General Election 2025

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Every GE is about electing people with integrity and commitment: Chan Chun Sing​

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing at the PAP’s introduction of candidates for Aljunied GRC on April 13. One of the new candidates, Dr Faisal Abdul Aziz, is on the right.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Isabelle Liew
Apr 13, 2025

SINGAPORE - Beyond the number of seats that the PAP and opposition parties obtain, every general election is about electing people with integrity and commitment, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.

This is so that they can take care of residents at the local level, form a good government at the national level, and represent Singapore at the international level, Mr Chan, who is the PAP’s assistant secretary-general, said on April 13.

He was speaking at a media conference to unveil the PAP slate for opposition-held Aljunied GRC at Block 226 Serangoon Avenue 4.

The PAP aims to have a team with a mix of experienced and new members to earn Singaporeans’ mandate, amid the changing world order and uncertainties, he said.

Mr Chan added: “We aim to build a team that can command the respect and confidence of international partners to take us seriously, especially in times of turbulence, so that people can continue to have faith in Singaporeans and Singapore to put their investments here.”

This will allow the Government to continue to create good jobs and good prospects for fellow Singaporeans, he said.

Mr Chan’s message comes a day after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the upcoming general election will be held at a time of great global uncertainty.

Singaporeans will have to decide on the team they trust to chart the way forward for the nation, he said at a press conference on April 12 to unveil his team for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.

At the Aljunied event, Mr Chan noted that while many Singaporeans want a PAP government, they also want some opposition in Parliament.

The party takes every contest seriously and does not take any outcome as a given, he added.

“No PAP-held division is a sure win.”

Neither should opposition-held wards feel that they are the only ones with the responsibility to uphold the opposition presence in Parliament, he said.

The PAP teams in opposition-held Hougang, Aljunied and Sengkang have an especially tough mission as they are the “underdogs”, Mr Chan said.

The teams have worked hard and are focused on earning the trust and respect of the residents there, even though they may not have the chance to be in Parliament, he said.

Mr Lim Boon Heng, chairman of Singapore’s investment company Temasek and a former PAP MP, was also at the press conference.

The PAP will field four new faces to contest the WP-held Aljunied GRC – Dr Faisal Abdul Aziz, Mr Daniel Liu, Dr Adrian Ang and Mr Jagathishwaran Rajo.

Ms Chan Hui Yuh, who is the only remaining member from the PAP’s 2020 slate, will lead the five-member team.

The boundaries for Aljunied remain largely unchanged in the coming election, though three polling districts in Tampines West – comprising 3,834 voters – have been moved from Aljunied GRC to the PAP-held Tampines GRC.

As at Feb 1, Aljunied GRC has 144,032 registered electors.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: RDU introduces potential candidates for Nee Soon GRC​

(From left) Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad, Ms Sharon Lin and Mr Pang Heng Chuan were introduced as RDU’s team leads for the five-member Nee Soon GRC on April 13.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Deepanraj Ganesan
Apr 14, 2025

SINGAPORE – Opposition party Red Dot United (RDU) on April 13 introduced three potential candidates for Nee Soon GRC in the upcoming election.

Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad, a 57-year-old private school teacher who is RDU’s head of policy and its Malay bureau; Mr Pang Heng Chuan, 56, a tech start-up business director; and Ms Sharon Lin, 40, a senior consultant in the IT sector, were introduced as RDU’s team leads for the five-member group representation constituency.

All three are political newcomers and, if fielded, will be contesting their first general election.

Speaking to reporters near Chong Pang Market after a morning walkabout, RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon said the party is committed to engaging with the constituency and working with residents to “lift them up”.

“We want to work with the residents here,” he said. “We want to listen to them, we want to lift them up, and we want to lead in a very refreshing manner.

“And that will be the theme for Red Dot United as we embark on this campaign for Nee Soon GRC.”

Mr Philemon added that residents have given feedback about cleanliness in the area, citing problems with rats, and issues about high rents for food stalls.

The RDU party, which was founded in May 2020, had started walking the ground in Nee Soon in August 2024, said Mr Philemon, who highlighted the need for long-term solutions to address the challenges faced by residents, especially those related to food prices and daily expenses.

While he did not go into specifics, Mr Philemon said his team will bring “fresh ideas that will look at long-term solutions for the long-term problems that we have”.

In earlier comments on April 3, he had said that RDU will focus on cost of living and fair representation at the coming election.

The party will also call for the goods and services tax to be reverted to 7 per cent, and for Singapore’s carbon tax to be abolished.

In profile write-ups of the candidates, RDU said Dr Syed Alwi brings “intellectual rigour and moral clarity to politics” and is particularly committed to advancing the Malay/Muslim community.

Meanwhile, Mr Pang is an accomplished business leader, which makes him a strong advocate for policies that promote innovation and job security, said the party.

Ms Lin, who grew up in Yishun and is still living there, has worked in multinational corporations and taken part in national-scale technology projects. She has “extensive experience in cyber-security and digital systems”, said RDU.

Ms Lin told reporters that she had met fellow residents during walkabouts and among them were some senior citizens who shared their concerns about the rising cost of living that was “eating into their savings”.

She said: “Like many families in Yishun, my family members and I, we work very hard... we try to stretch every dollar that we earn and we got by all the hardships without complaints. That is why I’m standing here today because there are still many families in Yishun who are struggling to survive.”

RDU has identified Nee Soon GRC as one of seven constituencies it plans to contest.

The rest are Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Tanjong Pagar GRC, Jurong Central SMC, Jalan Kayu SMC and Radin Mas SMC.

Mr Philemon also highlighted the long tenure of incumbent PAP MP, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, in the Nee Soon area.

Mr Shanmugam has represented the Chong Pang ward since 1988, first under Sembawang GRC and later under Nee Soon GRC from 2011.

Mr Philemon said: “Familiarity is good, but sometimes familiarity leads to complacency. Familiarity may lead to a thinking that I already know what’s needed for this constituency, and so is that in the best interest of the residents?”

He also declared Nee Soon GRC the “heart of our campaign for GE2025”, but stopped short of confirming if he will be fielded there.

Mr Philemon was part of the RDU team that lost to the PAP in Jurong GRC at the last general election.

He added: “My election committee has decided that I should take the leadership in the contest that we will be having in GE2025 and this means not going to an SMC, but leading a GRC. I think it’s important for my team to see that I am there in the trenches with them.”

At the 2020 election, the PAP fielded a team in Nee Soon GRC consisting of Mr Shanmugam, Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Mr Louis Ng, Mr Derrick Goh and Ms Carrie Tan.

They retained Nee Soon GRC with 61.9 per cent of the vote, against the Progress Singapore Party.

But there will be changes to the incumbents’ slate.

Ms Sharon Lin, 40, a senior consultant in the IT sector, greeting residents around the Chong Pang area on April 13.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
On April 11, Associate Professor Faishal said he had accepted Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s request for him to move to Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC for the upcoming general election.

Ms Goh Hanyan, a former director at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information; former Nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi; and the PAP’s former Hougang branch chairman Jackson Lam are the ruling party’s potential new candidates who are likely to be fielded for Nee Soon GRC.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: PAP new face Shawn Loh an excellent fit for Jalan Besar GRC, says Josephine Teo​

Mr Shawn Loh (standing) meets with Kids Carnival participants at the SG60 Kid's Carnival, at the National Library on April 13.PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Judith Tan
Apr 13, 2025

SINGAPORE - Mr Shawn Loh, a former director with the Ministry of Finance (MOF), “is an excellent fit for the residents of Jalan Besar”, said Mrs Josephine Teo, who helms the PAP team in Jalan Besar GRC.

“I will certainly hope the Prime Minister considers fielding Shawn within our constituency,” said Mrs Teo, who is also Minister for Digital Development and Information.

She was answering a question from the media on the sidelines of the town’s SG60 Kids’ Carnival, held at the grounds of the National Library on April 13, on whether Mr Loh will be fielded in Jalan Besar.

“We want to put together as strong a team as possible that can serve the residents’ needs. We have been very fortunate these last few years that we have a team that brought different perspectives as well as resources to the table,” she said.

Mr Loh, 38, was director of security and resilience programmes at MOF and one of eight new PAP faces revealed in a video by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on April 12.

He was the Budget director for 2024 and 2025, which were the first Budgets to include programmes from the Forward Singapore engagement exercise.

Mr Loh joined MOF in June 2023, and worked on programmes including the CDC and SG60 voucher schemes.

Prior to joining the ministry, he was the Economic Development Board’s vice-president of Singapore businesses as well as industry manpower development.

Mrs Teo said that with the present economic conditions having changed “quite dramatically”, Mr Loh’s rich experiences in both the private and public sectors and international outlook could help the team “strengthen our programmes and initiatives to support (the small and medium enterprises) better”.

Mr Loh, a father of four who is currently with local company Commonwealth Capital Group, said: “I think a lot of businesses are concerned about the (present) environment and I hope to be able to help in that capacity.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: ‘This would be the place I want to represent,’ says Desmond Choo on new Tampines Changkat SMC​

Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo (centre) interacting with the residents of Tampines Changkat on April 13.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Aqil Hamzah
Apr 13, 2025

SINGAPORE – Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo has indicated he wants to stay put in his ward, which was recently carved out as Tampines Changkat SMC.

Mr Choo said an MP in a single-member constituency can provide more dedicated attention to residents, while MPs in group representation constituencies have to consider the bigger picture and needs of the GRC.

He added: “I’ve been here (in this ward) for 10 years. If there’s an opportunity, this would be the place I want to represent.

“So if there’s any place I hope the Prime Minister will send me, that would be Tampines Changkat.

“Many residents have come up to me, saying that they know Tampines Changkat has been carved out, but we hope that you stay here with us, and I hope to honour that trust.”

The PAP has yet to announce its slate for Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC.

Mr Choo, who was speaking to the media on April 13 after the launch of a joint initiative between Tampines Town Council and public transport operator SBS Transit, is also Mayor of the North East district and chairman of the town council.

He had earlier engaged residents at a coffee shop in Tampines Street 11, giving them updates on route enhancements made to bus service 292 and the locations of community fridges in Tampines Changkat.

He also told them about the debut of refurbished MRT seats as public benches in Tampines Changkat.

The seats, which are from the first generation of trains serving the North East Line, will eventually be placed in 169 locations in Tampines.

In total, 216 seats will be installed at drop-off points, sheltered linkways and void decks in the estate by 2026.

Mr Choo also reassured some residents who said they were concerned that service quality might be lower with Tampines Changkat carved out of the GRC.

“Some people have said they are worried if the service will be the same. My assurance to everybody is that the service will be the same as before. In fact, it will be better,” he said.

Mr Choo was also asked about former chief of army David Neo, who was announced as a member of the PAP’s Tampines GRC team on April 12.

The line-up has yet to be confirmed.

Mr Choo, who met Mr Neo one week earlier and took him around Tampines Round Market and Food Centre, said the former major-general was warmly received.

“He came across as friendly and accessible to residents, and I think he will be an asset to the Tampines team if the Prime Minister does decide to field him as part of the Tampines GRC team,” he said

Anchor minister Masagos Zulkifli earlier said that Mr Neo, 47, has joined the team at many events around Tampines, and has followed the incumbents on house visits.

His appearance in the constituency was first publicised in a Facebook post by Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng on April 5, when he visited a block in Tampines North.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: 3 new faces to be part of PAP’s Sengkang GRC team​

PAP's Sengkang GRC team members (from left) Elmie Nekmat, Theodora Lai, Lam Pin Min and Bernadette Giam at 303A Anchorvale Link on April 13.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Ang Qing
Apr 13, 2025

SINGAPORE – Three new faces will be fielded as part of the PAP’s slate for the four-member Sengkang GRC in the upcoming general election, said former senior minister of state Lam Pin Min.

“I sincerely hope that Sengkang residents can give us a chance to serve them as their elected representatives. A vote for our team means experienced leadership, renewed energy and the steadfast commitment to Sengkang’s progress,” the ophthalmologist said at a press conference on April 13 in Anchorvale, which was once his ward of Sengkang West.

Dr Lam, 56, will lead three political newcomers in attempting to win back the WP-held group representation constituency. They are Ms Theodora Lai, 39, a principal at private equity firm Tembusu Partners; Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, 43, who teaches communications and new media at the National University of Singapore; and Mrs Bernadette Giam, 38, a director at local food and beverage enterprise Creative Eateries.

All four are PAP branch chairpersons for Sengkang.

Dr Lam is the only member retained from PAP’s 2020 slate, which was helmed by then Cabinet minister Ng Chee Meng.

“Though we come from different professional backgrounds, we share the same passion to serve Sengkang residents and to win back their trust,” Dr Lam said about the 2025 team.

In a major upset, the 2020 team that had three political office-holders lost the newly formed constituency to a fresh-faced WP slate comprising lawyer He Ting Ru, financial analyst Louis Chua, economics professor Jamus Lim and social enterprise founder Raeesah Khan. The WP team secured 52.12 per cent of the vote at the 2020 election, making it only the second time the WP had won in a GRC, after it triumphed in Aljunied in 2011.

Dr Lam said the refreshed PAP slate is one of the outcomes from a post-mortem that had been conducted after the defeat of the PAP’s all-male slate, which also included then Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health Amrin Amin and lawyer Raymond Lye.

Unlike the previous line-up, the new team is younger, with an average age of 43, and has two working mothers.

Addressing the concern that the latest slate does not feature a political heavyweight, Dr Lam said the 2020 election loss had showed that it was not about the presence of political office-holders. Rather, he said, it was about sending “the right person with the right heart and passion”, adding that his decision to face WP in Sengkang again stems from his experience serving the area for the past 20 years.

He said: “We have a right mix of different candidates from different backgrounds, and we also have very young candidates, who can best represent the aspirations and the needs of the young families.”

Two of the new faces were introduced at the earliest possible time when Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, added Dr Lam. This was so they could have the opportunity to build rapport with residents. In 2022, Ms Lai replaced Mr Ng as PAP branch chairperson of Sengkang North, and Prof Elmie took over Sengkang Central from Mr Amrin.

But they had already begun walking the ground as volunteers even before their formal appointments, and spoke of some residents’ concerns that they have heard over the past four years.

Said Prof Elmie: “I have had a very concerned father, during one of my house visits, exclaiming very loudly to me that the Government must do more to protect our children from social media.

“I have also had parents sharing with me how their children are undergoing depression due to being bullied or harassed on social media.”

Like Dr Lam, Ms Lai and Prof Elmie have conducted house visits and grassroots events as advisers to Sengkang grassroots organisations, appointed by the People’s Association.

However, Mrs Giam was appointed chairwoman of Sengkang East, which covers the estates of Rivervale, only in end-January, making her the PAP’s third branch chairperson for the area in three years. But she has worked hard to build rapport by walking the ground on an almost daily basis, so much so that she could risk missing the experience of her children growing up, said Dr Lam.

This is a familiar concern for Mrs Giam, who has fielded questions about her decision to enter politics despite being the mother of a seven-year-old girl and a toddler. She said: “My children are young, but it is exactly because of this that I can better represent Sengkang parents.”

The team is under no illusions that winning Sengkang GRC will be easy, said Dr Lam, noting that the PAP has never won back a GRC in Singapore’s brief political history.

But he thinks there is a case to be made against those who vote for the opposition on the assumption that they will still be served by the losing PAP candidates who stay on to serve as grassroots advisers and branch chairs, resulting in a “one plus one” situation where residents are cared for by two parties.

Dr Lam said: “One plus one can be less than one... Because in an opposition ward where there are two different party representatives working together, where there is actually conflict in policies, not working in coordination, there will be a drop in the efficiency, and the outcome may be poorer.”

Prior to their political debut, the slate’s three new faces contributed to initiatives in the party and various communities in Singapore.

Prof Elmie, who has been a party activist since 2016, serves in several media policy groups, including the Media Literacy Council, and advocates for the Malay language and community in public bodies, including the Education Ministry’s Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee.

Ms Lai was a founding member and chairwoman of the Young Women’s Leadership Connection, a network for young women mooted by Singapore’s first female Cabinet minister Lim Hwee Hua. She has been active in the party since 2009, starting off as a writer at Meet-the-People Sessions before eventually chairing the PAP Policy Forum between 2018 and 2020.

Mrs Giam has been involved in community volunteer work, including with the PAP Women’s Wing, for more than a decade, leading projects like a pre-school outreach across Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

On social media, the battle for Sengkang has already begun, with both the WP and PAP teams posting regularly about their engagements with residents under the same hashtags of Team Sengkang and Sengkang GRC.

The WP has yet to announce its Sengkang slate, although senior property manager at Aljunied-Hougang Town Council Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik has been tipped to fill the slot vacated by Ms Khan, who resigned in 2021 after lying in Parliament.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Singapore’s diverse society must be protected amid global troubles: PM Wong at Bukit Panjang event​

PM Lawrence Wong taking a photo with Bukit Panjang residents during the SG60 Raya Bersama event on April 13.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
Lee Li Ying and Christine Tan
Apr 13, 2025

SINGAPORE – Singapore’s multiracial and diverse society is precious, and amid global troubles, all effort must be made to protect that, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

“What we have here is precious, and what we have here must always be protected and cherished,” he told residents at a Hari Raya celebration near Pending LRT station on April 13.

Despite coming from different backgrounds and cultures, and having different perspectives, “we will always be one Singapore”, said PM Wong, who was attending a community event in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC for the first time after becoming prime minister.

“And when we celebrate a festival, like now, whether it is Hari Raya, whether it is Deepavali, whether it is Chinese New Year... we all celebrate as one family together. So, long may this spirit of solidarity and unity continue in Singapore,” he said.

The SG60 Raya Bersama event on April 13 was attended by residents of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC.

Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MPs – anchor minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann, and MPs Christopher de Souza and Edward Chia – were present, along with MP for Bukit Panjang SMC Liang Eng Hwa.

There were no new faces – political newcomers who might contest in the upcoming election – spotted at the event, where residents enjoyed traditional Malay games, performances and local food, including dishes from home-based businesses.

Before the event, PM Wong joined the other MPs in interacting with residents and taking wefies at Bangkit Market in Bukit Panjang.

He had also met religious leaders and visited a community pantry at Masjid Al-Iman, where a food distribution drive was scheduled for families in need.

During the event, PM Wong reiterated his message on the need for Singapore to be resolute and united in the face of a changed world.

“We know that we are living in very difficult times globally. The recent developments have made for a very uncertain outlook in the world.

“But we will do everything we can to make sure, despite the turbulence, despite the uncertainties, that Singapore will always remain a beacon of stability and harmony,” said PM Wong.

His comments come after a ministerial statement in Parliament on April 8, in which he said the recent tariffs imposed by the US will hurt the Singapore economy. He had also released a video on April 4 detailing the “harsh reality” of these moves.

Fears of a trade war continue to escalate after sweeping trade tariffs were imposed by the US government on countries worldwide, including Singapore.

PM Wong’s islandwide engagements have stepped up a gear in the past weeks, with appearances across the island, from Marsiling to Marine Parade, and Serangoon to Sengkang, in the lead-up to the upcoming election.

Holland-Bukit Timah is a four-member group representation constituency with 122,891 voters. There are many private home dwellers in the area.

The GRC has been a battleground between the PAP and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) in the past three elections. In the 2015 and 2020 elections, the PAP secured about 66 per cent of the vote, while the SDP garnered the remaining one-third. In the 2011 polls, the PAP clinched 60.08 per cent of the vote.

Bukit Panjang was one of the most hotly contested seats in GE2020, with Mr Liang facing SDP chairman Paul Tambyah. The PAP retained the seat with 53.73 per cent of the vote.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

‘We hear you, I hear you’: PM Wong’s message to young S’poreans, first-time voters​

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he wants to work with the young to take on challenges to come.PHOTO: LAWRENCE WONG/FACEBOOK

Lee Li Ying
Apr 14, 2025

SINGAPORE – You have high standards for how life should be, you are not distracted or overly sensitive. You are paying attention.

That is what Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said to young Singaporeans and first-time voters, in a two-minute social media post released on April 13.

Rebutting online remarks featured in the video that Gen Zs are “soft” and “full of themselves”, and that they “lack resilience”, PM Wong said such comments miss the full picture and fail to see something crucial about the generation.

“Your generation embodies a new desire to not settle for the status quo and with the way the world is moving. We hear you. I hear you,” PM Wong said.

“For many of you, this will be your first time voting, and it will be my first time standing for election for a chance to lead our nation.

“I take my role seriously. I want to be able to lead our country well.”

PM Wong added that he wants to work with young people to take on challenges to come, and he sees many things that should be improved.

“I want to make life in Singapore one where everyone can be their best selves, where life can be rich with meaningful experiences and learning,” he said.

“Singapore should be a place where our dreams can be worked on, a place where we can find belonging, even though the world is starting to look uncertain.”


Nine PAP candidates set to contest the opposition-held constituencies of Aljunied, Hougang and Sengkang are featured in the video.

They come from different backgrounds and include working mothers, those from the private sector and those who had to overcome the odds while growing up.

At a separate event on April 13, PM Wong touched on diversity and minority representation.

Speaking at an evening dialogue with Indian youth that was organised by Tamil Murasu at Huone Singapore, he acknowledged the community’s outsized contributions to Singapore in areas from business to government, and promised that new PAP candidates in the upcoming general election will include those from the Indian community.

He also called on the community to continue building a distinctive Singaporean Indian identity.

“You can be proud of your ethnic roots and at the same time proud to be a Singaporean, that is what we mean by being Singaporean,” said PM Wong.

The call to come together as “one Singapore” and protect the nation’s multiracial and diverse society amid global troubles was also made at a Hari Raya celebration held in Bukit Panjang earlier in the day.

“We know that we are living in very difficult times globally. The recent developments have made for a very uncertain outlook in the world,” said PM Wong.

“But we will do everything we can to make sure, despite the turbulence, despite the uncertainties, that Singapore will always remain a beacon of stability and harmony.”

On April 12, PM Wong had said the PAP would field its largest number of new candidates in recent history – more than 30 faces – in its 2025 slate.

Introductions of the PAP slates for opposition-held areas were carried out on April 13. The candidates, who are mostly political newcomers, were unveiled at separate press conferences held in their respective constituencies.

They are criminal lawyer Marshall Lim, who will contest Hougang SMC; and marketing director Chan Hui Yuh, dentist Faisal Abdul Aziz, managing director Daniel Liu, business director Adrian Ang and trade unionist Jagathishwaran Rajo, who will contest Aljunied GRC.

The PAP team standing in Sengkang GRC comprises former senior minister of state Lam Pin Min, principal at a private equity firm Theodora Lai, communications and new media professor Elmie Nekmat and food and beverage director Bernadette Giam.

Hougang SMC is the constituency held longest by the opposition in Singapore’s electoral history, and has been in the hands of WP since former party chief Low Thia Khiang won it in 1991.

In 2011, Aljunied GRC was the first group representation constituency to be won by an opposition party since the GRC system was introduced.

A WP team then led by Mr Low secured 54.72 per cent of the vote. After their vote share dropped to 50.96 per cent in 2015, WP managed a near 10-point swing in the polls during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 to win with 59.95 per cent.

Sengkang GRC was the latest GRC to fall to WP, with 52.13 per cent of the vote in 2020.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Indian community has made outsize contributions to S’pore, will be among new PAP faces: PM Wong​

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong taking a wefie at a dialogue with Indian youth on April 13.PHOTO: TAMIL MURASU

Christine Tan
Apr 14, 2025

SINGAPORE – New PAP candidates in the upcoming election will certainly include members of the Indian community, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, as he affirmed the ethnic group’s contributions at a dialogue with Indian youth.

Indians in Singapore have made outsized contributions to the country in many areas, including in business, industry and the Government, said PM Wong.

Speaking at the dialogue on April 13, PM Wong said: “You may be a small community, but, certainly, your contributions to Singapore and the impact that you have on Singapore are not small at all.

“In fact, I would say you already reflect that Singapore spirit. Your story is a story of Singapore – small and yet punching above your weight.”

Indians represented 7.6 per cent of Singapore’s citizens, while Malays and Chinese made up 15.1 per cent and 75.6 per cent of the population, respectively, in 2024.

The Vaanga Ippo Pesalaam Chat (Come, Let’s Chat in Tamil), or VIP Chat, was organised by newspaper Tamil Murasu and held at Huone Singapore, an event space in Clarke Quay. During the 90-minute dialogue, PM Wong and Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Janil Puthucheary engaged with about 130 youth.

In the 2020 General Election, the PAP did not field any Indian candidates among its slate of 27 new faces, which sparked questions about the ethnic group’s representation in Parliament.

In his opening remarks, PM Wong said Singapore has benefited from many Indian civil servants, such as Dr Janil, who is also Senior Minister of State for Health.

The Prime Minister said there will be new Indian candidates from the PAP for the upcoming election but did not give further details or names.

New faces who have been spotted with political leaders recently include former Agency for Integrated Care chief executive Dinesh Vasu Dash, who accompanied East Coast GRC MPs on a mosque visit to Chai Chee in March.

Managing partner at law firm Tito Isaac & Co, Mr Kawal Pal Singh, was seen speaking to residents at Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre, alongside Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat, one of four incumbents at Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, on April 13.

And among the new faces in PAP’s team to contest opposition-held Aljunied GRC is Mr Jagathishwaran Rajo, a trade unionist for 13 years.

A day earlier, PM Wong unveiled eight new PAP faces in a video and said the party will field more than 30 new candidates – the largest in recent history – in its 2025 line-up.

One of them is Indian orthopaedic surgeon Hamid Razak, who has been spotted at community events in Jurong Spring since 2024. He is expected to be fielded in the newly minted West Coast-Jurong West GRC.

In his remarks, PM Wong also encouraged participants to continue building a distinctive Singaporean Indian identity.

He said the Indian community here is very diverse and has retained its traditions while evolving into a different culture.

“For the Singaporean Indian, your values, your norms, your way of thinking, are different from Indians in India. And it is something precious that we have created here. It is a Singaporean attitude, mindset, way of life.

“You can be proud of your ethnic roots and at the same time proud to be a Singaporean, and that is what we mean by being Singaporean,” said PM Wong.

He encouraged participants to embrace their roots and also engage with fellow Singaporeans outside their community to “enlarge the common space we share”.

PM Wong added: “This is how we can try, even as a little red dot, how we can ensure we remain strong and united. We can continue to have harmony with one another, even in a very turbulent world which we already see today.”

Dr Janil noted that the small size of the Indian community could be a boon. “We can remain in close contact with everybody, leverage the connections, the networks, the friendships, the trust that we have. It is an advantage of being a small and potentially much more closely knit community,” said Dr Janil.

He also said that though most youth in Singapore share the same concerns, the Indian community represents issues of race, religion and language differently.

The young people at the dialogue were between the ages of 18 and 35, and they represented four universities and 14 community organisations. They asked a variety of questions ranging from protecting the Indian community amid growing ethno-religious violence, to concerns including cost of living, housing and employment.

In response, the panellists called for Singaporeans to be vigilant against extremist views and reassured participants that the Government is tackling the bread-and-butter issues raised.

The dialogue was held under Chatham House rules, which allow for reporting of what was said but not who said it – including participants and panellists – to foster candour.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: PAP newcomer Foo Cexiang active in Punggol, could be fielded in new GRC​

Former senior civil servant Foo Cexian at the opening of Punggol Cove Rooftop garden, in the newly carved out Punggol SMC on April 13.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Nadine Chua
Apr 14, 2025

SINGAPORE – Former senior civil servant Foo Cexiang said he has been attending events and learning from the MPs currently overseeing Punggol estates, on the assumption that he will be fielded in the new four-member GRC.

Mr Foo, a former director at the Ministry of Transport, was speaking to reporters on April 13 at the unveiling of a revamped rooftop garden at Block 101 Punggol Field.

When asked if he would be running as a PAP candidate for Punggol GRC, the 40-year-old said: “That is still something to be determined. I’ve been sent here by the party to learn as much as I can from the MPs, and I’m doing my best.”

He added that he is working on the basis that he will be running in Punggol GRC, and trying to meet as many people as he can.

“I’ve met quite a few, but (there is still) a long way more to go,” he said.

Mr Foo has been seen with Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MPs over the past few weeks on walkabouts and events.

He joined Pasir Ris-Punggol grassroots organisations on April 2 after his last day at the Ministry of Transport on April 1.

He had overseen private and future mobility at the ministry, including electric vehicle policy, and been in the civil service for more than a decade.

Punggol GRC is expected to be fiercely contested in the coming election, with the WP likely to challenge the PAP.

The MPs currently overseeing Punggol estates are Senior Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and Information Janil Puthucheary, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling, and labour MP Yeo Wan Ling.

When asked what Mr Foo brings to the table, Ms Yeo said: “(He) is a young dad to three young kids, so I do think that he will be able to really relate to some of the aspirations that our residents and young families have here in Punggol. And I hope he will be able to bring in fresh new ideas.”

She added that Mr Foo has also said he wants to do more for seniors living in Punggol.

At the event, Ms Yeo said that the revamped garden is among the community spaces meant to support youth and seniors in the estate.

Jointly developed by Punggol Cove Residents’ Committee and Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council, the 4,785 sq m garden features three distinct themes: Sensory Garden, Community Gardening, and Exploring Biodiversity.

“Community spaces are vital to our precinct as they help strengthen bonds among residents. We’re committed to rejuvenating and creating more engaging and healthy environments for our youths, seniors and families,” said Ms Yeo.