“How can that be? Even with capable substitutes, nothing beats having your first team on the field,” he said.

ESM Goh, who was Singapore’s second prime minister, painted the scenario of the WP winning all 26 seats it is contesting at the general election, and the PSP winning five seats in West Coast-Jurong West GRC.

This would result in a “scoreline” of 66 PAP MPs and 31 opposition MPs, ESM Goh noted.


The WP is fielding 26 candidates in three SMCs and five GRCs, including East Coast GRC, Punggol GRC and Tampines GRC.

The PAP losing in these eight constituencies and West Coast-Jurong West would mean the loss of 10 political office-holders, ESM Goh said.

These include four seasoned ministers – Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong who is contesting Punggol GRC, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong in East Coast GRC, Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli in Tampines GRC and National Development Minister Desmond Lee in West Coast-Jurong West GRC.

“This will undeniably hamstring PM Wong for the upcoming term of government. He will find it difficult to play against other teams on the global stage,” he said.

“In a world at risk of becoming ‘might is right’, we need the strongest team for our little red dot.”

ESM Goh, in an April 25 Facebook post, made the point that voters have to decide between having more opposition in Parliament and a weaker government, or giving PM Wong and the PAP a strong mandate to govern Singapore.

On April 30, he said: “Singapore deserves the best team to lead us domestically and internationally. It also deserves honest political debate.”

GE2025: ‘PAP doesn’t believe in gambling,’ says Gho Sze Kee on Mountbatten rival’s Bitcoin ideas​

The PAP's Mountbatten candidate Gho Sze Kee called Bitcoin a “wildly volatile” product.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Esther Loi
May 01, 2025


SINGAPORE – Ms Gho Sze Kee, the PAP’s Mountbatten candidate, has cautioned voters against what she described as impractical policies from her election challenger, independent candidate Jeremy Tan.

Speaking at a rally on April 30, Ms Gho said Mr Tan wants the Government to invest in digital currency Bitcoin, a “wildly volatile” product.

The maritime lawyer noted that Bitcoin is not backed up by any physical asset or government body, and its value can go to zero with “nothing to back it up”.

“This is what I call gambling... The PAP does not believe in gambling,” Ms Gho, 46, told rally attendees at the Home of Athletics sports track in Stadium Boulevard.

Ms Gho has been a PAP activist since 2012 and the party’s Bukit Timah branch secretary since December 2020.

Mr Tan’s campaign website states that his proposed policies are centred on the termination of Housing Board flats being used as retirement assets and the creation of a Singapore-dollar-denominated Bitcoin exchange-traded fund as a form of savings protection for Singaporeans.

Ms Gho asked: “Why is he recommending Bitcoin and early retirement, when he himself has admitted that he made his money from a bricks-and-mortar distribution business?

“Walk the talk.”

Mr Tan, a 34-year-old retiree, had said in a media interview that he made his fortune when consumer goods conglomerate Unilever acquired a brand in his skincare distribution business. He had started investing in Bitcoin more than a decade ago.

Ms Gho said Mr Tan’s other Bitcoin-related proposals – such as Bitcoin baby products – require more money from the Government, adding: “Should this money drop from the sky? Some of the ideas are simply just not practical.”

Mr Tan proposed creating an account with $10,000 worth of Bitcoin for every baby here.

Noting that some younger residents had asked about her opponent’s Bitcoin-related proposals, Ms Gho said many of them told her that they rejected his ideas.

It is important, she added, not to confuse ideas and suggestions with actual policymaking.

Rounding up her comments on her challenger, Ms Gho said: “We do not run a country based on flashy sound bites. I will leave it to the residents to question his motivations.”

On her campaigning efforts, Ms Gho noted that she has been walking the ground in Mountbatten with outgoing MP Lim Biow Chuan over the past 10 months.

Mr Lim is stepping down after four parliamentary terms.

Ms Gho said she and her team have mapped out improvements to the estate, such as constituency sports clubs, career help, mental health support, childcare slots, connectivity improvements and dog runs.

“I am not a slick talker,” she said.

“I offer no catchy sound bites or slogans. I make no empty promises, but what I can give you is hard work, sincerity and the conviction to serve.”

Ms Gho said leaving Singapore in a better state for the next generation was why her team, Mr Lim and the PAP serve the people.

“There was no parachute involved. I have been walking the ground for decades, and I will be on the ground for Singaporeans for decades more.”

Paying tribute to Mr Lim’s contributions to the constituency, Ms Gho said again that she has big shoes to fill.

Mr Lim also spoke at the rally, voicing his concerns about Mr Tan potentially being unable to manage a town council, such as selecting a managing agent and keeping up with lift maintenance.

Mr Tan told The Straits Times on April 29 that he had reached out to former town council staff to learn more about running a town council.

Mr Lim, who is retiring to spend more time with his elderly mother, said Ms Gho would be assisted by experienced volunteers and can call him any time if she is elected.

Mr Lim was chairman of Marine Parade Town Council.

Likening Mountbatten residents to his family members, Mr Lim said he loves and cares for them dearly, and he hopes his successor would continue to improve the estate and build a stronger community there.

He assured residents that Ms Gho will do regular house visits. That is because “that is what I have been telling her for the last 10 months, ‘Please do not slack, please do not let me down’”.

While Mr Lim acknowledged he was a retiring MP who did not have to say nice things about the Government any more, he said: “From the bottom of my heart, I firmly believe that the PAP is the government for Singapore.”

“This is not a perfect government. From time to time, there will be policies that may be right at the time of implementation, but need to be tweaked after several years to take into account changing conditions,” he said.

“But for every government policy, the Government has to balance the rights of different groups and the trade-offs needed.”

GE2025: PAP adopts our ideas as policy but won’t give us any credit, says SDP’s Chee Soon Juan​

SDP chief Chee Soon Juan (third from right) and the party’s Sembawang GRC candidates (from far left) Damanhuri Abas, Surayah Akbar, Bryan Lim, Alfred Tan and James Gomez at a rally on April 30.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Anjali Raguraman
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - The PAP has in the past criticised the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) policy proposals, only to adopt several of them later, said SDP chief Chee Soon Juan.

“During elections, the PAP will slam the opposition for its alternative proposals, and after elections, it will adopt our ideas – but it won’t give (us) any credit,” he told the party’s supporters on April 30.

Speaking at a rally for Sembawang GRC near Sun Plaza just days ahead of the May 3 General Election, Dr Chee laid claim to three proposals by the SDP that have since become policy.

The first is an unemployment insurance scheme to provide retrenched workers with temporary financial assistance.

Initially criticised in 2016 by then Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam as a “populist policy”, Dr Chee said that eight years later, a very similar policy – the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme – was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in 2024.

Second, the SDP had proposed a higher income tax for Singapore’s top earners to offset a reduction of the goods and services tax for basic goods.

In 2015, the Government announced during the Budget that it would increase taxes on the rich, raising marginal tax rates for the top 5 per cent of income earners.

Dr Chee pointed out that the SDP had also called for a minimum wage policy from as early as 2001. However, the policy was rejected by former manpower minister Lim Swee Say “as a policy that would erode Singapore’s competitiveness”.

“Then, in 2012, the PAP introduced a progressive wage model, which is similar to our proposal. It just set the minimum wage of $1,000 for low-income workers in selected sectors,” he said.

He added that Health Minister Ong Ye Kung is now doing the same by criticising the SDP’s policy proposals for healthcare and housing, claiming they are not feasible or realistic.

Mr Ong is helming the PAP team in Sembawang GRC against the SDP and National Solidarity Party in a three-cornered fight.

During a PAP rally at the same venue on April 28, Mr Ong had scoffed at the SDP’s proposals, saying: “When something sounds so good, it is usually fake.”

Said Dr Chee, who is contesting in Sembawang West SMC: “So may I remind you... first they criticise, then they copy.”

Earlier in the night, SDP’s five-member Sembawang GRC slate – party vice-chair Bryan Lim, 49; treasurer Surayah Akbar, 42; deputy head of policy James Gomez, 60; as well as party members Damanhuri Abas, 54; and Alfred Tan, 59 – also took turns to rebut Mr Ong’s remarks on April 28.

They took issue with Mr Ong’s claim that the SDP’s housing policies appeared to be borrowed from the Progress Singapore Party’s playbook, particularly the proposal to remove land costs from the prices of Build-to-Order (BTO) and Sale of Balance flats.

Ms Surayah, Mr Damanhuri and Mr Tan pointed out that the SDP had proposed the non-open market BTO flat scheme much earlier, in 2019.

Non-open market BTO flats are Housing Board flats that are priced based on construction and administrative costs only, and exclude inflated land costs.

“To accuse the SDP of imitation is not only inaccurate, (but) it also distracts from the real housing issues facing Singaporeans today – runaway resale prices, housing insecurity for young families, and financial burdens on working citizens,” said Ms Surayah.

Dr Gomez said that young people want affordable housing to start families sans worries about costs and other expenditures.

“Increasingly, for young people, a home is a place to live, not just to be a stock to flip down the line,” he said.

“For young Singaporeans, what matters most is affordable housing to start their independent lives.”

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Dr Gomez also reiterated SDP’s call for mental health to be a critical component of Singapore’s healthcare system.

He was backed by Dr Chee, who outlined a vision of Singapore that prioritises happiness and well-being over “GDP growth at all costs”.

He said Singapore should be a place “where success is not measured by how many foreign billionaires we can attract, but by how secure and supported every Singaporean feels”, and where the Government listens and responds beyond election periods.

Dr Chee added that the PAP’s path is one that “leads us right back to the problems we are drowning in – an unbearable cost of living, crushing mental stress, (and) a government that gerrymanders instead of listens”.

At the rally, SDP chairman Paul Tambyah also shared a vision for a Singapore that includes a mandatory national health insurance scheme, a nationalised pre-school education programme, the removal of the PSLE, and greater freedom for individuals to pursue interests beyond traditional pathways, such as in the arts and culture.

SDP is the only party to have held rallies every night since they kicked off on April 24.

GE2025: This election’s not about ‘who speaks the loudest’ but real progress, says PAP’s Poh Li San​

Asking for support from voters, the PAP’s Sembawang West candidate Poh Li San said she will continue to speak up in Parliament for residents.ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Zaihan Mohamed Yusof
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE –With Singapore facing economic uncertainty in a rapidly changing world, this is “not the time for rhetoric or reinvention” but steady and trusted leadership, said Ms Poh Li San of the PAP.

She said: “This election is not about who speaks the loudest. It is not about personalities. It is about people, it is about purpose, and it is about progress – real, visible, meaningful progress.”

Ms Poh, 49, who is facing off against Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan, 62, in Sembawang West SMC, was speaking at a rally at Evergreen Primary School on April 30.

A first-term MP for Sembawang West when it was previously under Sembawang GRC, Ms Poh said she had met and helped 10,000 residents, and held more than 500 community events and 140 active ageing gatherings over the last five years.

Ms Poh, a senior vice-president at Changi Airport Group, said she understood the pressures that residents face on bread-and-butter issues.

Asking for support from voters, she said she will continue to speak up in Parliament for residents, especially on securing jobs in a more challenging economic environment.

Ms Poh was joined on stage by her “extended family” from Sembawang GRC, namely, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Ms Mariam Jaafar and Mr Vikram Nair, who all spoke at the rally.

In his speech, Mr Nair, 46, took a shot at the SDP, which is also contesting Sembawang GRC.

Referring to the SDP’s manifesto for the constituency, he said: “What struck me was the complete absence of any plans for the Sembawang and Woodlands towns.”

He said that if a person plans to run as a candidate, running a town council should be a first priority and responsibility.

However, on April 27, Dr James Gomez, 60, who is leading the SDP team in Sembawang GRC, had told The Straits Times about a Sembawang town plan that proposed facilities such as a bicycle management storage system, air-conditioned co-working spaces, and lifts on all major overhead bridges.

At the rally at Evergreen Primary, Ms Mariam noted that some people like to criticise the role of MPs as “glorified estate managers”.

“I think they completely missed the point,” said Ms Mariam, 48, a managing director and senior partner of the Boston Consulting Group.

“You see, every plan, every improvement we make is because you, our residents, voice the need through house visits, through MPS (Meet-the-People Sessions), e-mail, social media, and these frequent touch points keep us grounded and in touch with your experience and aspirations.”

She said: “People used to call this place Ulu Sembawang. Soon, people will call it U-lala Sembawang!... I didn’t make it up. It was a resident who commented on Mr Ong’s manifesto video.”

In her Malay speech, Ms Mariam, affectionately known as Kakak MJ, said Malay-Muslim organisations such as Mendaki and Muis have come together to help families and youth in Sembawang GRC with their educational and religious needs.

She added that she had brought together other Muslim groups to raise about $300,000 for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Ms Poh, who had also spoken in Malay and Mandarin, said she had attended town hall meetings, void deck chats and youth engagement events.

She told the audience: “I have celebrated your milestones and stood by you during challenging times. This is the essence of public service – not just showing up for a speech but standing by you every day after it.”

GE2025: WP’s Michael Thng wants to focus on Singapore’s future in final days of campaign​

Workers' Party candidate Michael Thng said he hopes voters can look at the need for a more diverse Parliament.ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN

Aqil Hamzah
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - Candidates from various political parties may be throwing snipes and jabs over the last few days of the hustings, but WP candidate Michael Thng remains steadfast in wanting to focus on one thing – what he believes Singapore can be.

At times, there may be a need to call attention to missteps or issues in the past, he said.

But in his view, the coming general election is about the “system we want to build for Singapore, going forward”.

The 37-year-old said his two speeches so far – his maiden rally speech at Temasek Junior College on April 26, and his appearance at MediaCorp’s roundtable discussion alongside candidates from four other parties the next day – have focused on the same issue.

“I think Singaporeans want to know where we are headed, and want to know why (the) Workers’ Party is part of that journey, and that is what I am going to focus on,” he said.

Mr Thng’s message to voters is simple – that policies will go through more scrutiny and deliberation with “more balance in Parliament”.

“It needs to happen with a different party as part of that process, not with a reliance on an ‘ownself check ownself’ kind of mechanism, which we have seen has gaps. That is what I hope the electorate can focus on,” he said.

Speaking to The Straits Times at a void deck in Tampines Street 91 on April 30, the chief operating officer and co-founder of tech start-up Showdrop was all smiles, fresh off a series of home visits in the vicinity.

Throughout the interview, passers-by approached to shake the political newcomer’s hand and wish him luck.

While Mr Thng may be new to WP’s team of candidates contesting Tampines GRC, he has volunteered with the opposition party since 2011.

Tampines is touted as one of the most hotly contested constituencies, with four parties – the PAP, WP, National Solidarity Party (NSP) and People’s Power Party (PPP) – vying for it. Mr Thng said he was tapped to help out with the party’s outreach there in the lead-up to the polls.

The WP has been walking the ground in Tampines GRC since at least 2016, but did not contest it in the 2020 General Election.


Mr Michael Thng interacting with residents at 915 Tampines Street 91 on April 30.ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN
Having had time to familiarise himself with the area, Mr Thng said he has developed a lot of affinity for it, with the sense of community being one example he brought up.

As residents in the area come from all walks of life, Mr Thng said his approach to people is to “adopt a listening posture” when seeking to understand them.

Asked how he relates to people who may have different circumstances in life, he said: “No single individual will have the full spectrum of experiences... I think as long as we develop this listening posture, we will be able to at least empathise and have that curiosity to really understand what is going on, and then (have a) desire to fix it.”

On the competition, he said his team has bumped into the PAP team almost every other day, and their interactions are cordial.

He recounted an incident that took place earlier that morning, when he saw Mr Baey Yam Keng, who checked in with the WP team to find out how they were doing. An elderly resident that Mr Thng was speaking to then quipped that “you are all so friendly”, he said with a laugh.

“We were joking (that) it shouldn’t be war right? That is basically the way in which we interact with them (other parties). It is professional, it is cordial.”

He added that his team has bumped into the NSP candidates once or twice during campaigning, but has yet to run into the PPP team.

Mr Thng was quick to dismiss the idea that the contest for Tampines GRC is between WP’s Mr Faisal Manap and the PAP’s Mr Masagos Zulkifli. Echoing what Mr Faisal had said in an interview on April 28, he said that it was a competition between both teams.

Besides Mr Faisal, the incumbent MP for Aljunied GRC, and Mr Thng, the WP team also features Mr Jimmy Tan, the co-founder of industrial equipment supply firm Immanuel Engineering; Institute of Mental Health senior principal clinical psychologist Ong Lue Ping; and former diplomat Eileen Chong, who now works at Singapore-based charity Asia Philanthropy Circle.

Mr Thng said: “It is important that we look at the team as a whole, because I think particularly for us, we each bring a very unique, very different perspective.

“I hope folks will recognise that and... think that it is worth voting for.”

‘I have never left’: Yee Jenn Jong on his ‘one last’ return as WP’s East Coast candidate in GE2025​

Former Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong, leader of the WP's East Coast GRC team, during a walkabout at Pasar 216 Bedok Central on April 24.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Wong Pei Ting
May 01, 2025


SINGAPORE – Former Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong has stepped into the political ring for the fourth time in a general election, for what he says is his final charge.

The 60-year-old, who is part of the WP team contesting in East Coast GRC, lost in Joo Chiat SMC by 388 votes in the watershed 2011 election. He describes his 2025 bid as an “old soldier” returning to the battleground. He had publicly announced his retirement from electoral politics in 2021.

He drew a parallel to the late American general Douglas MacArthur who had to retire twice, after being recalled to active duty in 1941 when the US was dragged into war again. Quoting a saying by the US general that goes “Old soldiers never die. They simply fade away”, Mr Yee said: “I have never left. I stepped up when called upon.”

He was part of the WP team that contested in Marine Parade GRC in the last general election and lost, with 42.26 per cent of the vote. While the four-time candidate was not entrenched in the WP’s outreach efforts there following its 2020 defeat, he said he “remained a soldier with fire still burning”.

Two years ago, when WP chief Pritam Singh asked if he could help prepare the ground in Punggol West SMC, and possibly the whole of Punggol, for the 2025 General Election, Mr Yee said yes.

But he also made it known to the party that he need not run as a candidate.

Speaking to The Straits Times in an interview at The Marketplace@58 in Bedok, Mr Yee said Mr Singh had already suspected back then that Punggol’s population growth would necessitate the creation of a new group representation constituency.

Punggol GRC came to pass with the redrawing of electoral boundaries on March 11.

Mr Yee had led a small team to walk the ground there once a week, then twice a week – many a time with potential candidates the party sent his way to mentor and observe.

Two of them are now his running mates in East Coast GRC – lawyer Sufyan Mikhail Putra, 33, a former associate director at Abdul Rahman Law Corporation, and former US Navy security administrator Paris V. Parameswari, 51.

Another is now one of the party’s candidates in Tampines GRC, 48-year-old Ong Lue Ping, a senior principal child psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH). All three passed with flying colours – even putting aside their careers to fly the opposition flag, he noted.

Dr Ong, who was director of allied health at IMH, stepped down from senior leadership at the hospital in late 2024 to prepare for his candidacy.

Mr Sufyan quit his law firm due to its non-partisan policy. Ms Paris resigned from the US Navy to contest as well. Mr Yee has encouraged Mr Sufyan and Ms Paris to join him in becoming full-time MPs if they are elected.

Mr Yee said Mr Singh asked him to lead the party’s East Coast GRC team, given his familiarity with the Joo Chiat ward, which was absorbed into the constituency.

Mr Yee said he could not say no. “I have lived here all 60 years of my life – my kindergarten till junior college, extended family, friends and church are here. I am a true blue Eastie,” he said.


(From left, in blue) The WP’s East Coast GRC candidates Nathaniel Koh, Jasper Kuan, Paris V. Parameswari, Yee Jenn Jong and Sufyan Mikhail Putra greeting residents during the hustings.ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Mr Yee said WP’s slate in this election, with 14 new faces, is “the best” the party has ever assembled, and that the country stands at a “pivotal moment of Singapore politics”.

“Does Singapore progress on to a functioning multi-party system or do we regress when we struggle to persuade good men and women to step up and allow the PAP a blank cheque,” he added, noting that it would be more difficult for the WP to recruit if there is an opposition wipeout.

Asked if it was good strategy to not field lawyer Ang Boon Yaw, 42, and former researcher Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim, 59, in East Coast GRC, where they continued to make weekly visits after the party’s narrow loss in 2020, Mr Yee said they are “amazing” and “selfless” soldiers who work regardless of their candidacy.

“I don’t think anyone here works expecting to be parachuted into safe seats, like someone in their 60s going into Ang Mo Kio GRC,” he added, in what was clearly a dig at the PAP’s Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate Victor Lye, 63, who was part of the losing PAP team in Aljunied GRC in the last two elections.

Asked if the WP stands a chance of winning in East Coast GRC, Mr Yee would only say that he had stopped thinking about the odds after his first three electoral bids.

“Every vote counts, especially after losing by 388 votes in 2011. I tell the team to press on. Push yourselves to the max, but enjoy this ride,” he said.


WP candidate for East Coast GRC Yee Jenn Jong speaking during the party’s rally at Bedok Stadium on April 29.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
As for why this would be his last electoral bid, Mr Yee said he does not want to be a first-term MP at the age of 65.

“If I do get elected, my priority is to ensure we take over operations and run the estate well, and I will actively plan for succession, either at the next or maximum one more term,” he said.

“This shall be my last attempt to help make a breakthrough.”

May Day Rally 2025: 8 things Singapore will do to tap opportunities amid the storm​

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaking at the 2025 May Day Rally at Downtown East on May 1.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Hariz Baharudin
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE – Delivering his first May Day Rally as Prime Minister, Mr Lawrence Wong outlined how the Government and the labour movement will help Singaporeans navigate the immense challenges ahead.

While acknowledging global uncertainties marked by shifting rules and higher trade barriers, he stressed on May 1 that “it is not all doom and gloom”.

“Even in the darkest of storms, there are rays of light – new opportunities for those who are prepared,” he said.

PM Wong said the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong is preparing drawer plans to help businesses and workers, and more details will be announced when ready.

Here are eight other ways that Singapore is preparing to capitalise on new opportunities:

1. New workgroup to support senior employment​

For seniors who would like to continue to work, a new tripartite workgroup will explore ways for them to do so.

While some older workers may not need the income, PM Wong noted that many have said they would like to continue working, as they see work as a source of dignity, purpose and a way to stay active and healthy.

He noted that the Government has been providing wage support for employers who hire older workers, and job-matching services tailored to senior jobseekers.

The new workgroup, chaired by Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Sustainability and the Environment Koh Poh Koon, will build on these efforts, said PM Wong.

2. Training committees to help workers and firms to be scaled up​

Company training committees (CTCs) will be further expanded with renewed government funding.

CTCs, a labour movement initiative, bring together firms, unions and employees to identify skills needed for business transformation and to implement tailored training plans.

Over 3,000 CTCs have been formed to date, benefiting more than 7,000 workers, said PM Wong. The Government committed $100 million in Budget 2022 to support the programme, and provided another $200 million in funding in 2025.

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng said on May 1 that besides scaling up the capabilities of CTCs, NTUC will also form cluster training committees, which work with larger firms to drive transformation at the industry level and across value chains.


Labour chief Ng Chee Meng delivering his opening address at May Day Rally 2025.ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
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3. SkillsFuture to support mid-career workers​

Mid-career workers will continue to get help through the national SkillsFuture movement to deal with the faster pace of innovation and change, said PM Wong.

He noted that the Government has invested heavily in SkillsFuture to provide such workers with a substantial injection of skills.

This includes the $4,000 SkillsFuture credit top-up workers get when they reach the age of 40, and monthly training allowances when they enrol in selected full-time courses from 2025.

In Budget 2025, the Government announced that those who prefer to work while learning part-time will be able to receive a training allowance of $300 per month, starting in early 2026.

4. More career help for new graduates​

Fresh graduates entering the job market are concerned about securing a job and building their careers, and PM Wong gave his assurance that the Government will be there for them.

More will be done to step up career counselling, career sessions and job matching programmes for new graduates, as well as help to secure apprenticeships and traineeships.

The authorities will also have drawer plans ready to take care of new job market entrants should economic conditions worsen, he added.

5. Support for those taking less conventional career paths​

PM Wong noted that more young people are expressing interest in pursuing careers in less conventional pathways such as the arts, sports or media.

As Singapore’s economy diversifies, more possibilities are opening up in these fields.

Government support for such sectors has also grown, said PM Wong. “To our youth, I say: whatever your abilities, whatever your strengths, there will be opportunities for you, and we will help you chase that rainbow.”

6. Added help for companies to restructure and go abroad​

Beyond attracting new investments to Singapore, the Government will support local companies to restructure and transform.

PM Wong noted that some local firms, such as Grab and Razer, have already established themselves as regional or industry leaders, and more will be done to help small and medium-sized enterprises scale up and compete globally.

While there is a range of government schemes to support businesses to improve productivity, adopt new capabilities, and expand overseas, PM Wong also highlighted NTUC’s role in helping firms do the same.

7. Tapping Asia’s continued growth​

Despite global uncertainties, PM Wong said the Asian growth story continues to unfold, with many countries in the region, including parts of the Middle East, ranked among the fastest-growing economies today.

Collectively, it is a large market with a rapidly expanding middle class, and PM Wong said many chief executives of multinational firms have told him they see the potential in Asia, and are keen to do more in Singapore.

“They see Singapore as a reliable and a pro-business hub – secure, stable and trusted,” he added. “So let’s keep this going for as long as we can. That is our competitive advantage.”

8. Strengthening ties with emerging markets​

Beyond Asia, the Government is looking to deepen engagement with emerging regions such as Latin America and Africa.

Although geographically distant, these markets recognise and respect the Singapore brand and more can be done to link up with these regions for mutual benefit, said PM Wong.

“While others see risk, we are always on the lookout for new openings and new opportunities,” he said.