General Election 2025

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Red Dot United unveils line-up for Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC and Jurong Central SMC​

Red Dot United's Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC candidates (from left) Ben Puah, Liyana Dhamirah, Marcus Neo, Osman Sulaiman and Harish Mohanadas.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Michelle Ng and Syarafana Shafeeq
Apr 17, 2025

SINGAPORE – Red Dot United (RDU) on April 16 unveiled its slate for the newly formed Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, which includes two candidates with political experience.

Mr Osman Sulaiman, 50, is a director of a waste management company, and contested the past three elections. He ran on the Reform Party’s ticket in 2011 and 2015, and was a candidate with the Singapore People’s Party in 2020.

Entrepreneur and author Liyana Dhamirah, 38, was an RDU candidate for Jurong GRC in the 2020 General Election.

The five-member team is rounded out by contemporary artist Ben Puah, 48; marketing agency director Marcus Neo, 33; and principal software engineer Harish Mohanadas, 39.

RDU will also contest the Jurong Central single seat, fielding piano teacher Emily Woo, 59, in the SMC. Madam Woo, who joined the party in 2020, was a teacher with the Ministry of Education and has been teaching the piano since 2000.

Red Dot United will contest the Jurong Central single seat, fielding piano teacher Emily Woo in the SMC.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon introduced the party’s candidates at a press conference held at 255 Jurong East Street 24, near Jurong-Clementi Town Council.

Mr Philemon said those being fielded in both constituencies are the party’s “first-choice candidates”.


They were selected by the election committee after studying the demographics of the area, and not through “tikam tikam” – “randomly picked” in Malay – or frivolous thinking, he said.

“When you’ve walked the ground the past five years, you know the demographics of the people who live in this constituency. And so we can make a good decision when it comes to fielding candidates,” he said. “We have done our work, we think we have a good chance. We think these constituencies are winnable.”

In the 2020 General Election, RDU, then the youngest political party, contested only Jurong GRC.

Mr Philemon said there is a “Geylang Serai of the west” near Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, and the constituency has a fairly large number of Malay/Muslim voters.

According to a Straits Times analysis of demographic data, 15.3 per cent of the resident population there are Malays, higher than the national average of 13.5 per cent.

Introducing Mr Osman and Ms Liyana as the “anchor candidates” for the team, Mr Philemon said: “We acknowledge the Government has done a lot for the Malay/Muslim community, but in some areas... we can do more.”

Mr Osman, who is based in the Philippines, is prepared to return and be based in Singapore if elected, said Mr Philemon. “That is the kind of commitment he brings to the residents here,” he added.

Ms Liyana, who has overcome many struggles to become an entrepreneur, said she wants to champion issues close to the Malay/Muslim community.

Mr Harish, who is a central executive council member of RDU, is a former civil engineer with over a decade of experience in Singapore’s built environment sector.

He said the rising cost of living is hitting those who struggle the most, from the elderly to low-income families. He added that, if elected, he hopes to ensure that Singapore’s success is shared by all Singaporeans.


Mr Neo is the director of a boutique agency that serves law firms.

Mr Puah, whose works are part of major public and private collections, including those of the Singapore Art Museum and the National Institute of Education, joined RDU in 2024.

The core of the new Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC comes from Jurong GRC, and it will also absorb all of Bukit Batok SMC and parts of Yuhua SMC and Hong Kah North SMC.

The RDU team will be up against a PAP team led by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, the incumbent MP for Yuhua.

Besides Ms Fu, 61, the other two incumbents are Minister of State for Law and Transport Murali Pillai, 57, and Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam, 44.

Political newcomer David Hoe, 37, and Mr Lee Hong Chuang, 54, who was the PAP’s candidate for Hougang SMC in the 2015 and 2020 elections, round out the PAP’s slate for Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

At the new Jurong Central SMC, carved out as a single seat from Jurong GRC with changes to the electoral boundaries, RDU’s Madam Woo will be up against incumbent and first-term MP Xie Yao Quan, 40.

Madam Woo, who is a Jurong resident of over 20 years, said she has noticed municipal issues in the area, such as abandoned shopping carts, shaky lamp posts, peeling paint and littering.

“Under RDU, if we are elected, we will do our best to ensure the littering problem is eradicated, and we will do our best to win the trust and confidence of the local constituents,” she said.

For the 2025 General Election, the party has introduced potential candidates for Nee Soon GRC and Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, and previously indicated interest in contesting Jalan Kayu SMC, Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas SMC.

 

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GE2025: Social entrepreneur among 10 potential candidates featured in PAP video​

(Clockwise from top left) Mr Cai Yinzhou, Mr Jackson Lam, Dr Charlene Chen, Mr Victor Lye, Mr David Neo, Ms Lee Hui Ying, Mr Gabriel Lam, Mr Lee Hong Chuang, Mr Syed Harun Alhabsyi and Ms Gho Sze Kee were featured in the latest PAP candidate video.PHOTOS: SCREENGRABS FROM LAWRENCE WONG/FACEBOOK
Chin Soo Fang
Apr 16, 2025

SINGAPORE - Social entrepreneur Cai Yinzhou is one of 10 potential candidates featured in the latest PAP video released on April 16.

The director of Citizen Adventures conducts walking tours in Geylang and Dakota Crescent, and organises events and initiatives advocating social issues. He also started an initiative to give free haircuts to those in need.

Mr Cai received the Singapore Youth Award in 2017.

In 2020, he was also nominated for The Straits Times Singaporean of the Year award for co-founding the Covid-19 Migrant Support Coalition during the pandemic.

The then 30-year-old had mobilised volunteers across several migrant worker aid groups to help workers endure their dormitory lockdowns. The coalition distributed meals and essential goods such as groceries and toiletries to workers.

Others featured in the video include Mr Jackson Lam, 40, the former PAP branch chairman in Hougang, former Nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi, 39; and grassroots volunteer and civil servant Lee Hui Ying, 36. All three have been spotted in Nee Soon GRC.

Former chief of army David Neo, 47, was also part of the video, as was Dr Charlene Chen, 43, assistant professor of marketing at Nanyang Technological University. Both are on the PAP’s Tampines GRC slate.

Also in the video was 42-year-old Gabriel Lam, chief operating officer of moving company Shalom International Movers. He will likely stand in Sembawang GRC for the polls on May 3.

Another potential candidate featured was shipping lawyer Gho Sze Kee, who is in her mid-40s. She has been photographed alongside Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan since August 2024, but has also appeared with incumbent MPs for the Marine Parade cluster at an event on April 6.

PAP veterans Lee Hong Chuang, 54, and Victor Lye, 63, were also featured.

Mr Lee, former branch chairman of the PAP’s Hougang division who contested the WP-held Hougang seat in the 2015 and 2020 elections, is part of the slate for the newly formed Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC helmed by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

Mr Lye was part of the PAP teams for Aljunied GRC that lost to the WP in the 2015 and 2020 general elections. Formerly the chairman of the PAP Bedok Reservoir-Punggol branch for 13 years, he was seen with Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Ang Mo Kio GRC on April 13.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in the video: “We come from different backgrounds, hold different perspectives, and grew up in different cultures, but our differences should never pull us apart. Being Singaporean doesn’t mean giving up our identity. It means embracing and valuing each other for who we are.”

He added: “Singapore may be small but there will always be a place for everyone. Over the past 60 years, we have confronted crises and overcome obstacles together. We have stood by one another, lifted each other up in difficult times, and emerged stronger.

“Our unity is our greatest strength. It is a precious asset that we must continue to protect and nurture. It gives us the courage, determination and resolve to tackle new challenges.”

The video ended by urging Singaporeans to stay united as one Team Singapore and to keep the nation a shining beacon of stability, progress and harmony.

 

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GE2025: PSP to field former West Coast A-team member in Marymount, ex-SAF scholar in Kebun Baru​

PSP chairman Tan Cheng Bock (centre) with Mr Jeffrey Khoo (left) and Mr Tony Tan during a walkabout at Bishan Street 22 on April 17.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Chin Hui Shan
Apr 18, 2025

SINGAPORE – The opposition PSP will return to contest in Marymount and Kebun Baru, fielding candidates with previous election experience in the two single-member constituencies.

The party will be fielding Mr Jeffrey Khoo, 56, who was a member of the PSP’s best performing team in the 2020 polls, in Marymount SMC.

Former National Solidarity Party (NSP) member Tony Tan, 55, will be standing in Kebun Baru SMC under the PSP banner.

Speaking to reporters at Bishan North Shopping Mall on April 17, Mr Khoo, chief executive of a regional risk consulting firm, said that the party was familiar with Marymount, having contested there in the previous polls.

“We have been here before. Dr Ang was here for a period of time, and we have done quite a few market visits. I have a lot of friends that stay here. So I would say that we understand the place well,” he said, referring to the party’s former Marymount candidate Ang Yong Guan, who lost to PAP’s Gan Siow Huang in the 2020 election.

Dr Ang garnered 44.96 per cent of the vote share, while Ms Gan won with 55.04 per cent. Of the five SMCs that the PSP contested and lost in GE2020, the party performed best in Marymount. But following a suspension of his medical licence, Dr Ang, a psychiatrist, said in early 2025 that he will not participate in the upcoming election.

On his candidacy in Marymount SMC, Mr Khoo said he would tackle the perennial issues of cost of living, education and jobs, which are concerns that have been voiced by Singaporeans across constituencies.

“Wherever we go, wherever we contest, we are all talking about Singaporeans… so our conversations will always (involve) the same thing,” he said, adding that it might be a new constituency for him, but the concerns are “pretty much the same”.

Mr Khoo was part of the PSP A-Team – led by party chairman Tan Cheng Bock – that was fielded in the 2020 polls in West Coast GRC.

The PSP team then lost with 48.32 per cent of the vote against the PAP team’s 51.68 per cent – making it the narrowest win for the ruling party in the 2020 election.

Mr Khoo’s West Coast teammates, Mr Leong Mun Wai and Ms Hazel Poa, later took up Non-Constituency MP seats in Parliament as the top losers of the polls.

Mr Khoo, who is a father of three, said he has an interest in climate change and has done work involving parametric insurance – which is an insurance payout that can be triggered in specific instances of climate risk or natural disasters, including earthquakes or excess rainfall.

Meanwhile, PSP’s Kebun Baru candidate, Mr Tony Tan, is a former Singapore Armed Forces scholarship holder with a background in engineering. He is married to Ms Poa, who is the party’s first vice-chairperson.

He is also a co-founder of a private education and gaming firm.

“I hope that we can build a better Singapore... and we should strive not to leave anyone behind,” said Mr Tan.

He also said that more can be done on the social support and education fronts to “better realise the potential of every individual Singaporean” and “maximise their contribution” to the community.

Mr Tan, who has two sons, has been volunteering with the PSP since the party was founded in 2019. He also contested Chua Chu Kang GRC while he was with the NSP in the 2011 General Election. In the 2020 polls, he helped with Ms Poa’s campaign when she stood for election in West Coast GRC.

Under the PSP banner, Mr Tony Tan (left) will be standing in Kebun Baru SMC, while Mr Jeffery Khoo will be standing in Marymount SMC.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Both PSP candidates were on April 17 introduced by party founder Tan Cheng Bock, who had earlier indicated that he intends to stand in the coming election.

“I’m actually going to be 85 soon, in a couple of days. I will be able to contribute, and I still think I can contribute,” Dr Tan said, without confirming if or revealing where he would be fielded, should he run in the polls.

“I go everywhere... Our goal is to let Singaporeans know that they need a good voice, and currently, the (number of) opposition members in the House is too small... but generally, we need that voice in the House to articulate all the issues that are presented to us,” said Dr Tan.

When asked if there is a chance that former WP MP Leon Perera would be a candidate for PSP in the upcoming election, Dr Tan said: “He’s not standing with us.”

Mr Perera, who previously said he was assisting the party and was not a member, was on April 15 seen entering the PSP’s party headquarters for a meeting after the Writ of Election was issued.

While the PAP has yet to announce its candidate for the 2025 polls, Mr Khoo will likely face off against the incumbent Marymount MP, Ms Gan. The 51-year-old, who is the Minister of State for Education and Manpower, in March said she hopes to contest Marymount again.

Mr Tony Tan will likely come up against the PAP’s incumbent Kebun Baru MP, Mr Henry Kwek.

Another opposition party, the People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR), had also said earlier that it intends to contest in Marymount SMC, which could result in a potential three-cornered fight for the seat.

Mr Leong, who is PSP chief, is in talks with the PAR, said Mr Khoo, adding that “things will pan out well by itself”.

 

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PM Wong launches PAP manifesto for GE2025, introduces new faces in fresh team​

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaking at the PAP's GE2025 manifesto launch at Infinite Studios on April 17.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Goh Yan Han
Apr 19, 2025

SINGAPORE – The upcoming general election that takes place amid profound changes across the world carries far greater stakes, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on April 17.

The PAP is stepping up with new resolve, and is ready for the challenge with a fresh team, he said.

PM Wong, who is heading into his first hustings as secretary-general of the ruling party, was speaking at the launch of the PAP manifesto: Changed World, Fresh Team, New Resolve – Securing a Brighter Future for You.

Addressing more than 400 party activists gathered at a studio in one-north, he said: “Comrades, let’s give it our all in this election. Let’s convince Singaporeans to give the PAP their mandate and support.

“Let’s work hard to secure a brighter future for every Singaporean, and for many more years to come.”

It cannot be politics as usual with the changes going on in the world, said PM Wong.

The stakes involved include how Singapore’s interest is defended on the global stage, and how the nation will navigate through stormy weather to secure lives and livelihoods for its people, he added.

“This SG60 election is ultimately about our future. History has rarely been kind to small states,” he said.

PM Wong added: “What we have today is nothing short of a miracle. How long can this miracle last? Especially as the world turns more dangerous and hostile? Frankly, no one can tell.

“But you have my word – the PAP will do everything we can to keep this miracle going for as long as possible.”

The party is ready for the new challenge, he said, as he introduced 32 new candidates who will stand in the upcoming election. There are 97 seats to be contested.

PM Wong said the party will fight to grow a vibrant economy with good jobs and opportunities for all, as he referenced key highlights of the manifesto.

It will also continue to strengthen the education system so that every child can develop to the fullest, and every adult can keep on upgrading their skills and securing better jobs.

“We will ensure affordable and quality homes; and empower Singaporeans to stay healthy, and age with dignity,” he said.

The party will also work to build a greener and more sustainable city, and take sports, the arts and culture to new heights, making them more accessible and enjoyable for all.

PM Wong said: “We will build a society where there is respect for all, and everyone is valued for who they are.”

The launch of the party manifesto comes as the Writ of Election was issued on April 15, kicking off a hectic 2½ weeks to Polling Day on May 3.

Campaigning will begin proper on Nomination Day on April 23.

PM Wong said the party will do its best to win the mandate of the people.

He also acknowledged the efforts of PAP activists, who knock on doors, organise events, make calls and rally support, year after year.

PM Wong also looked back on the 60 years of nation-building.

“Ours was never a likely story... But through sheer grit and determination, we built a nation strong and free,” he said.

“Are things perfect? Of course not. We still have work to do and challenges to overcome. But surely, surely, even our fiercest critics would acknowledge how far we’ve come together,” he added.

He recounted the journey of his late father, who came to Singapore from Malaysia as a young man.

PM Wong said: “He could never have imagined the Singapore we live in today – a country transformed beyond anything he would have dreamed of.

“He certainly would not have dreamt of me standing here today, leading the PAP into elections.”

The PAP is “humbled and honoured” to have walked the journey with all Singaporeans from the very beginning till today, said the Prime Minister.

PM Wong, who took on the responsibility of prime minister a year ago, said it is a duty he takes to heart – to always do his best for Singapore and Singaporeans.

“But before that, Singaporeans have seen me and my 4G colleagues in action. We worked hand in hand with Singaporeans to overcome the Covid pandemic – the crisis of our generation,” he added.

Social mobility is slowing and societies are being pulled farther apart across the world. These pressures are also being felt in Singapore, PM Wong said.

Other shifts include technological advances such as artificial intelligence and the rapidly ageing population.

“We saw these shifts coming. We’ve seen what happens in other countries when the broad middle falls behind. The centre cannot hold. Trust breaks down; societies fracture. We don’t ever want that to happen in Singapore,” he said.


Forward Singapore is the PAP’s response – “we want every citizen to feel they have a fair shot in life, and a stake in our collective future”.

The world is going through profound change, he reiterated.

He said: “It has grown increasingly uncertain and dangerous, especially for small countries like Singapore. The conditions that underpinned our survival, security and success are coming apart.

“That is why I have called a general election now. It is at this critical juncture that Singaporeans must decide on the team to lead our nation, and to chart our way forward together.”

Concluding his speech, PM Wong said: “This manifesto is our promise to all Singaporeans. It reflects your hopes, your concerns and your aspirations. And it reflects our commitment: to keep Singapore strong, stable and united. We deliver this promise as Team PAP.”

Although the world has changed, the party will stay true to its founding values of incorruptibility, meritocracy, multiracialism, justice and equality, he added.

“We will always put Singaporeans at the centre of all we do. We will serve you, support you, stand with you.”

 

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GE2025: Ex-NMP Raj Joshua Thomas not running for election, was earlier expected to be fielded by PAP​

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas said that he is grateful to the many people who contacted him and expressed their support.PHOTO: MDDI

Osmond Chia
Apr 18, 2025

SINGAPORE – Lawyer Raj Joshua Thomas, who resigned as Nominated MP in February and joined the PAP, said he will not be standing in the coming general election.

Writing on social media platforms LinkedIn and Facebook, he said much has been said since he stepped down as an NMP, and he has listened to these views.

Mr Thomas said: “I acknowledge that many of them are fair, even if I do not agree with all of them.

“I will not be running in the upcoming general election. I have instead been spending time on the ground, and would like to earn my stripes first.”

He added that he is grateful to the many people who contacted him and expressed their support.

“I will do my best to keep and build on your trust and confidence in me,” he said.

Mr Thomas, as well as psychiatrist Syed Harun Alhabsyi, resigned as NMPs on Feb 14 – the first time an NMP has quit before the end of the allocated 2½-year term.

Their move to join a political party attracted criticism from several former NMPs and the public, who said the decision might undermine the non-partisan stance that NMPs are expected to take.

Dr Syed Harun has been making the rounds in Nee Soon GRC.

He was formally introduced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong – who is also PAP secretary-general – as a new candidate on April 17, during the launch of the ruling party’s manifesto.

Mr Thomas added that he will spend more time on the ground to learn the ropes.

He also said he is willing to say more about his plans after the elections are over.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Mr Thomas, who is managing partner at law firm Tang Thomas, said: “The new PAP candidates have just been announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

“Let’s focus on them and the value they bring to the PAP team, as well as the key election issues. I will be happy to share more after the elections.”

 

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GE2025: PAP to field 32 new candidates, including 13 women​

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spoke about each of the 32 individuals during his speech, highlighting their achievements and contributions to society.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Hariz Baharudin and Chin Soo Fang
Apr 18, 2025

SINGAPORE – The PAP will field 32 new candidates in the upcoming general election, the largest batch of fresh faces in decades, as part of a national leadership renewal.

Thirteen women candidates will make their electoral debuts on the PAP ticket, up from the 10 introduced at the 2020 polls, as the ruling party fields more women than ever before.

Unveiling the line-up on April 17 alongside the party’s election manifesto, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said one of his key priorities has been to renew the team and bring in good people to be future backbenchers, office-holders and leaders.

PM Wong, who is also PAP secretary-general, said the group will inject fresh energy, new ideas and diverse perspectives into the leadership team, strengthening its ability to govern Singapore in a more complex and uncertain world.

If elected, a number of these new candidates will form the core of the fifth-generation team and ensure that Singapore continues to be in good hands, he added.

“We have to expose them so that they can learn, grow, and eventually some of them will take on bigger responsibilities,” he said.

“That is why I’ve worked so hard and put in so much effort to renew our team in this election – so that we are well prepared for the future, so that the PAP can offer Singaporeans a capable and strong team at the helm, not just for the next five years, but also for the next 10 to 20 years.”

The PAP had fielded between 23 and 27 new candidates in general elections since the 1990s, which makes GE2025 its largest infusion of new blood in recent history.

The PAP’s slogan for GE2025 is Changed World, Fresh Team, New Resolve.

On April 17, PM Wong spoke about each of the 32 candidates, who come from a range of backgrounds, including the Singapore Armed Forces, public service, private sector, academia, unions and social service agencies.

Among the 24 who are contesting PAP-held constituencies are Mr Jeffrey Siow, a former second permanent secretary at the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Trade and Industry, and former Nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi, a psychiatrist and advocate for mental health.

Others include long-time party activists such as industrial relations officer Jackson Lam, who was branch secretary for Chong Pang for seven years, and Ms Gho Sze Kee, a shipping lawyer who has been a PAP activist for 13 years.

The slate also features young parents, said PM Wong. They include Ms Valerie Lee, a young mother with a strong interest in sustainability and the environment, and Mr David Hoe, a new father who overcame a difficult childhood and found his calling in community service.

PM Wong also introduced the eight PAP candidates being fielded in the opposition-held constituencies of Hougang, Aljunied and Sengkang, whom he called the party’s “warriors”.

They include Dr Adrian Ang, who served as the PAP’s Toa Payoh-Thomson branch secretary for more than 10 years, long-time trade unionist and advocate for freelancers Jagathishwaran Rajo, and food and beverage entrepreneur Bernadette Giam.

New faces share their thoughts​

Speaking to the media after the event, one of the PAP new faces, orthopaedic surgeon Hamid Razak, said the PAP’s manifesto is inclusive, with a wide range of issues that Singaporeans face in their daily lives.

“We have things from financial freedom for retirees, for example, to healthcare for everyone, to opportunities for families, and even environment and sustainability,” he said.

Elected MPs will have to bring these issues to the ground, he said, and communicate them in a manner that the residents can understand. This, Dr Hamid noted, will vary among constituencies as some issues may be more prevalent in certain constituencies. “So my role, if elected as an MP, will be to understand the needs of my residents on the ground,” he said.

Calling his team “the Aljunied warriors”, Dr Faisal Abdul Aziz, who is contesting Aljunied GRC, told the media that it will be a challenging fight going into the Workers’ Party-held turf.

“I think our strategy as a team is really to focus on the people and what we can offer to Singapore and Singaporeans, especially residents of Aljunied GRC,” he said.

When asked how he feels about the WP saying that some of its public policy proposals were adopted by the PAP Government, he said that being inclusive, the Government consults many people and does a lot of research when coming up with policies.

The WP had on April 16 put out a list of 15 policies it claimed it had advocated, which were later adopted “in some form” by the Government. These include issues about transport, employment and housing.

“Certainly, everyone has a place to contribute to Singapore, and I think it’s for Singaporeans to decide who best is able to bring all the voices together, unite the country together, and put forth what’s best for our country,” said Dr Faisal.

Lawyer Cassandra Lee, 33, said she was honoured to be one of the youngest PAP candidates, adding that she was also happy that many women have stepped up to serve the country.

Many of them are mothers with young children, she noted, and they share the same anxieties about raising children, being filial to parents, and pursuing their careers. The PAP candidate for West Coast-Jurong West GRC and mother of a three-year-old son said she hopes to support young working families.

“I think it is difficult to balance caregiving responsibilities with pursuing your career aspirations. I hope we can do more to elevate and to support them,” said Ms Lee.

The other area she feels strongly about is ageing with dignity, she said. Her late father was diagnosed with cancer when she was 23.

“I fully appreciate how difficult it is to be a caregiver, and also for the patient himself,” she said. “I really think that there is more that we can do to help the elderly age with dignity, and I’m very happy to see that in the manifesto.”

Mr Siow said the manifesto is not just a list of government policies, but a reflection of Singaporeans’ voices and views through the Forward Singapore engagement exercise.

“It is a very comprehensive set of plans,” he said. “Singaporeans can see both the realisation of some of these plans already, and (those) that we have laid out for the future.”

Mr Siow, who was announced as a candidate for Chua Chu Kang GRC on April 14, said he is currently focused on the residents that he will be working with in time to come, if elected.

“They will be my family, they will be the people whom I will care for,” he said. “I will be hearing them out, and understanding what their aspirations, views and concerns are.”

No matter where they stand, all PAP candidates are in for a tough election and the party must never assume it will automatically win just because it has been in power all this while, stressed PM Wong.

This is as the cost of living remains a big concern for many Singaporeans, as with people in other countries, and incumbent parties in many recent elections elsewhere were either defeated or suffered major losses, he noted.

“Always remember, the Singaporean voter is a discerning and a tough judge,” he added. “We must fight hard for every single vote in every single constituency.”

PM Wong also thanked the MPs who were stepping down. He acknowledged that these men and women had built strong relationships with residents and activists, but that self-renewal is necessary to keep the party relevant and prepared for the future.

“In the PAP, we serve not for ourselves, we serve Singaporeans,” he said. “Our MPs understand this, they understand the importance of self-renewal, and so they are doing their part to pass the torch to the new cohort.”

 

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GE2025: Who are the 32 new PAP candidates being fielded in the election?​

A total of 24 candidates will be fielded in PAP-held constituencies while eight will be headed for opposition-held constituencies.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Christie Chiu
UPDATED Apr 18, 2025, 01:12 AM

SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on April 17 introduced all 32 new candidates the PAP will be fielding in the upcoming general election.

Speaking at the launch of the PAP manifesto, he said this is the largest number of new candidates the party has introduced in recent years.

Over a third of the slate is made up of women – more than the PAP has ever fielded before. A total of 24 candidates will be fielded in PAP-held constituencies, while eight will be headed for opposition-held ones.


Here are the candidates to be fielded in PAP-held constituencies:

1. Cai Yinzhou​

A young social entrepreneur, Mr Cai Yinzhou, 35, was previously MP Louis Ng’s legislative assistant.

PM Wong said Mr Cai will learn from Mr Ng how to advocate social causes.

2. Charlene Chen​

Dr Charlene Chen, 43, is an assistant professor of marketing at Nanyang Technological University and is passionate about working with young people, said PM Wong.


She has been introduced as part of the PAP’s Tampines GRC team.

3. Elysa Chen​

Having spent many years in the social sector, Ms Elysa Chen cares deeply about uplifting children and young people, said PM Wong.

She was recently spotted at a Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC walkabout with Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.

4. Choo Pei Ling​

Dr Choo Pei Ling, 38, is a neuroscientist and Singapore Institute of Technology assistant professor who has been introduced as part of the PAP’s Chua Chu Kang GRC team.

PM Wong described her as a dedicated community volunteer who will represent the many young families in Tengah and Choa Chu Kang well.

5. Dinesh Vasu Dash​

Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, 50, was the chief executive of the Agency for Integrated Care.

He was also responsible for implementing Singapore’s national vaccination campaign, said PM Wong.

“He did an excellent job of it, and I’m sure he will do an equally good job for our residents,” the Prime Minister said.

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PM Wong launches PAP manifesto for GE2025, introduces new faces in fresh teamPAP to field 32 new candidates in GE2025

6. Foo Cexiang​

A former director at the Ministry of Transport, Mr Foo Cexiang is now vice-president for port ecosystem development at port operator PSA Singapore.

The 40-year-old has been seen in Punggol GRC.

He has a can-do spirit and passion to serve, said PM Wong.

7. Gho Sze Kee​

Shipping lawyer Gho Sze Kee has been a dedicated party activist for 13 years, said PM Wong.

He said that many were impressed by Ms Gho’s fighting spirit after she spoke at a party convention some years ago, and he had “no doubt” she would make a good MP.

8. Goh Hanyan​

Ms Goh Hanyan was a director at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information.

Her father was a grassroots volunteer and her mother was a secondary school teacher. PM Wong said the spirit of service runs deep in Ms Goh’s family and the 39-year-old proudly carries that forward today.

She has been spotted in Nee Soon GRC.

9. Goh Pei Ming​

Mr Goh Pei Ming was formerly the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) chief of staff – joint staff. He is also a dedicated grassroots leader, said PM Wong.

He began serving as a grassroots volunteer 17 years ago, at the invitation of former MP Lee Yi Shyan.

Mr Goh has been spotted in East Coast GRC.

10. Hamid Razak​

Dr Hamid Razak, 39, is an orthopaedic surgeon. He has been introduced as part of the PAP’s West Coast-Jurong West GRC team.

Having volunteered in Jurong for 17 years, Dr Hamid would make a good MP for West Coast-Jurong West, said PM Wong.

11. Hazlina Abdul Halim​

Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim was the chief executive of a non-governmental organisation and a former broadcast journalist.

She is passionate about uplifting vulnerable groups, said PM Wong.

She has been spotted in East Coast GRC.

12. David Hoe​

Charity director David Hoe, 37, had a difficult time when he was growing up, but persevered with the support of his teachers and friends, said PM Wong.

He will be fielded in Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

13. Gabriel Lam​

Mr Gabriel Lam, 42, is the chief operating officer of moving company Shalom International Movers.

A firm believer in giving people second chances, he supports former offenders by helping them find new purpose, said PM Wong.

He has been spotted in Sembawang GRC.

14. Jackson Lam​

Mr Jackson Lam, 40, has been volunteering in Chong Pang grassroots organisations and has a heart for seniors and underprivileged youth.

He is expected to be fielded in Nee Soon GRC.

More on this Topic
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15. Jasmin Lau​

Ms Jasmin Lau was formerly the deputy secretary of policy at the Ministry of Health.

The 42-year-old represented Singapore as part of the national netball team.

PM Wong said sport has shaped Ms Lau’s belief about the importance of teamwork, and he is confident she will add to the PAP team.

She has been spotted in Ang Mo Kio GRC.

16. Cassandra Lee​

Ms Cassandra Lee, 33, is a lawyer and long-time volunteer in Yuhua under Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

She will be fielded in West Coast-Jurong West GRC.

17. Lee Hui Ying​

A volunteer in Nee Soon since she was 19, civil servant Lee Hui Ying, now 36, is good with people and gets along well with residents, said PM Wong.

He added that she will help the team build strong community bonds.

18. Valerie Lee​

Young mother Valerie Lee is engineering firm Sembcorp’s head of corporate affairs for Singapore and South-east Asia.

Caring deeply for sustainability and the environment, Ms Lee will advance green initiatives and speak up for families, said PM Wong.

19. Shawn Loh​

Mr Shawn Loh, 38, worked with PM Wong on two Budgets while in the Ministry of Finance.

He is now the deputy group managing director of Singapore-based investment company Commonwealth Capital Group.

PM Wong said Mr Loh has a good heart and will make a positive difference.

20. David Neo​

Mr David Neo, 47, worked closely with PM Wong during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was one of the commanders in charge when the SAF stepped in to help with the coronavirus outbreak in migrant worker dormitories.

“I saw him up close in action. I know he will put his heart and soul in getting the mission achieved, no matter how difficult the task,” PM Wong said of the former army chief, adding that he would do the same for his residents.

21. Ng Shi Xuan​

Mr Ng Shi Xuan, 35, is the director of Powermark Battery and Hardware Trading and a youth volunteer.

He attended the same secondary school and junior college as PM Wong.

Mr Ng has been working with Mr Gabriel Lam in Sembawang, getting to know the residents there.

22. Diana Pang​

A community leader for more than 20 years, Ms Diana Pang is a business development director and trained Pioneer Generation Ambassadors in the East Coast area.

The 51-year-old has also solemnised more than 350 marriages and will build strong community networks wherever she goes, said PM Wong.

23. Jeffrey Siow​

Mr Jeffrey Siow, 46, is the former second permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Manpower. He will be fielded in Chua Chu Kang GRC.

He retired on April 2 after more than two decades in public service, making him the most senior civil servant to step forward ahead of the coming election.

24. Syed Harun Alhabsyi​

A psychiatrist and advocate for mental health, Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi has a desire to give back to society.

The 39-year-old has been helping young Malay/Muslims as president of the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday Memorial Scholarship Fund.

More on this Topic
GE2025: PM Wong says he has assembled dedicated team with ‘heart to serve’GE2025: Get the latest on the Singapore election

These candidates will be fielded in opposition-held constituencies:​

1. Adrian Ang​

Dr Adrian Ang, 42, served as the PAP’s Toa Payoh Thomson Branch secretary for over 10 years and will be fielded in Aljunied GRC.

He is the director of group sustainability and new business at environmental cleaning firm Chye Thiam Maintenance.

PM Wong described him as a good, steady person with ground experience.

2. Elmie Nekmat​

Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, 43, has been PAP branch chairman of Sengkang Central for the last four years, and also teaches communications and new media at the National University of Singapore.

3. Faisal Abdul Aziz​

Dr Faisal Abdul Aziz is a dental surgeon and has been a community volunteer since he was in school. He has served in Kaki Bukit for 10 years and is well known to many volunteers and residents.

4. Bernadette Giam​

Mrs Bernadette Giam is the director of Creative Eateries, a local food and beverage company, where she leads strategic initiatives and business development.

The 38-year-old has actively spoken up for small and medium-sized enterprises and on women’s issues. PM Wong said she will be an equally strong advocate for working parents and young people in Sengkang GRC.

5. Theodora Lai​

Ms Theodora Lai, 39, is director of business development at a venture capital firm.

She has built a network to connect and empower fellow young female leaders, said PM Wong, adding that Ms Lai has been continually walking the ground in Sengkang despite the arrival of her second child.

6. Marshall Lim​

Mr Marshall Lim, 38, is a criminal lawyer and will be fielded in Hougang SMC. He has done pro bono legal work and served in the newly set up Public Defender’s Office.

7. Daniel Liu​

Mr Daniel Liu wants to create more opportunities so that all Singaporeans can achieve their own version of success – no matter their starting point, said PM Wong.

He has been volunteering with the PAP in Nee Soon GRC since 2014 and leads an urban planning and architectural firm.

8. Jagathishwaran Rajo​

Mr Jagathishwaran Rajo, 38, is a dedicated party activist who has served in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and, later, Aljunied.

He is a long-time trade unionist and advocates for freelancers and self-employed people.

He is now executive secretary of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Staff Union and the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association. He is also assistant director at the National Trades Union Congress’ Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit.

GE2025: Who are the 32 new PAP candidates being fielded in the election?​

A total of 24 candidates will be fielded in PAP-held constituencies while eight will be headed for opposition-held constituencies.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Christie Chiu
UPDATED Apr 18, 2025, 01:12 AM
SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on April 17 introduced all 32 new candidates the PAP will be fielding in the upcoming general election.
Speaking at the launch of the PAP manifesto, he said this is the largest number of new candidates the party has introduced in recent years.
Over a third of the slate is made up of women – more than the PAP has ever fielded before. A total of 24 candidates will be fielded in PAP-held constituencies, while eight will be headed for opposition-held ones.
Here are the candidates to be fielded in PAP-held constituencies:

1. Cai Yinzhou​

A young social entrepreneur, Mr Cai Yinzhou, 35, was previously MP Louis Ng’s legislative assistant.
PM Wong said Mr Cai will learn from Mr Ng how to advocate social causes.

2. Charlene Chen​

Dr Charlene Chen, 43, is an assistant professor of marketing at Nanyang Technological University and is passionate about working with young people, said PM Wong.
She has been introduced as part of the PAP’s Tampines GRC team.

3. Elysa Chen​

Having spent many years in the social sector, Ms Elysa Chen cares deeply about uplifting children and young people, said PM Wong.
She was recently spotted at a Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC walkabout with Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.

4. Choo Pei Ling ​

Dr Choo Pei Ling, 38, is a neuroscientist and Singapore Institute of Technology assistant professor who has been introduced as part of the PAP’s Chua Chu Kang GRC team.
PM Wong described her as a dedicated community volunteer who will represent the many young families in Tengah and Choa Chu Kang well.

5. Dinesh Vasu Dash ​

Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, 50, was the chief executive of the Agency for Integrated Care.
He was also responsible for implementing Singapore’s national vaccination campaign, said PM Wong.
“He did an excellent job of it, and I’m sure he will do an equally good job for our residents,” the Prime Minister said.
More on this Topic
PM Wong launches PAP manifesto for GE2025, introduces new faces in fresh teamPAP to field 32 new candidates in GE2025

6. Foo Cexiang ​

A former director at the Ministry of Transport, Mr Foo Cexiang is now vice-president for port ecosystem development at port operator PSA Singapore.
The 40-year-old has been seen in Punggol GRC.
He has a can-do spirit and passion to serve, said PM Wong.

7. Gho Sze Kee​

Shipping lawyer Gho Sze Kee has been a dedicated party activist for 13 years, said PM Wong.
He said that many were impressed by Ms Gho’s fighting spirit after she spoke at a party convention some years ago, and he had “no doubt” she would make a good MP.

8. Goh Hanyan​

Ms Goh Hanyan was a director at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information.
Her father was a grassroots volunteer and her mother was a secondary school teacher. PM Wong said the spirit of service runs deep in Ms Goh’s family and the 39-year-old proudly carries that forward today.
She has been spotted in Nee Soon GRC.

9. Goh Pei Ming​

Mr Goh Pei Ming was formerly the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) chief of staff – joint staff. He is also a dedicated grassroots leader, said PM Wong.
He began serving as a grassroots volunteer 17 years ago, at the invitation of former MP Lee Yi Shyan.
Mr Goh has been spotted in East Coast GRC.

10. Hamid Razak​

Dr Hamid Razak, 39, is an orthopaedic surgeon. He has been introduced as part of the PAP’s West Coast-Jurong West GRC team.
Having volunteered in Jurong for 17 years, Dr Hamid would make a good MP for West Coast-Jurong West, said PM Wong.

11. Hazlina Abdul Halim ​

Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim was the chief executive of a non-governmental organisation and a former broadcast journalist.
She is passionate about uplifting vulnerable groups, said PM Wong.
She has been spotted in East Coast GRC.

12. David Hoe​

Charity director David Hoe, 37, had a difficult time when he was growing up, but persevered with the support of his teachers and friends, said PM Wong.
He will be fielded in Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

13. Gabriel Lam​

Mr Gabriel Lam, 42, is the chief operating officer of moving company Shalom International Movers.
A firm believer in giving people second chances, he supports former offenders by helping them find new purpose, said PM Wong.
He has been spotted in Sembawang GRC.

14. Jackson Lam​

Mr Jackson Lam, 40, has been volunteering in Chong Pang grassroots organisations and has a heart for seniors and underprivileged youth.
He is expected to be fielded in Nee Soon GRC.
More on this Topic
‘Road map to navigate a changed world’: PM Wong on PAP manifesto for GE2025PAP manifesto a fresh start that strikes a familiar chord

15. Jasmin Lau​

Ms Jasmin Lau was formerly the deputy secretary of policy at the Ministry of Health.
The 42-year-old represented Singapore as part of the national netball team.
PM Wong said sport has shaped Ms Lau’s belief about the importance of teamwork, and he is confident she will add to the PAP team.
She has been spotted in Ang Mo Kio GRC.

16. Cassandra Lee​

Ms Cassandra Lee, 33, is a lawyer and long-time volunteer in Yuhua under Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.
She will be fielded in West Coast-Jurong West GRC.

17. Lee Hui Ying​

A volunteer in Nee Soon since she was 19, civil servant Lee Hui Ying, now 36, is good with people and gets along well with residents, said PM Wong.
He added that she will help the team build strong community bonds.

18. Valerie Lee​

Young mother Valerie Lee is engineering firm Sembcorp’s head of corporate affairs for Singapore and South-east Asia.
Caring deeply for sustainability and the environment, Ms Lee will advance green initiatives and speak up for families, said PM Wong.

19. Shawn Loh​

Mr Shawn Loh, 38, worked with PM Wong on two Budgets while in the Ministry of Finance.
He is now the deputy group managing director of Singapore-based investment company Commonwealth Capital Group.
PM Wong said Mr Loh has a good heart and will make a positive difference.

20. David Neo​

Mr David Neo, 47, worked closely with PM Wong during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was one of the commanders in charge when the SAF stepped in to help with the coronavirus outbreak in migrant worker dormitories.
“I saw him up close in action. I know he will put his heart and soul in getting the mission achieved, no matter how difficult the task,” PM Wong said of the former army chief, adding that he would do the same for his residents.

21. Ng Shi Xuan​

Mr Ng Shi Xuan, 35, is the director of Powermark Battery and Hardware Trading and a youth volunteer.
He attended the same secondary school and junior college as PM Wong.
Mr Ng has been working with Mr Gabriel Lam in Sembawang, getting to know the residents there.

22. Diana Pang​

A community leader for more than 20 years, Ms Diana Pang is a business development director and trained Pioneer Generation Ambassadors in the East Coast area.
The 51-year-old has also solemnised more than 350 marriages and will build strong community networks wherever she goes, said PM Wong.

23. Jeffrey Siow​

Mr Jeffrey Siow, 46, is the former second permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Manpower. He will be fielded in Chua Chu Kang GRC.
He retired on April 2 after more than two decades in public service, making him the most senior civil servant to step forward ahead of the coming election.

24. Syed Harun Alhabsyi ​

A psychiatrist and advocate for mental health, Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi has a desire to give back to society.
The 39-year-old has been helping young Malay/Muslims as president of the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday Memorial Scholarship Fund.
More on this Topic
GE2025: PM Wong says he has assembled dedicated team with ‘heart to serve’GE2025: Get the latest on the Singapore election

These candidates will be fielded in opposition-held constituencies:​

1. Adrian Ang​

Dr Adrian Ang, 42, served as the PAP’s Toa Payoh Thomson Branch secretary for over 10 years and will be fielded in Aljunied GRC.
He is the director of group sustainability and new business at environmental cleaning firm Chye Thiam Maintenance.
PM Wong described him as a good, steady person with ground experience.

2. Elmie Nekmat​

Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, 43, has been PAP branch chairman of Sengkang Central for the last four years, and also teaches communications and new media at the National University of Singapore.

3. Faisal Abdul Aziz​

Dr Faisal Abdul Aziz is a dental surgeon and has been a community volunteer since he was in school. He has served in Kaki Bukit for 10 years and is well known to many volunteers and residents.

4. Bernadette Giam​

Mrs Bernadette Giam is the director of Creative Eateries, a local food and beverage company, where she leads strategic initiatives and business development.
The 38-year-old has actively spoken up for small and medium-sized enterprises and on women’s issues. PM Wong said she will be an equally strong advocate for working parents and young people in Sengkang GRC.

5. Theodora Lai​

Ms Theodora Lai, 39, is director of business development at a venture capital firm.
She has built a network to connect and empower fellow young female leaders, said PM Wong, adding that Ms Lai has been continually walking the ground in Sengkang despite the arrival of her second child.

6. Marshall Lim ​

Mr Marshall Lim, 38, is a criminal lawyer and will be fielded in Hougang SMC. He has done pro bono legal work and served in the newly set up Public Defender’s Office.

7. Daniel Liu​

Mr Daniel Liu wants to create more opportunities so that all Singaporeans can achieve their own version of success – no matter their starting point, said PM Wong.
He has been volunteering with the PAP in Nee Soon GRC since 2014 and leads an urban planning and architectural firm.

8. Jagathishwaran Rajo​

Mr Jagathishwaran Rajo, 38, is a dedicated party activist who has served in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and, later, Aljunied.
He is a long-time trade unionist and advocates for freelancers and self-employed people.
He is now executive secretary of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Staff Union and the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association. He is also assistant director at the National Trades Union Congress’ Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: WP introduces four fresh faces it will field in election, including former diplomat​

(From left) Workers’ Party new faces Kenneth Tiong, Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik, Eileen Chong and Siti Alia Abdul Rahim Mattar.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Kok Yufeng
Apr 18, 2025

SINGAPORE - The opposition Workers’ Party on April 17 introduced four fresh faces who will be fielded in the upcoming general election on May 3.

All four candidates are contesting an election for the first time.

The candidates are:

• Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat, 36, director of tech start-up Sensemake.ai, who will be fielded in Aljunied GRC.
• Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik, 36, a senior property manager at Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC), who will stand in Sengkang GRC.
• Ms Siti Alia Abdul Rahim Mattar, 43, a legal counsel in a multinational corporation.
• Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan, 33, a former diplomat who now works at Singapore-based charity Asia Philanthropy Circle.

It remains to be seen where Ms Alia and Ms Chong will be fielded.

WP secretary-general Pritam Singh and WP chairwoman Sylvia Lim introduced the four candidates during a press briefing held at the party’s headquarters in Geylang. Earlier in the day, the WP had unveiled a 122-page manifesto with the slogan “Working for Singapore”.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Singh said: “For the party to grow, we need people who are better than us. And I think this is something that all of us in the party are invested in: to look at people who will carry the party forward in future.”

Mr Singh did not touch on how many candidates the party will field at the election, or which constituencies it will contest.

He said: “Have we decided on the constituencies? We have, and you will know what they are in good time.”


He added that the party will not be able to field enough candidates this time to meet its medium-term goal of winning one-third of the seats in Parliament. There are a total of 97 elected seats up for grabs at the 2025 polls.

The WP could field as many as 17 first-time candidates in 2025 – its largest slate of political newcomers.

The Straits Times has identified senior counsel Harpreet Singh Nehal, 59; Institute of Mental Health senior principal clinical psychologist Ong Lue Ping, 47; and Harvard graduate Michael Thng, 37, among others, as likely candidates.

The WP is expected to introduce more candidates over the next few days.

1. Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik, 36​

Mr Muhaimin is expected to fill the empty seat in the Sengkang GRC slate vacated by former WP MP Raeesah Khan in 2021. He has been working for the AHTC for the past 10 years, looking after lifts and estate improvement projects.

Ms Lim said the party has “known him for a long time”. The mechanical engineering graduate from Nanyang Technological University has been involved with WP since 2019, particularly in Sengkang.

Ms Lim said Mr Muhaimin stepped up his activities in Compassvale, Ms Khan’s former ward, after the seat was vacated. He has been working with the incumbent MPs to organise house visits, Meet-the-People Sessions and community outreach activities.

“With the knowledge of the ground in Sengkang, it is the WP’s intention that he will be fielded in Sengkang GRC this coming election,” Ms Lim added.

Mr Muhaimin, who also helped out in the 2020 election as a polling and counting agent, said he was inspired by the incumbent MPs in Aljunied GRC, and “wanted to do more not just for one town, but for the whole of Singapore”.

With a child on the way, Mr Muhaimin said he understands the struggles faced by Sengkang residents, including worries about housing loans, daily expenses and retirement adequacy. “That is why I am stepping up to speak up for them,” he added.

2. Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat, 36​

The director of Sensemake.ai, a news intelligence platform, Mr Tiong started volunteering with WP in 2023, working with the party’s policy team and doing outreach in East Coast and Aljunied GRCs.

A graduate of Brown University, Mr Tiong has since 2025 been coordinating Meet-the-People Sessions in Aljunied GRC’s Serangoon ward, which has been left vacant since WP MP Leon Perera stepped down in July 2023.

He said he plans to champion three core issues if elected:

• Making Singapore a leader in innovation and creating great jobs;
• Strengthening economic security and fairness; and
• Fighting for strong family foundations, affordable public housing and the highest education standards for every child, and upholding the fundamental right to love and start a family, including for lower-income Singaporeans and those with foreign spouses.

Mr Tiong, a father of two young children, said: “Like many in my generation, I see the global technological revolution, but worry that the future isn’t being built here in Singapore.

“I am stepping up because I share the dream of making Singapore a place where we build that future, through real, home-grown innovation... My conviction comes from seeing this need, not for political ambition.”

3. Siti Alia Abdul Rahim Mattar, 43​

Ms Alia started her career as a lawyer in a small firm in 2006, first specialising in family and corporate law.

From 2008 to 2016, she was legal counsel at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, where she helped to work on legislation like the Securities and Futures Act.

Since 2017, the mother of three has been working at a multinational firm, covering various legal matters.

She joined WP as a volunteer in 2024, participating in weekly house visits to distribute WP collaterals and engage residents on the ground.

She said she joined the party because she feels that Singaporeans need more representation in Parliament.

“Personally, one of the biggest concerns that I have is thinking about how my children will afford the cost of living in Singapore,” she added.

Ms Alia said she believes HDB flats should be an affordable home for Singaporeans, and not just a wealth accumulation vehicle.

Describing herself as being from the “sandwich generation”, she said there is also a need to look into helping the elderly manage the financial costs arising from chronic diseases, for instance, by reviewing the limits on MediSave usage.

4. Eileen Chong Pei Shan, 33​

Ms Chong spent 6½ years with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) as a diplomat, including three years in the Singapore Embassy in Beijing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2024, she moved into the social impact sector, focusing on education, early childhood development and youth mental health in South-east Asia.

A recipient of the Government’s foreign service scholarship, Ms Chong said she hopes to bring more kindness, empathy and openness into Parliament and to political discourse.

She said: “Differing views should be used to refine policies and ideas, rather than dismissed.

“I believe that this will set a positive example, and create space in civil society for open conversations where we can disagree without being disagreeable.”

Ms Chong, who joined WP in December 2024 as a volunteer, looks to be the second former MFA official to be fielded under the opposition party’s banner. Incumbent Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam worked as a foreign service officer for a year.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

WP launches election manifesto, keeps electoral cards close to its chest​

Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh (centre, left) and chairwoman Sylvia Lim (centre, right) with the party’s new faces (from left) Eileen Chong, Siti Alia Abdul Rahim Mattar, Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik and Kenneth Tiong.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Wong Pei Ting and Tham Yuen-C
Apr 18, 2025

SINGAPORE – The opposition Workers’ Party launched its election manifesto and introduced its first batch of four candidates on April 17, with secretary-general Pritam Singh saying that the party has firmed up its slate.

He stopped short of addressing questions about the total number of constituencies WP will contest, saying: “You will know what they are in good time.”

The WP chief also kept mum about the number of candidates the party will field when Singapore goes to the polls on May 3.

Speaking at the WP headquarters in Geylang, Mr Singh, who is also Leader of the Opposition, said: “I think the bigger objective is to make sure that we assemble good teams, individuals who can actually work in the interest of Singapore and Singaporeans.”

Flanked by WP chairwoman Sylvia Lim and the four fresh faces, Mr Singh fielded questions from reporters on the party’s electoral plans and other issues.

The WP has kept its electoral plans close to its chest, but based on activity on the ground and party sources, it is expected to contest Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC, East Coast GRC, Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, Punggol GRC, Tampines GRC, Hougang SMC, Tampines Changkat SMC and Jalan Kayu SMC.

This accounts for 31 out of the 97 parliamentary seats up for contest this election.

When asked if this number will be enough to meet WP’s medium-term objective of holding one-third of the seats in Parliament, he said: “We will not be able to meet that one-third number of candidates to fill one-third of Parliament (with) opposition MPs.”

WP unveiled four of its new faces on April 17. They are: Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik, 35, a senior property manager at Aljunied-Hougang Town Council; Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat, 36, a director at technology start-up Sensemake.ai; Ms Siti Alia Abdul Rahim Mattar, 43, a legal counsel in a multinational company; and Ms Eileen Chong Pei Shan, 33, who leads the early childhood development, education, and youth mental health and well-being portfolios at the Asia Philanthropy Circle.

Mr Abdul Muhaimin will be part of the party’s Sengkang GRC team, while Mr Tiong will be part of the Aljunied GRC team.

The party leaders did not say where Ms Siti Alia and Ms Chong will be fielded, but confirmed they will not be in Aljunied GRC.

Speculation has swirled that there may be changes to the party’s Aljunied slate made up of long-time MPs who are also senior party leaders.

There have been suggestions that Mr Singh may leave Aljunied GRC to helm the party’s East Coast GRC team, following in the footsteps of former party chief Low Thia Khiang, who left Hougang SMC to helm the WP’s Aljunied GRC team in the 2011 General Election. There has also been talk that Mr Faisal Manap could move from Aljunied GRC to lead the WP team in Tampines GRC.

When asked about WP’s Aljunied slate, Mr Singh said: “At this stage, I am not going to rule anything out. But if there are any changes, they will be very minimal.”

He added: “Has the PAP introduced its people in Marine Parade and East Coast officially yet? They have been very coy about the final line-up, right? There are no coincidences to that coyness.”

WP also launched its manifesto, a 122-page document with policy proposals in five areas: affordability and cost of living, economic growth and opportunities, inclusion and equality, accountability and democracy, and security and geopolitics.

Titled Working For Singapore, it contains 125 proposals ranging from alternatives to the goods and services tax to higher allowances for national servicemen, and a lower voting age of 18 years.

“This is our plan for a fairer, more secure Singapore, one that works better for everyone. This is our plan for working for Singapore,” said Mr Gerald Giam, who heads the party’s policy research team.

Speaking on a panel with incumbent Sengkang GRC MPs Jamus Lim and He Ting Ru, Mr Giam added that the party was able to test out its ideas in Parliament over the past five years, after Singaporeans elected an unprecedented number of WP MPs in the 2020 General Election.

He said: “We hope that Singaporeans will give us a chance to be able to speak up for them, not just in a few constituencies, but in all the ones we are contesting, and that they can give us a chance to raise these proposals in Parliament and debate them with the office-holders – and more importantly, for Singaporeans to hear the proposals, so that they can also assess for themselves whether this is a better plan forward for Singapore.”


In a message to voters accompanying the manifesto, Mr Singh said Singapore’s political system, as designed by the country’s founding leaders, ensures that politics remains contestable, and allows Singaporeans of all stripes to organise and participate in politics.

He said: “Critically, Singapore’s political system is designed to host an opposition presence in Parliament – a loyal opposition – that works in the interests of the country.

“A loyal opposition exists to remind us that any Singaporean can legitimately host a different view to the PAP. And there is nothing wrong or disloyal about that.”

He added that what is important is that those alternative views seek better outcomes for Singapore and Singaporeans.

“This is the driving force behind the Workers’ Party’s General Election 2025 slogan – Working For Singapore,” said Mr Singh.

The WP is expected to field at least 17 first-time candidates in 2025 – its largest slate of political newcomers. This surpasses the record 16 new faces fielded by the party in 2011 and 2015, and is almost double the nine fielded in 2020.

Some of the new faces include senior counsel Harpreet Singh Nehal, 59; Institute of Mental Health senior principal clinical psychologist Ong Lue Ping, 47; and Harvard graduate Michael Thng, 37.

More candidates will be introduced to voters in the coming days.

The WP panel of Mr Giam, Ms He and Associate Professor Lim also took questions from reporters on a range of issues, including the US tariff situation.

Responding to a question about what suggestions the WP would propose in relation to the tariffs and how the party intends to support Singaporeans during such turbulent times, Mr Giam said Singapore needs to have fresh thinking in its approach to trade policies amid the US tariff situation.

Mr Giam said the solutions to such challenges might not even come from the WP.

“It is going to come from a more open society where people can step forward and have the confidence to offer their ideas,” he said, adding that is the society that the opposition party wants to try and advance in Singapore.

Mr Giam also said the WP is worried about too much power centralised in the ruling PAP.

This is why the WP continues to put forward good candidates in the general election, he added.

“We want these candidates, these potential MPs, to be able to come up with alternative ideas that are not subject to the PAP whip, and that they are able to speak freely according to what they feel is important under their consciences, and to be able to advance policy that way,” he said.

 

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‘Plan for a fairer, more secure Singapore’: Gerald Giam on WP manifesto for GE2025​

The WP's incumbent Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam (centre), flanked by incumbent Sengkang GRC MPs Jamus Lim (left) and He Ting Ru, speaking at the launch of the party's election manifesto on April 17.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Aqil Hamzah
Apr 18, 2025

SINGAPORE – The WP on April 17 unveiled its manifesto for the upcoming general election, covering 125 policy proposals in five sections.

Titled Working For Singapore, it covers affordability and cost of living concerns, economic growth and opportunities, inclusion and equality in society, accountability and democracy, and security and geopolitics.

Speaking at the party headquarters in Geylang, incumbent Aljunied GRC MP Gerald Giam said the WP manifesto is a refined and enhanced version of the one for the previous general election in 2020.

Following that election, with the increase in the number of its MPs, the WP was able to bring the proposals in that manifesto to Parliament and have them “tested through the fire of debate”, he said.

Mr Giam added that some of the proposals from the 2020 manifesto remain in the latest one, as they have not been implemented yet.

“We are not just dropping them just because they weren’t implemented by the Government,” he said, adding that the plan is to “bring forward these proposals in Parliament if we have an opportunity to”.

He said: “This is our plan for a fairer, more secure Singapore, one that works better for everyone.”

Here is a summary of the key areas that the manifesto addresses:

Affordability and cost of living​

Proposals in this section cover topics such as the goods and services tax, retrenchment benefits, tiering utility bills to benefit those who consume less, reducing healthcare costs for vulnerable groups, and housing affordability.

One proposal is redundancy insurance for all local workers, which both employers and employees contribute to.

Incumbent Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim said there are important nuances that separate the WP’s proposed scheme and the Government’s SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme.

The WP’s proposal would provide a retrenched worker with up to $2,000, for up to six months, on certain conditions.

Retrenchment benefits should be mandated through legislation, the party proposed, starting with private companies with at least 25 employees.

Housing-wise, one proposal is to peg the house price-to-income ratio to the median income levels of new home owners for BTO flats.

Other proposals include the tiering of utility bills such that those who use less electricity and water pay less, and allowing Singaporeans aged above 60 to use MediSave to pay for medical expenses not already covered by assistance schemes such as MediShield Life.

Economic growth and opportunities​

Proposals here touch on areas such as prioritising local over foreign talent, improving the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises, better support for older workers, and reforming the Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme.

One suggestion is to tie the renewal of employment passes for foreigners to effective skills transfers to Singaporeans.

This acquisition or transfer of skills should be tracked and publicly reported as key performance indicators as part of industry transformation blueprints.

The WP also proposes to abolish the statutory retirement age, to let older workers continue working if they want to, and to review the CPF Ordinary Account interest rate.

Inclusion and equality​

This section of the manifesto deals with issues such as caregiving, education, access to housing, the work environment and local sports.

It includes proposals to provide up to six days of paid family care leave a year, to develop and regulate the mental health industry, as well as to introduce an optional 10-year through-train programme that allows pupils to skip the PSLE.

Also, the country’s “historical focus on GDP growth as a measure of policy success” needs to be widened to include social development indexes, the party proposed.

These could include income and wealth inequality, physical and mental health, and climate and sustainability goals.

Ms He Ting Ru, an incumbent Sengkang GRC MP, said: “Policies to promote inclusion and equality have to take centre stage, especially as global shocks such as the Covid pandemic and various wars have been shown to exacerbate discrimination and inequality.”

Accountability and democracy​

Many proposals in this section were previously raised, Ms He noted, such as introducing a freedom of information law, and declassifying documents in the National Archives of Singapore after 25 years.

There are also suggestions to protect judicial independence, such as the removal of current provisions for the appointment of fixed-term judicial commissioners and short-term senior judges.

Ms He noted the importance of fully independent institutional systems that are empowered to check those in power.

She said: “This section is particularly important in times of uncertainty and change because... accountability and democracy have to stand firm and be a beacon of light to guide our nation through turbulence.”

Ms He added that the latest manifesto also includes policy suggestions related to environmental conservation and anti-discrimination.

For example, the party is proposing that environmental impact assessments be done for all development projects affecting green areas, to accompany the land use masterplan. These assessments should be made permanently available to the public, the WP said.

Security and geopolitics​

The proposals in this section cover suggestions to bolster national defence, ways to better utilise security budgets and improve the country’s internal resilience, as well as stances that Singapore should take with respect to diplomacy and trade relations.

Among them is one to change the term “NS allowance” to “NS salary”, and to set it to at least “a living wage” of $1,600 per month, and include CPF contributions.

Also, institutional buyers such as the Singapore Armed Forces and hospitals should increase their share of food from local sources, to improve the viability of local farmers and enhance national food security, Mr Giam said.

On the international front, among other proposals, the WP said it supports a negotiated two-state solution with regard to the Israel-Palestine conflict, adding that Singapore should formally recognise the state of Palestine before negotiations for such a solution are concluded.

When asked about it, Mr Giam said the WP is making this proposal as “this is a very important issue for a lot of Singaporeans”, and that it would “help to advance this whole peace process”.

The full manifesto can be found at www.wp.sg/manifesto

 

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‘Road map to navigate a changed world’: PM Wong on PAP manifesto for GE2025​

Building on foundations laid by earlier generations, PM Lawrence Wong said he is determined to keep the miracle of Singapore going.ST PHOTOS: JASON QUAH, LIM YAOHUI, ST FILE, KUA CHEE SIONG

Lim Min Zhang
Apr 18, 2025

The PAP unveiled its manifesto for the general election on April 17, a week before Nomination Day.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is leading his first hustings as the PAP’s secretary-general, described the manifesto as the party’s promise to all Singaporeans.

“It is our road map to navigate a changed world,” he said at a launch event. “We present a fresh team to tackle the challenges ahead, and we stand ready to serve all Singaporeans with new resolve.”

Building on foundations laid by earlier generations, PM Wong said he is determined to keep the miracle of Singapore going, and sought a mandate from Singaporeans to address their needs while taking the nation forward in a changed world.

Here is a summary of key proposals from the manifesto, titled Changed World, Fresh Team, New Resolve – Securing a Brighter Future for You.

Jobs and the economy​

The last electoral term began at the height of the pandemic, and the Government acted quickly to save lives and livelihoods, such as through the Jobs Support Scheme and the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme, said the PAP. Growth has recovered strongly since then, and the economy grew by 4.4 per cent in 2024.

The PAP said it will grow a dynamic economy that generates jobs and opportunities for all. It will provide more support for professionals, managers, executives and technicians, and nurture more Singaporean corporate leaders.


To ensure fair competition in the jobs market, the PAP Government will strengthen safeguards for fair employment, including through the Workplace Fairness Act. It will also adopt new technologies quickly to help workers stay ahead of the competition.

It also wants to keep Singapore as a trusted hub for business, and to invest in transport and digital infrastructure and secure clean energy for the future, including by exploring nuclear power.

Businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, will be supported to restructure and grow, while having their cost pressures eased through tax rebates. The PAP said it will help businesses access manpower and capital, and help firms expand into new markets.

Education​

Major moves were made by the Government to reduce education stress and customise learning in the last five years, said the PAP. These included replacing streaming with subject-based banding, replacing the PSLE T-score with wider scoring bands, and phasing out mid-year exams in junior colleges.

The ruling party pledged to continue making education reforms so Singaporeans can be the best versions of themselves.

These include broadening definitions of success, further customising education for people of different abilities and interests, investing in teachers’ professional development and partnering parents and industry to deliver holistic education.

Four new special education schools will be built by 2030, and more early intervention centres will be established for children with developmental needs. The Development Support-Learning Support programme will also be expanded to more pre-schools.

For adult Singaporeans, more will be done to empower Singaporeans to upskill to advance in their careers. Help will also be given to companies to redesign jobs and invest in worker training, while Singaporeans who have lost their jobs will get help to bounce back through the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme, said the PAP.

Cost of living​

Singapore was not spared the cost pressures driven by wars and supply chain disruptions, but Singaporeans received extensive help to cope with the spike in inflation, said the PAP. A $10 billion Assurance Package also helped offset the impact of the goods and services tax rate hike for most Singaporean households.

Households here will continue receiving support for their living expenses, such as CDC vouchers, cash payouts and utilities rebates, for as long as necessary, said the PAP. Parents will enjoy expanded parental leave and lower pre-school fees, while support was recently enhanced for large families.

Social safety nets such as ComCare and Silver Support will be reinforced to help the most vulnerable Singaporeans, while Workfare for lower-wage workers will be enhanced and the Progressive Wage Model extended to more sectors.

The PAP said ComLink+ will also empower lower-income families to build better lives, and children from disadvantaged backgrounds will get a good start through help to achieve regular pre-school attendance and higher childcare subsidies.

Employment opportunities for people with disabilities will be boosted, while subsidies for adult disability services will be made more generous, it added.

Retirement adequacy​

Seniors have been supported with schemes such as the $7 billion Majulah Package, which helped those born in 1973 or earlier with their retirement savings. Eligible seniors have also received extra support under the Assurance Package, while quarterly Silver Support payouts have been enhanced in successive Budgets.

To help seniors who want to keep working, the PAP said it will raise the re-employment age, increase the Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rates for senior workers, and encourage the hiring and retention of seniors by co-funding wages.

For greater retirement assurance, it will review and enhance the CPF system and provide matching grants for voluntary top-ups to the CPF MediSave Account.

More active ageing centres will be built to keep seniors engaged and mobile, while subsidies for seniors needing long-term care will be increased and support for caregivers strengthened.

Healthcare​

To meet the needs of an ageing population, Singaporeans have received MediSave top-ups, while MediFund was topped up by $1.5 billion in 2023 to help needy patients. Insurance coverage was also broadened to cover more treatments while subsidies were provided to help with premium payments, said the PAP.

Looking ahead, healthcare capacity will be ramped up and waiting times shortened with some 13,600 beds added to the system in the next five years, while the nursing workforce will be expanded.

Singaporeans will be empowered to take charge of their health through programmes such as Grow Well SG for children, Healthier SG for adults, and Age Well SG for seniors.

The PAP said it will also boost support for mental health with a new National Mental Health Office, more access to mental health services, and increased long-term care capacity.

Public housing​

The PAP said it is on track to fulfil its promise to launch 100,000 flats between 2021 and 2025; while measures such as the additional ballot for first-timers and enhanced CPF Housing Grant have helped Singaporeans own their homes.

The ruling party pledged that every Singaporean will have the opportunity to own a high-quality, affordable home, with more than 50,000 new flats to be built in the next three years, including more flats with shorter waiting times.

The new Housing Board classification model will keep flats in choice locations within reach, including new housing estates in Kallang-Whampoa, Bayshore and Mount Pleasant.

The PAP said it will also explore more public housing options for higher-income couples and singles, while acting decisively when needed to keep the property market stable and sustainable.

It will also plan for the rejuvenation of HDB towns, including through the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme, said the party.

A greener city​

The PAP said it is committed to reducing carbon emissions so that Singapore reaches net zero by 2050.

There will be more green spaces, such as 25 new parks, 50km of park connectors and 13 new therapeutic gardens, while a second marine park will be designated at Lazarus South and Kusu Reef.

Flood resilience, land reclamation and redevelopment to protect Singapore from rising sea levels will be reintegrated to create beautiful waterfront living, such as on Long Island.

Commuting will also be made faster, greener and more seamless, with eight in 10 households to be within a 10-minute walk from a train station with the new Jurong Region and Cross Island lines and extensions to existing lines and improved bus services, it added.

Arts, culture and sports​

To support Singapore’s arts scene, arts exposure programmes will be introduced in schools and pre-schools, and more arts apprenticeships and scholarships will be offered.

A new Museum of Design will be established, said the PAP. The SG Culture Pass will be expanded, while local artists will be offered more arts spaces and support.

New sports facilities will be built in Clementi, Punggol and Toa Payoh, while existing ones in Hougang, Pasir Ris and Queenstown will be upgraded. Alongside a new indoor arena in Kallang, these facilities will bring active living and sports closer to Singaporeans.

A more united Singapore​

The PAP said it will strengthen the nation’s cohesiveness by building the Singaporean identity and enhancing integration efforts.

It pledged to uphold Singapore’s multiracial and multi-religious society, and keep it an oasis of peace and harmony.

The party will also continue to refresh the nation’s social compact, nurture a stronger culture of giving, and strengthen the partnership between citizens and the Government, it added.

The full manifesto can be found at www.pap.org.sg/manifesto

 

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GE2025: Opposition Singapore United Party unveils team to contest Ang Mo Kio GRC​

Singapore United Party secretary-general Andy Zhu (centre) will helm the party's team of Ang Mo Kio GRC candidates, which includes (from left) Mr Vincent Ng, party chairman Ridhuan Chandran, Ms Norani Yunus and Mr Nigel Ng.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Hazel Tang
Apr 18, 2025

SINGAPORE - The opposition Singapore United Party (SUP) on April 17 unveiled its slate of candidates for Ang Mo Kio GRC that will face off against Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s team at the polls.

The five-member team includes flight attendant Nigel Ng, 39, who is standing for the first time.

The other members include SUP chairman Ridhuan Chandran, 53, who is a lecturer and consultant, Ms Noraini Yunus, 57, and Dr Vincent Ng, 52, who was part of the team that stood in Tampines GRC under the National Solidarity Party (NSP) banner in 2020.

The party declined to provide more details about the candidates.

The team will be helmed by SUP secretary-general Andy Zhu, 42, according to publicity materials issued by the party.

SUP introduced them on April 17 during a press briefing at Kebun Baru Food Centre, but Mr Zhu and his team of candidates arrived more than 45 minutes late. Waiting reporters were not given a reason for the late start.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Zhu said: “The party is working towards a vision to build a more just and equitable Singapore. We are dedicated to working tirelessly with the ruling Government to achieve these goals.”


The candidates did not take any questions from reporters and ended their press conference in less than 10 minutes.

According to party publicity materials, the SUP election slogan – Moving Forward, Together – reflects the party’s focus on unity and partnership with the community.

While the party manifesto has yet to be unveiled, Mr Zhu has said it will be shaped by feedback from residents.

This includes concerns over the high cost of living, housing and healthcare costs, as well as doing away with the goods and services tax for basic necessities.

SUP was formed in December 2020 by a splinter group from the Reform Party, including Mr Zhu and Ms Noraini, both of whom contested Ang Mo Kio GRC in the last general election and secured 28.09 per cent of the vote.

The PAP team, led by then Prime Minister Lee, won with 71.91 per cent of the vote.

For the upcoming election, SUP has tried to strike a deal with the People’s Power Party to avoid a three-cornered fight in Ang Mo Kio GRC, but there has been no update so far.

SUP is a member of The Coalition, an informal alliance of four opposition parties formed in 2023 that includes the NSP, Red Dot United (RDU) and Singapore People’s Party.

On April 12, RDU announced its withdrawal from the coalition, following NSP’s decision to remain in a potential three-cornered contest in Sembawang GRC. SUP has expressed its “profound disappointment” in a joint statement with other opposition parties.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

News analysis​

PAP manifesto a fresh start that strikes a familiar chord​

Linette Lai

PM Lawrence Wong described the manifesto as the PAP’s promise to all Singaporeans.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Apr 18, 2025

SINGAPORE – Five years ago, the PAP launched its election manifesto at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic was ravaging the economy.

Titled Our Lives, Our Jobs, Our Future, it sought to drive home what was at stake.

This year’s edition, launched on April 17, strikes a different note. It is titled Changed World, Fresh Team, New Resolve – Securing a Brighter Future for You.

The phrase draws attention to the broader geopolitical context in which Singapore operates – one in which the rules that keep small countries safe are beginning to matter less. It also spotlights the renewed vigour of the ruling party under its fourth-generation team, led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and bolstered by the experience of senior Cabinet members.

What the People’s Action Party wants to tell voters is: We are starting anew, but not from scratch.

In keeping with the spirit of renewal, the party’s campaign video feels markedly different. Unlike previous years, there are barely any drone shots of Singapore’s glittering downtown core or bustling heartland.

Instead, much of the four-minute clip features PM Wong – the PAP’s secretary-general – against a nondescript grey background, making a personal appeal to voters.

“I am determined to keep this miracle called Singapore going. I will not gamble with your future. I will build on the foundations laid by those before me, so that we can stay ahead,” he says.

“To do this, we need your support. I need your support.”

But the PAP’s election manifesto is not – as my younger colleagues might say – just vibes.

Its nine chapters outline the party’s promises to an electorate whose demands have evolved over the years.

While some chapters deal with evergreen bread-and-butter issues, such as the cost of living and affordability of public housing, the PAP has also pledged to refresh its social compact and open up more paths towards a wider definition of success.


If this sounds familiar, you’ve been paying attention.

Much of this builds on the Forward Singapore report, which was released in October 2023. This blueprint for the next phase of Singapore’s growth was drawn up by the PAP’s 4G leaders, following consultations with more than 200,000 citizens.

Their approach represents a change of pace for the PAP Government. Instead of dictating policy or seeking feedback to fine-tune it, the Government has opened an avenue for citizens to give input on policy priorities.

As a political party, the PAP has also undergone renewal.

In June 2024, it unveiled the results of its six-month Refresh PAP exercise, pledging to engage Singaporeans more widely through new channels. Five months later, party cadres elected the PAP’s new central executive committee, its top decision-making body.

PM Wong will field 32 new candidates in the election – the PAP’s largest batch of fresh faces in decades.

Speaking at the launch of the PAP manifesto on April 17, PM Wong told over 400 party activists that this is just the beginning.

“We have so much more to do – to renew our social compact, refresh our Singapore Dream and build a future where every Singaporean can become the best version of themselves,” he said.

The PAP has emphasised that this is not the same as building from scratch. In addition to the relatively large number of new faces, the party will continue to benefit from the wisdom and guidance of “experienced veterans”, PM Wong said.

In the same vein, plans outlined in its manifesto – such as those touching on jobs, families and retirement adequacy – often build on areas in which it has already done considerable work.

Government-paid paternity leave, for instance, was introduced in 2013 and doubled to two weeks in 2017. In 2023, it was doubled again to four weeks. And in 2024, it was announced that parents-to-be would soon get another 10 weeks of shared leave. This would bring the total amount of government-paid parental leave to 30 weeks by April 1, 2026.

In his campaign video, PM Wong makes another pitch for stability and continuity by highlighting that Singapore’s next chapter of nation-building will take place in an uncertain world.

He adds: “We need an experienced and effective government with the mandate to represent you, address your needs, and take our nation forward.”

The PAP’s manifesto is relatively sparse, compared with the 122-page document the Workers’ Party put out on the same day. There is also little in it that comes as a surprise, given that many of its plans have already been announced and put into action.

That is not necessarily a bad thing. People are already familiar with the PAP, its style of governance and its policy outcomes, because they touch on every aspect of everyday life.

Its message to voters is that it has a fresh team with new ideas that will continue to work for Singapore, even as the country evolves.

Will this message stick?

Singaporeans have two weeks to decide.

 

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News analysis​

WP manifesto charts what it sees as working for Singapore​

Tham Yuen-C

(From left) Workers' Party members Jamus Lim, Gerald Giam and He Ting Ru at the launch of the party's election manifesto on April 17.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Apr 18, 2025

SINGAPORE - In the 122 pages of the Workers’ Party manifesto, launched on April 17, some 10 pages early on are perhaps the most interesting.

The party typically set out its views, intentions and proposals in the document, but this time around, it also included a section to highlight its impact on public policy.

“While we are not in government – and therefore not in a position to implement policy – we believe that many of our proposals do end up being adopted in some form, which ultimately benefits Singaporeans,” so the introduction to the section goes.

It counts 15 policies on which the party has made a difference, from the recently announced SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support Scheme – which offers financial support to retrenched workers – to the shorter wait times for Build-To-Order flats and the Healthier SG programme that focuses on preventative health.

Besides this part, which is akin to a report card, the manifesto also laid out 125 policy proposals in five areas: affordability and cost of living, economic growth and opportunities, inclusion and equality, accountability and democracy, and security and geopolitics.

Unveiling it, Mr Gerald Giam, who heads the party’s policy research team, said: “Our manifesto has essentially grown with us.”

In 2020, an unprecedented number of WP MPs were elected into Parliament, and this gave the party an opportunity to test out its ideas in Parliament, and put them through the “fire of debate”, he said.

“What we have today is a refined version, an enhanced version of the manifesto we had in 2020,” he added.

In 2006, the party manifesto was 52 pages long.

Prior to that, it was last updated in 1994.

That election, the party fielded 20 candidates, with the campaign slogan, which was also its manifesto title, telling voters: “You have a choice.”

That year, then party chief Low Thia Khiang was sent back into Parliament by Hougang voters, and party chair Sylvia Lim got a Non-Constituency MP spot as one of the best losers.

Then in 2011, the party beefed up its manifesto and asked voters to join it on a journey “Towards A First World Parliament”.

WP would act as a check on the Government, a role that Mr Low – who was still party chief then – had described as a co-driver.

“The co-driver is there to slap the driver when he drives off course” or falls asleep, he had said.

The message appeared to resonate with voters, and in that election, the WP was handed six seats, including five in Aljunied GRC.

It was the first-ever victory for any opposition party in a group representation constituency, one that took out a minister, and it cemented the WP’s position as a credible opposition party.

Then in 2015 and 2020, the party campaigned to send more of its candidates into Parliament, asking voters to “Empower Your Future” and “Make Your Vote Count”.

In 2020, it won the newly created Sengkang GRC, on top of its existing constituencies, securing 10 seats in Parliament.

All this while, the party has stressed its role as a responsible and loyal opposition, saying that its goal for the medium term is only to win one-third of the seats in Parliament, so as to deprive the ruling People’s Action Party of the supermajority needed to pass constitutional changes.


Yet, with three constituencies and two town councils under its charge, voter expectations, and perhaps even the party’s ambitions, must surely have grown.

It is no surprise then that the party should include a report card of sorts in its manifesto this year to show it has been effective in its role.

Its slogan for this election is “Working For Singapore”, and WP chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh had said in a message to voters that the party will do so by proposing alternative ideas that seek better outcomes for the country and the people.

But there is perhaps another meaning beyond just labouring for Singapore.

As the section on its impact seeks to show, the party is also “working” – in the sense that its presence and activities in Parliament have had the desired effect for the country.

Its efforts all these years as a co-driver have made the driver better, the WP seems to be saying.

Whether this word play is deliberate or not, the latest manifesto signals that the party sees itself as having progressed through the years such that it is now bold and confident enough to stake a bigger role in the political arena.

In the upcoming election, all eyes will be on whether and how the WP will venture beyond its corner, and the outcome will surely shape the next party manifesto in the years to come.

 

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GE2025: PAP’s Chee Hong Tat to helm Bishan-Toa Payoh, Gan Siow Huang to defend Marymount seat​

Mr Chee Hong Tat (centre) with (from left) Mr Saktiandi Supaat, PAP newcomers Cai Yinzhou and Elysa Chen, Ms Gan Siow Huang, Dr Ng Eng Hen and Mr Chong Kee Hiong at the announcement of the line-up on April 18.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Samuel Devaraj and Sue-Ann Tan
Apr 19, 2025

SINGAPORE – Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat will lead the PAP team in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC that will field two fresh faces at the coming polls on May 3.

Apart from Mr Chee, the team will include Mr Saktiandi Supaat. Both the PAP candidates contested the constituency in the last two elections.

It will also include political newbies Elysa Chen and Cai Yinzhou, who were introduced at a PAP press briefing on April 18 at its Toa Payoh West-Thomson branch.

The PAP team, which will be up against the Singapore People’s Party (SPP) in Bishan-Toa Payoh, will be without Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who is stepping down after standing in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC in the last five elections.

Dr Ng said he will not be contesting the upcoming election, and will step off the political stage after a parliamentary career of nearly 24 years.

He said: “Leadership succession is a cardinal strength and virtue for the PAP... Incumbent MPs and ministers who could have continued for more years stepped down to make way for new candidates like myself.

“It is time for me to do the same.”

He added that he had informed Prime Minister Lawrence Wong some months back that it was time for him to step down to “continue that virtuous tradition, to make room for renewal and regeneration”.

Mr Chong Kee Hiong, who was fielded in the 2015 and 2020 general elections, will also be stepping down.

Mr Chee, who is the new anchor minister for the GRC, thanked both Dr Ng and Mr Chong.

He said: “I have learnt much from Dr Ng, and I am very grateful for his guidance and mentorship since I entered politics in 2015. I am very honoured to be given this opportunity to take over from Dr Ng as the anchor... It is a very big pair of shoes to fill, but I will do my best.”

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen (left), who contested Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC in the last five elections, and Mr Chong Kee Hiong, who was fielded in the 2015 and 2020 general elections, will be stepping down.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
On April 18, Ms Gan Siow Huang was also confirmed as the PAP candidate for the nearby Marymount single seat.

Ms Gan, who is Minister of State for Education and Manpower, will be up against PSP candidate Jeffrey Khoo, who was confirmed as the opposition party’s candidate for the single seat on April 17.

Mr Chee said the team will work together to serve residents in the HDB and private estates in the group representation constituency and single-member constituency, and that there will be no changes to the internal boundaries if they are elected.

Mr Saktiandi will continue in Toa Payoh East, while Mr Chee will look after Toa Payoh West-Thomson. Ms Chen will take over in Bishan East-Sin Ming, and Mr Cai will take over from Dr Ng in Toa Payoh Central.

Mr Chee said: “As a team, we will continue to rejuvenate our town and improve the infrastructure and living environment for our residents so that this can be a good home for all our residents of all ages.

“My team and I will continue to listen closely to your feedback and suggestions, and we will work with our partners to implement these ideas and achieve good outcomes for all of you. In this turbulent and uncertain global environment, you can count on the PAP team to deliver for you.”

In the 2020 election, the PAP team in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC won 67.23 per cent of the vote against a team from SPP.

At the briefing, Mr Chee also welcomed Ms Chen and Mr Cai to the team.

“They are both individuals with their hearts in the right place, and the conviction to serve, and I am confident they can make meaningful contributions to our community with their experience and their expertise,” he said.

Mr Cai, 35, is executive director of the Chinatown Heritage Centre, which aims to raise awareness of the history of early Chinatown and the lives of early pioneers. He is also the director of Citizen Adventures, a ground-up organisation that conducts learning journeys to spark conversations on social issues.

Mr Cai Yinzhou will take over from Dr Ng in Toa Payoh Central.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Earlier in his career, he was an eldercare professional managing active ageing centres and working with partners to build environments to help seniors stay active and healthy.

Mr Cai, who also spoke in Teochew, said caregiving is an issue close to his heart. He is concerned about caring for caregivers, and involving family members, social service agencies as well as volunteers and neighbours in providing support.

“I hope to implement some of these ideas... As we prepare for the effects of an ageing population, I will speak up for the support of caregivers, (and for) not just seniors, but also adults and children with disabilities or special needs,” the father of two said.

Ms Chen, 41, was a crime reporter with Singapore Press Holdings from 2007 to 2011. She later became a General Paper lecturer at Hwa Chong Institution.

She also started volunteering as a tutor with charity CampusImpact, where she was appointed executive director in 2018.

She is a district councillor on the Social Support Standing Committee at the North West Community Development Council and has supported policies for those who fall through the social safety nets.

Ms Elysa Chen will take over in Bishan East-Sin Ming.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Ms Chen is married with a two-year-old child. She said: “The rising cost of living has affected every single one of us. I will ensure that our residents are aware of and can access government and community resources.”

She was introduced as part of the Bishan-Toa Payoh team on April 13, alongside Mr Kawal Pal Singh, managing partner at law firm Tito Isaac & Co.

But on April 15, Mr Kawal ruled himself out of running in the election, saying he wanted to focus on balancing his professional commitments and time for his young family.

When asked about Mr Kawal being replaced, Mr Chee said: “Mr Kawal has explained his reasons for not standing in the election. So, we respect his decision, and we thank him for his continued support and contributions to the party.”


Regarding Marymount SMC, Ms Gan said she has done her best for the past five years.

“I have walked the ground, getting to know residents, helping the vulnerable residents, building the team, and also in creating a new Marymount identity,” she said.

“We have put in a lot of hard work to turn ideas into action. In the last five years, we have introduced new community programmes and upgraded common infrastructure to make Marymount more inclusive and accessible.

“Going forward, we know that our nation faces real economic and social challenges. I hope to have the opportunity to continue to walk alongside Marymount residents and fellow Singaporeans.”


In her election debut in 2020 in Marymount, Ms Gan won 55.04 per cent of the vote against former PSP candidate Ang Yong Guan, who garnered 44.96 per cent of the vote share.

Mr Chee said Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, being a mature estate, has a higher proportion of seniors than the national average. So, one of the key priorities of the team is to provide a safe and accessible environment for them.

“A lot of work has been put in to rejuvenate our estate, to improve the infrastructure and facilities, to make our town senior-friendly,” he said.

But the town also has new Build-To-Order flats with young families moving in, and the team wants to put in place initiatives catering to all ages.

He also touched on initiatives such as new bus services, sheltered linkways and lifts at overhead bridges for residents.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Ng Eng Hen, S’pore’s longest-serving defence minister, will not contest GE2025​

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said leadership succession is a cardinal strength of the party and that it was time for him to step down to make way for new candidates.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

Hariz Baharudin
Apr 19, 2025

SINGAPORE - Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who guided Singapore’s military strategy through an increasingly complex security environment, will retire from politics after over two decades in Cabinet.

The five-term MP announced on April 18 that he will not be contesting the general election.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the PAP’s slate for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC and Marymount SMC, Dr Ng said leadership succession is a cardinal strength of the party and that it was time for him to step down to make way for new candidates.

“I had informed (Prime Minister Lawrence Wong) some months back that it was time for me to continue that virtuous tradition to make room for renewal and regeneration of the PAP slate. I will not be contesting the next general election,” he said, thanking residents in the constituency for their trust over 24 years.

“It’s been an honour and privilege to serve my residents and Singaporeans at large,” Dr Ng, 66, said.

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat will succeed Dr Ng as the new anchor minister for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

“Mr Chee Hong Tat is more than capable, well established, and has proven himself over the last 10 years to have improved the lives of residents here,” Dr Ng said.

A surgical oncologist by training, Dr Ng entered politics as part of the PAP’s slate in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC at the 2001 General Election. He was appointed Minister of State for Education and Manpower shortly after, and became a full minister in 2004.

Dr Ng’s long association with Singapore’s defence fraternity began in 2005, when he was appointed Second Minister for Defence, while retaining his manpower portfolio. He took over as Defence Minister from Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean in 2011.

Responding to questions about his potential successor as defence minister, Dr Ng said PM Wong has confidence that his new team will have the resolve to face the challenges of a new world.

He noted that every government must navigate the tension between renewal and experience, and said it was a strength of the PAP that it continually pushes for leadership renewal. Older politicians must step aside for newer ones to prepare for the future.

“I have the confidence too as to particular portfolios, whether it’s defence or indeed any other ministry. I think within the new team, there is the wherewithal to be able to do it,” Dr Ng said.

“Obviously, some have less experience than others. But there’s only one way to gain experience, and that’s experience.”

Modernising the SAF​

As Minister for Defence, Dr Ng rolled out two long-term blueprints to modernise the Singapore Armed Forces and ensured it stayed a force capable of meeting evolving threats against Singapore.

The SAF 2030 initiative, which he unveiled in Parliament in 2014, aimed to turn the Republic’s three services – army, navy, air force – into a highly connected fighting force that could put up a credible defence, even as birth rates fell.

Among the changes the plan ushered in was a more motorised and mobile army with added Terrex infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs); Invincible-class submarines custom-built to meet the operational needs in Singapore’s tropical waters; and new Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft that extended the range of the air force’s fighter jets.

Dr Ng Eng Hen (centre) visits NSmen from 702 Guards participating in Exercise Golden Sand at Pulau Sudong on April 24, 2014.PHOTO: ST FILE
In 2024, Dr Ng announced the updated SAF 2040 blueprint. It took on board lessons from ongoing conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, where drones and anti-drone warfare came to prominence.

Unmanned and autonomous capabilities were therefore a major part of the plan to ensure the SAF maintains its operational edge in the years to come, even as warfare evolves.

For instance, the army will get new Titan IFVs, which not only have heavier armour and more firepower than the Terrex, but also come with counter unmanned aerial systems capabilities.

Meanwhile, the navy will replace its ageing missile corvettes with multi-role combat vessels, which are mother ships equipped with unmanned platforms, while the air force will have 20 F-35 fighter jets in its fleet by 2030.

Dr Ng also championed soldier training and oversaw the development of Safti City, a next-generation training facility in Lim Chu Kang designed to provide more realistic and integrated urban warfare training, which he announced in 2017.

In March, the SAF officially opened the first phase of this urban training facility, which allows soldiers to train in complex and realistic environments that provide feedback through real-time data analytics.

Dr Ng also presided over a significant reorganisation of the SAF when, in 2022, it established the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) as a full-fledged fourth branch.

The DIS is charged with protecting Singapore’s digital backbone and critical information technology infrastructure from cyber attacks and other emerging threats, while keeping the SAF’s technology stack at the cutting edge.


Under his watch, the Ministry of Defence also expanded the concept of Total Defence in 2019 with a sixth pillar, digital defence, to emphasise the need for every Singaporean to be vigilant against cyber threats and disinformation.

It was the first time since Total Defence was introduced in 1984 that the framework – meant to ensure Singapore’s resilience against all forms of threats – was changed, and reflected the growing importance of the digital space to daily life.

Singapore’s chief defence diplomat​

Dr Ng used his tenure as defence minister to deepen Singapore’s military-to-military ties with countries near and far, including major powers such as the United States and China.

In 2019, during the first Trump presidency, Singapore and the US updated and renewed a key defence pact which provides for the US security forces to use Singapore’s air and naval bases, and another agreement to establish a fighter jet training detachment in Guam.

In the same year, Dr Ng and then Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe signed an enhanced agreement to expand bilateral defence cooperation, which paved the way for new dialogues, academic exchanges and joint exercises between the two countries.

Dr Ng also played a key role in strengthening defence cooperation with Singapore’s neighbours, including Malaysia and Indonesia.

Dr Ng Eng Hen was appointed Minister of State for Education and Manpower shortly after entering politics in 2001 and became a full minister in 2004.PHOTO: ST FILE
With Malaysia, Dr Ng worked closely with successive defence ministers to strengthen military cooperation. This included the annual bilateral exercise Semangat Bersatu, as well as joint participation in multilateral frameworks such as the Five Power Defence Arrangements, alongside Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Defence ties with Indonesia were also deepened. Among the three landmark pacts that the two countries signed in 2022 was a Defence Cooperation Agreement, which clarified the SAF’s training in Indonesian waters and airspace while respecting Indonesia’s sovereignty over its territory and preserving Singapore’s rights.

Dr Ng Eng Hen (left) and Air Vice-Marshal A.P. Singh on their way to board the Indian Air Force’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft during a joint training exercise on Nov 28, 2018.PHOTO: MINDEF
A firm believer in the importance of defence diplomacy – he has occasionally quoted Winston Churchill’s axiom that “to jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war” – Dr Ng has been a regular presence at regional and international security forums, and is de facto host representing the Republic at the Shangri-La Dialogue that is held here each year.

At the same time, he is known to speak frankly about global challenges. At the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, he said Asian perspectives of the US had shifted from a country once perceived as a force of “moral legitimacy” to something akin to “a landlord seeking rent”.

His remarks made headlines around the world, and proved prescient when the US subsequently imposed sweeping tariffs on most of its trading partners.

One of the more high-profile episodes during Dr Ng’s time as defence minister was the 2016 Terrex incident, when nine SAF armoured vehicles were impounded by Hong Kong Customs while en route from Taiwan.

In Parliament, Dr Ng described the episode as a breach of international norms, and affirmed Singapore’s commitment to its training arrangements in Taiwan while upholding its “one China” policy.

Dr Ng (second from right) entered politics as part of the PAP’s slate in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC at the 2001 General Election.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
The SAF’s role in global humanitarian operations was expanded under Dr Ng’s leadership, and included deployments to Aceh after the 2004 tsunami, and an airlift of medical supplies and food to Gaza in 2023.

At home, the SAF also played a significant role in Singapore’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the height of the outbreak, SAF personnel were deployed to assist with contact tracing, operate community care facilities, and support logistics efforts such as the distribution of masks and food packs. Military doctors and medics were also seconded to public hospitals to ease manpower pressures.

Before assuming the defence portfolio, Dr Ng served as Second Minister for Defence from 2005 to 2011. He also held other Cabinet positions, including Minister for Education from 2004 to 2008 and Minister for Manpower from 2008 to 2011.

Dr Ng is among several veteran political office-holders expected to step down before the May 3 election. Senior Minister of State for Transport and Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor announced on April 14 that she would not be contesting GE2025.


When asked if the 4G leadership team is ready to take on key portfolios such as defence and foreign affairs, Dr Ng said no team – including the 3G leaders or Singapore’s founding generation – enters office fully prepared for crises.

He said leaders enter a period not being entirely sure, citing past challenges such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome, the global financial crisis and Covid-19.

But during the Covid-19 pandemic, the 4G leaders were in charge and proved themselves very capable, said Dr Ng.

He added that he was very confident that with the support of Singaporeans, the 4G team will be able to weather storms to come.

On what advice he would give to those entering politics, Dr Ng said they need to pay attention to their residents. There is no shortcut to walking the ground, he stressed, as Singaporeans are savvy and are quick to form their own impressions.

Dr Ng was also asked about his own plans, to which he quipped that April 18 was his “Liberation Day”, a reference to the term US President Donald Trump used when he announced his trade tariffs on April 2.

Dr Ng said he had no shortage of “varied interests” and recalled that when he first entered politics 24 years ago, he was still a practising surgeon and had not expected to join the Government.

“It was not a brief interlude. So I don’t think I’ll have a shortage of things to do. And I also have other grassroots activities that I like, that I can do. And I think I’ll be very happy,” he said.

Dr Ng’s political career​

Constituency served: Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC (2001 – 2025)

• MP for Toa Payoh Central ward

Political appointments:

• Minister of State for Education and Manpower (2002 – 2003)
• Acting Minister for Manpower; Minister of State for Education (2003 – 2004)
• Minister for Manpower; Second Minister for Education (2004 – 2005)
• Minister for Manpower; Second Minister for Defence (2005 – 2008)
• Minister for Education; Second Minister for Defence (2008 – 2011)
• Minister for Defence (2011 – 2024)
• Deputy Leader of the House (2007 – 2011)
• Leader of the House (2011 – 2015)
  

  ​

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: SM Lee to helm Ang Mo Kio GRC team, which has two new members​

(From left) Mr Yip Hon Weng, Mr Henry Kwek, Mr Ng Chee Meng, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, newcomers Jasmin Lau and Victor Lye, Mr Darryl David and Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin on April 19.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Chin Soo Fang and Sue-Ann Tan
Apr 20, 2025

SINGAPORE – Former senior civil servant Jasmin Lau and Mr Victor Lye, who contested Aljunied GRC in the past, will join the Ang Mo Kio GRC team helmed by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Rounding out the slate are incumbent Ang Mo Kio GRC MPs Darryl David, 54, and Nadia Ahmad Samdin, 35.

The two newcomers will replace Ms Ng Ling Ling, 53, and Mr Gan Thiam Poh, 61, who are stepping down.

Speaking at a press briefing at the PAP Teck Ghee branch on April 19, SM Lee, 73, said: “Over the years, we have spoken up on many national issues in Parliament, contributed to robust debate and improvements in government policy.

“The PAP team has also been busy on the ground, working closely with residents to improve lives.”

He added that the team has steadily improved the estate, with flat and lift upgrading, and new parks, transport lines and bus services, among other things.

He said the new team members will bring fresh ideas and energy to do good, alongside veterans like himself.


When asked if this was his last election, he said: “And one day, all of us will have to go. I do not know whether this is my last term, that’s up to the PM, but I will serve as long as I’m useful, and as long as the PM thinks I’m useful.”

SM Lee, who will anchor the team, has represented the Teck Ghee ward for 41 years, having been first elected to Parliament in 1984.


He said the GRC team and the Yio Chu Kang and Kebun Baru SMCs are part of the Ang Mo Kio extended family.

“We all work together in Ang Mo Kio Town Council to deliver a wider range of activities and more efficient services for residents,” he said. The arrangement will be extended to the newly formed Jalan Kayu SMC as well.

He also thanked Ms Ng and Mr Gan for their contributions, and touched on the improvements they have made to amenities in their areas. “I’m very grateful to them for their many contributions over the past years. They’ve put their heart and soul into serving residents,” he said.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong thanking retiring MPs Ng Ling Ling and Gan Thiam Poh at the PAP Teck Ghee branch on April 19.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
The new team was spotted together in Hougang Village, which is part of Ang Mo Kio GRC, on April 13. SM Lee stopped short of confirming the slate then, but said he would be delighted to have them on his team.

Ms Lau, 42, was previously a deputy secretary of policy at the Health Ministry. She oversaw manpower, financing and regulatory measures in the healthcare system.

She has experience working in different government departments and statutory boards, including the Economic Development Board, and served on the boards of various non-governmental organisations.

The mother of two has also represented Singapore as part of the national netball team.

SM Lee said: “She spent time in different ministries and stat boards, including the Economic Development Board, and most recently, she’s been a deputy secretary in the Health Ministry. She will bring fresh ideas to improve residents’ lives, mobilise people and make things happen.”

Drawing from her experiences in the sporting arena, Ms Lau said she had to learn new skills from playing netball in primary school to basketball in her 30s. But she could build on the strong foundations she had from netball, like how to play as a team, which helped her to pick up the new sport.

She said: “So moving from public service into politics feels a little bit like my transition from netball into basketball. For 19 years or so, I worked on healthcare, manpower and finance policies.

“These experiences are now the strong foundations that I bring into the new court of politics, and I believe that as I hone my skills, I will be able to serve Singaporeans effectively. Yes, there are new skills to pick up, new rules of the sport to learn, but I believe that I can learn them well.”

PAP newcomers Jasmin Lau and Victor Lye during the line-up announcement on April 19, 2025.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Mr Lye, 63, is founder and chief executive of an artificial intelligence-driven asset management fintech company. He was part of the PAP team for Aljunied GRC that lost to the WP in the 2015 and 2020 general elections.

In February, he stepped down as chairman of the PAP Bedok Reservoir-Punggol branch after 13 years.

He said he has walked the ground for years even when times were difficult, and added that, in effect, he has served three times, although not in Parliament, and he contested two elections no matter the odds.

He said: “We worked constantly to earn the trust of our people. Not just at election time, but right after every election, and in between every election. We have done our best.

“You may have one vote... If you do not use it well, the outcome can be quite damaging for our future.”


Ang Mo Kio is the largest GRC, with 161,235 electors, after Jalan Kayu SMC was carved out. The new SMC takes in areas that are in Ms Ng’s Jalan Kayu ward, and also parts of Mr Gan’s Fernvale ward.

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng will be fielded in the newly minted Jalan Kayu single seat.

The PAP team in Ang Mo Kio GRC secured 71.9 per cent of valid votes in the 2020 General Election against a Reform Party (RP) team.

Singapore United Party (SUP) secretary-general Andy Zhu and his team, who contested Ang Mo Kio GRC in GE2020 under the RP banner, polled 28.09 per cent of the vote.

A three-cornered fight is expected in Ang Mo Kio GRC between the PAP, SUP and People’s Power Party at the May 3 polls, unless one of the opposition parties opts to drop out.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Opposition People’s Alliance for Reform to field 14 candidates in 5 single seats and 2 GRCs​

PAR secretary-general Lim Tean speaking to the media at Pek Kio Market and Food Centre on April 18, 2025. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

Lim Min Zhang
Apr 19, 2025

SINGAPORE – The People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR) is planning to field 14 candidates in five single seats and two group representation constituencies for the coming election, its secretary-general Lim Tean said during a walkabout on April 18.

They comprise the single seats of Potong Pasir, Mountbatten, Radin Mas, Queenstown and Yio Chu Kang, as well as Jalan Besar GRC and Tanjong Pagar GRC.

PAR will not contest Marymount, Kebun Baru and Jalan Kayu SMCs, out of consideration for “the interests of the other parties and their movements”, Mr Lim said.

Speaking to reporters at Pek Kio Market and Food Centre, located at the boundary of Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar GRCs, he said: “This is a decision we will not go back on.”

Mr Lim was referring to the constituencies PAR has decided to contest.

That means Potong Pasir SMC could see a three-way contest, with the ruling PAP and the Singapore People’s Party (SPP) having thrown their hats into the ring. Lawyer Alex Yeo will contest under the PAP banner, taking the baton from outgoing three-term MP Sitoh Yih Pin.

The SPP has not unveiled its candidate for Potong Pasir, but the party has said it plans to field a candidate. Retired SPP chief Chiam See Tong held the constituency for 27 years from 1984, before Mr Sitoh won in 2011.


“Potong Pasir is one SMC we will 100 per cent contest. You are not going to see us back away,” said Mr Lim, who added that it is among the areas the party has spent the most time in, along with Jalan Besar GRC and Marymount.

But PAR’s line-ups for Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar have not been finalised. Both GRCs could see a straight fight with the PAP, which has won both constituencies by comfortable margins in recent elections.

In 2020, the PAP team in Jalan Besar led by Mrs Josephine Teo, who was then Manpower Minister, secured 65.37 per cent of the vote against the Peoples Voice team in the four-member GRC.

As for Tanjong Pagar GRC, the PAP team helmed by Education Minister Chan Chun Sing won 63.13 per cent of the vote against the Progress Singapore Party in 2020.

PAR is an alliance of three parties. Other than Peoples Voice, founded by Mr Lim, PAR also includes the Reform Party and the Democratic Progressive Party. A fourth party, the People’s Power Party, withdrew in February over “irreconcilable strategic differences”.

On April 18, Mr Lim introduced two candidates: Ms Vigneswari V. Ramachandran, 43, an early childhood educator who will most likely be fielded in Jalan Besar GRC, and Mr Mahaboob Baatsha, 57, an oil and gas company director who will be fielded in Queenstown.

This adds to the four candidates PAR has already unveiled. They are Mr Lim, PAR treasurer Mohamad Hamim, central executive committee member Chiu Shin Kong and lecturer Michael Fang, who will be fielded in Yio Chu Kang.

PAR secretary-general Lim Tean (centre), alongside (from right) Mr Mahaboob Baatsha and Mr Chiu Shin Kong at Pek Kio Market and Food Centre on April 18, 2025.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Ms Vigneswari first contested in 2011, under the Reform Party, when she was 29. She is now doing a master’s degree in inclusive and special education, and lived in Whampoa, in Jalan Besar GRC, for 13 years. She said she would advocate for special needs education.

Mr Mahaboob will be making his electoral debut. He said he has lived in Queenstown for more than 30 years, and that he wants to speak up for rental flat residents there, along with raising cost-of-living issues, which sparked his motivation to run this time.

Mr Lim described him as a stalwart of the Reform Party since 2009.

With the PAP and WP both issuing their manifestos on April 17, Mr Lim said that PAR’s manifesto will be published soon, before Nomination Day on April 23.

He said the PAR manifesto will have a maximum of 15 pages, focusing on five areas: cost of living, affordability of public housing, job insecurity, immigration issues and institutional reform.

Asked for his response to the PAP’s manifesto, he said: “The PAP seems to have gone barking mad over the Trump tariffs. Their whole campaign appears to be centred on the Trump tariffs when that is not really the concern of Singaporeans.”

US President Donald Trump had earlier in April imposed a baseline 10 per cent tariff on almost all foreign imports, including on Singapore goods. Singapore’s leaders have warned that such developments could slow global growth, with no exception for the Republic.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: WP introduces another 4 new faces, including IMH psychologist Ong Lue Ping​

Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh and chairman Sylvia Lim (seated in centre) with new candidates (from left) Jimmy Tan, Alexis Dang, Andre Low and Ong Lue Ping at the party's Geylang headquarters on April 18. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Clement Yong and Aqil Hamzah
Apr 19, 2025

SINGAPORE – The WP on April 18 unveiled another four new candidates it plans to field in the general election, without disclosing where they will be deployed.

The four candidates set to make their electoral debut on May 3 are:

• Dr Ong Lue Ping, 48, a senior principal clinical psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH);
• Mr Andre Low Wu Yang, 34, a staff project manager at a global fintech company;
• Ms Alexis Dang Pei Yuan, 39, a senior director at global advertising tech firm Teads;
• Mr Jimmy Tan, 53, co-founder of an industrial equipment supplying firm.

Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh and party chairwoman Sylvia Lim introduced the four candidates at a press conference.

Asked if new faces like Dr Ong would be leading any of the WP’s teams in the election, Mr Singh said some would be fielded in single seats and others in teams contesting group representation constituencies.

“As for the composition, the leadership, that will be made known to you soon,” he added.

The Straits Times expects WP to contest 31 out of 97 parliamentary seats this election, based on party sources and where potential candidates have been active.

The opposition party is expected to field 17 first-time candidates in 2025 – a record for WP. Eight have been confirmed so far in the last two days at WP’s headquarters in Geylang.


The party is expected to introduce more candidates over the next few days.

The four candidates set to make their electoral debut on May 3 are (clockwise from top left) Mr Jimmy Tan, Ms Alexis Dang Pei Yuan, Dr Ong Lue Ping and Mr Andre Low.PHOTOS: WORKERS’ PARTY

1. Ong Lue Ping, 48​

Dr Ong has been touted as one of the opposition’s “star catches”. He was previously IMH’s director of allied health from 2022 to 2024 – among 10 of its most senior leaders – and is now its senior principal clinical psychologist, having worked there for 22 years.

He said he decided to step down from his leadership post at IMH when he joined opposition politics because of the possibility of a perceived conflict of interest.

“But it is a decision that I don’t regret because, basically, I am just serving Singapore in another way,” he added.

In February, Dr Ong was seen walking the ground in the newly created Punggol GRC alongside three-time WP candidate and former Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong. He has been volunteering as a case writer for incumbent Hougang SMC MP Dennis Tan since 2023.

A father of three teenagers, aged between 14 and 19, Dr Ong said he decided to join WP as he came to feel that “only the privileged in society get to sail in cruise ships, while most ordinary Singaporeans sail in bumboats”.

He called for more socially just and equitable policies. “Every day, my colleagues and I fight tooth and nail to help our patients overcome their emotional struggles, but we often feel helpless in the face of systemic challenges affecting the mental health of our patients.

“This is why I think it is time for me to step up to also address the structural challenges which affect the mental health of our Singaporeans in Parliament.”

Dr Ong is advocating for an optional 10-year through-train programme that would exempt pupils from having to sit the PSLE, which would leave more time for “joyful learning and creative thinking”. The policy was proposed in WP’s manifesto, which was released on April 17.

Ms Lim, who is a lawyer, said a personal highlight for her was also Dr Ong’s role between 2020 and 2023 as panel adviser of the youth court relating to children and young persons.

2. Andre Low Wu Yang, 34​

Mr Low started out as a disputes lawyer before venturing into the start-up space, building products in legaltech, urban mobility and healthtech.

He worked at Amazon Web Services as a technical programme manager before joining Boston Consulting Group as a management consultant. He is now with a global fintech company.

Mr Low joined WP in 2020 and was appointed secretarial assistant to Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua immediately after the election, despite having joined the party for just a month then. Mr Low called it a “trial by fire”.

The only child of two teachers, he said his parents had taught him never to take the status quo for granted.

He himself will soon become a father, which he said has spurred him to take on a more active role in building a “better Singapore for our future generations”.

Working for the party has given him the opportunity to interact with those who are less privileged, including single parents who struggle with juggling work and childcare duties, and elderly Singaporeans who cannot navigate the complex healthcare system.

“For every resident that we have managed to help, there is another that we cannot do much for. Every one of these left me feeling a little bit trapped. I have seen first-hand how policies can impact real people and real lives,” Mr Low said.

3. Alexis Dang Pei Yuan, 39​

Ms Dang started her career in banking, then switched to the technology industry in 2017, leading partnerships with media owners and helping them attract traffic at global advertising tech firm Teads.

Before that, she was a relationship manager in wealth management and private banking for 6½ years.

Ms Dang, who was born in Singapore and spent her childhood in Taiwan, said she cares most about education, especially bilingual education.

She has been involved with WP for five years, since the last general election.

Among other things, she helps the WP translate its parliamentary speeches from English to Mandarin, and also hosts and plans its annual Chinese New Year dinners.

She said she decided to join WP because she believes Singapore has “reached a stage of civic maturity”.

“It is time for more diverse, more ground-up voices to be heard in Parliament. Volunteering with the party, I’ve been inspired by its dedication, commitment and courage to serve.”

4. Jimmy Tan, 53​

Mr Tan joined WP as a volunteer in 2018 and became secretarial assistant to Mr Singh in 2023. He helped to oversee weekly Meet-The-People Sessions and organised estatewide events, before becoming a legislative assistant at the start of 2025.

He is co-founder of Immanuel Engineering, a family-run business that supplies industrial equipment.

There has been speculation he will be fielded in five-member Tampines GRC, where he will be part of a team challenging a PAP team led by Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli.

Mr Tan, a father of two daughters, said his political awakening came after the Government passed a constitutional amendment that raised the eligibility criteria for candidates contesting the presidential election in 2016.

He said he envisions Singapore having a more balanced political system with opposition representation, as “no political party has the monopoly on wisdom”.

The one-time winner of Chinese singing competition Golden Age Talentime in 2023 added that the main concerns which residents have shared with him are high housing, university and healthcare costs.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Ex-AIC chief Dinesh Vasu Dash answered two calls to serve: To fight Covid-19 and to join the PAP​

Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash said he will advocate for minority issues that he is deeply passionate about.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Ng Wei Kai and Goh Yan Han
Apr 19, 2025

SINGAPORE – It was a done deal. The papers had been signed and Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, then 45, was ready to hang up his army greens after 23 years for his first taste of the private sector life as a chief operating officer at a trade finance firm.

But the brigadier-general received a request from two senior civil servants amid the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, asking him to reconsider.

They wanted him to join the Health Ministry to help run operations fighting the pandemic.

He agreed, becoming director of its crisis strategy and operations group from June 2020 to October 2023. There, he oversaw Covid-19 testing, quarantine, case management, contact tracing, as well as the vaccination drive, which he is most well known for.

Some time in early 2024, he received another request – this time from then Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, inviting him to consider politics.

“I remember telling him: ‘I can help you as a civil servant; I need not join politics to help you,’” said Mr Dinesh, 50, one of the PAP’s 32 new candidates.

Mr Dinesh was at the time chief executive of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), which coordinates care services for seniors.

He resigned on March 28, 2025, and was later seen with PAP MPs at community events in East Coast GRC.

About a month later, his candidacy was publicly confirmed by Prime Minister Wong on April 17 at the party’s manifesto launch event.

Of the session with PM Wong, Mr Dinesh said: “I felt that he was a person who was genuine and very sincere, and he was a straight shooter, so he will tell you things as they are.

“And that appealed to me, and I felt that then I should be part of his team, if I had the honour of doing so.”

Speaking to The Straits Times on April 17, Mr Dinesh said he had been observing local and global politics for several years.

He said: “I see what’s happening globally where many countries have regressed into a very inward view of politics, a very inward view of themselves.

“And I think if Singapore gets to that state, we may not be able to recover.”


He then decided it was important for him to support any political party which was able to bring Singapore forward.

Mr Dinesh said: “I couldn’t quite help but come to the conclusion that the best way to do it continues to remain with the PAP.”

He added that during the “tea session” – an informal name for the PAP interviews with prospective candidates – PM Wong highlighted skills of his which would be an asset to the party. “Me being a mobiliser of sorts. Me being able to organise large-scale events, as I did during Covid-19 during the height of the pandemic.”

Mr Dinesh attributed some of his operational skills to his military background.

In the SAF, he handled multiple portfolios, rising to the rank of brigadier-general. These included ramping up Singapore’s homeland security, building a closer link between the Singapore Armed Forces and the Singapore Police Force, as well as overseeing the Trump-Kim summit held in the Republic in 2018.

He brought this ability to organise at a large scale to Covid-19 operations, which he described as a “military precision logistic chain” – especially in the case of vaccine delivery.

On his time in the Ministry of Health (MOH), he said: “I was involved in every operation that MOH had done, from testing to quarantine to case management to contact tracing to every single thing under the sun, including home recovery.”

These experiences have armed him with the skills to be an MP, he said.

These are: being able to understand what residents are going through; knowing what policymaking is about; and how to operationalise policy to ensure it reaches the people.

“I am able to see through the full cycle if I were in politics, whereas in any other portfolio, you realise that you’re seeing a certain snapshot of this,” said Mr Dinesh.

When asked about criticism from some quarters that the PAP draws too much from the military’s top ranks, Mr Dinesh said: “First, I would urge whoever is making the criticism to examine the individual, by not looking at his or her rank, but to look at the person for what the person is.”

Singapore is too small to be slapping labels on people to determine their suitability for politics, said Mr Dinesh.

“There’s a certain ‘wokeness’, almost, in the way in which military people in general are being seen. But after all, he or she must have some form of skills, talents, values,” he said.


It is unclear which constituency Mr Dinesh will stand in, although he has been seen in East Coast.

What is certain is that he will be a minority candidate from the Indian community – and will advocate for minority issues that he is deeply passionate about.

“I am a Tamil speaker. I understand the psyche of minorities in this country, not just Tamils or Indians alone,” he said, adding that he has done some work in the Singapore Indian Development Association and the Hindu Endowments Board.

Work needs to be done on integration within the Indian community, he said, including on the divides that threaten to pull it apart, such as language or place of origin.

He said: “It does not matter to me if you are a local Indian or a foreign-born Indian.

“As long as you are a Singaporean, it doesn’t matter to me if you’re a North Indian or a South Indian or a whatever Indian, because all of us are together, and we need to find ways to bring everybody together.”

He added that more can be done to uplift the community, and for there to be greater social mobility.

He said: “I do think that far more needs to be done, because if not, that could result in a certain segment of our population being left behind, inadvertently or unintentionally, and that’s not going to be good for anyone.”

Mr Dinesh, a father of three school-aged children, added that he also wants to speak up on helping people get back into the workforce if they have been out for some time.

Giving the example of his wife, who has taken breaks from work due to pregnancy and other commitments, he said: “Although she’s a PhD holder (in cancer biology), she does struggle in trying to get back into the workforce, because everybody else would have already moved up.

“So that is a real problem that the women face, and our women are more than adequately saddled with caregiving duties and motherhood duties more than men, because we are an Asian society.”

He added that politics is a constant topic of discussion within his extended family, where parties and policies are talked about, sometimes critically.

He said: “Don’t get me wrong, the PAP is not a perfect party. There are areas at which clearly you can do a bit better.”

But nobody else so far has presented an adequate remedy for Singapore’s unique geopolitical situation as an island nation with no hinterland, he said.

Giving the analogy of Singapore as a patient and political parties as doctors, he said: “The medication that the PAP proposes are in terms of its policies, its principles, its philosophies.” These come with their own side effects, he added.

He said: “Every single opposition party that I have seen from the time I’ve been observing politics till now constantly comments and complains about side effects.

“They never prescribe to you an alternative treatment.”