Election spotlight: Race hots up in Tampines as multi-cornered fights loom
With battle lines redrawn and significant changes to many constituencies, which will be the ones under the spotlight in GE2025? The Straits Times dives into the issues and concerns on the ground in Tampines, where both a GRC and an SMC will be contested.
More than 280,000 people, or about 5 per cent of Singapore’s population, live in Tampines. Of these, some 170,000 are registered electors.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
David Sun and
Aqil Hamzah
Apr 03, 2025
SINGAPORE – Since its formation in 1988, Tampines GRC has borne witness to a two-way electoral race at every general election except in 1997, when there was a walkover.
But at the upcoming election, up to three opposition parties could end up contesting both the group representation constituency of about 147,900 voters and the newly carved out single seat of Tampines Changkat with around 23,800 voters.
Even before the electoral boundaries were redrawn on March 11, there was talk of a
possible four-way showdown between the incumbent PAP, the WP, National Solidarity Party (NSP) and People’s Power Party (PPP).
The NSP contested Tampines GRC in the 2020 election, while the PPP staked its claim in late February. The WP has been walking the area over the past two years, and looks set to field a team there as well.
More than 280,000 people, or about 5 per cent of Singapore’s population, live in Tampines. Of these, some 170,000 are registered electors.
Almost one in four residents in Tampines is Malay, making it the GRC with the highest proportion of Malay voters.
Its Malay population, at 23.6 per cent, is 10 percentage points above the national average, based on an ST analysis using Department of Statistics data from the 2020 population census.
Despite Tampines being a mature town, its population has continued climbing on account of new housing projects in recent years.
These include new Housing Board Build-To-Order projects in Tampines North such as Tampines GreenCourt, GreenDew and GreenFoliage.
Treasure at Tampines, completed in 2023, is Singapore’s largest condominium, with more than 2,200 units.
The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee has carved out Tampines Changkat, where the condo is located, because of population growth.
In the upcoming election, the five-member Tampines GRC will take in parts of the current Aljunied GRC, while losing some to the new Tampines Changkat SMC.
The new single-member constituency will also take in a part of the current East Coast GRC.
How the battle will shape up
Tampines GRC has been, for the most part, a PAP stronghold since it was formed in 1988 when the GRC system was introduced in Singapore.
At present, it is split into five wards: Tampines North, Tampines East, Tampines West, Tampines Central and Tampines Changkat.
At the last election in 2020,
the PAP team won 66.41 per cent of the vote, eclipsing the NSP, which garnered 33.59 per cent.
The winning team comprised Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli (Tampines West), who anchors the GRC; Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines North); Ms Cheng Li Hui (Tampines East); Dr Koh Poh Koon (Tampines Central); and Mr Desmond Choo (Tampines Changkat).
But the five-member team lost its sole female representative in 2023, after Ms Cheng
resigned over an extramarital affair with former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.
Mr Masagos, who is also Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, took over Ms Cheng’s duties in Tampines East.
He has said the upcoming five-year masterplan for Tampines will cover Tampines Changkat.
Mr Masagos told The Straits Times: “Changkat remains an integral part of Tampines, so the vision and plans are also made with Changkat division, and Changkat residents, in mind.
“The addition of one member will allow us to better serve the needs of Tampines residents, as well as address the specific concerns of Tampines Changkat.”
Dr Gillian Koh, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), said that in managing the estate, PAP GRCs will incorporate the adjoining SMCs into their town council arrangements.
The boundary revisions that moved Tampines Changkat out of Tampines GRC “would probably not present much of an issue for the incumbents”, she said.
It stands to reason that the PAP will field Mr Choo – who has overseen the ward since 2015 – there, making it a relatively safe seat, she said.
She added that multiple opposition parties gunning for the single seat would split the opposition vote, which would be “very handy” for the incumbents.
If the four sitting MPs run in Tampines again, the PAP will have to field two other candidates in the upcoming election, with the vacuum left by Ms Cheng and the prospect of Mr Choo helming Tampines Changkat.
One of those spots is expected to be filled by Dr Charlene Chen, a 43-year-old assistant professor of marketing at NTU, who was introduced to residents in June 2024.
Touted as Ms Cheng’s replacement, the former grassroots volunteer in Buona Vista is now a second grassroots adviser for Tampines GRC. She has been helming Meet-the-People sessions for residents in Tampines East since late 2024.
Dr Charlene Chen, a former grassroots volunteer in Buona Vista, is now a second grassroots adviser for Tampines GRC.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
While the ruling party’s slate in Tampines GRC remains unconfirmed, there is precedent for second grassroots advisers to stand for election, with Mr Choo and Nee Soon GRC MP Carrie Tan being examples.
The most anticipated contender in Tampines is perhaps the WP, which has so far kept its cards close to its chest.
The party has, however, been actively engaging residents in Tampines through walkabouts and door-to-door visits over the past two years at least.
IPS’ Dr Koh cited the WP’s goal of winning one-third of the seats in Parliament in the medium term.
If Singapore’s leading opposition party wants to be seen as walking the talk, it will need to be seen contesting at least 33 seats, considering the number of elected MPs will rise from 93 to 97, she added.
With Aljunied and Sengkang GRCs now under the WP, she said it is likely the party will prioritise areas near these two locations.
ST reported earlier that WP teams have already been spotted walking the ground in Punggol GRC, as well as Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.
Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC fall in the same region as other possible areas the WP will contest, Dr Koh added.
Political analyst Loke Hoe Yeong, who has written books about Singapore’s opposition, said the movement of three polling districts from Aljunied GRC to Tampines GRC would provide “a compelling justification for the (WP) as it seeks to expand its footprint in the east of Singapore contiguously”.
Four individuals tipped to be fielded in Tampines as WP candidates are Mr Jimmy Tan, 53, who is self-employed; payment expert Jasper Kuan, 46; dispute lawyer-turned-consultant Andre Low, 33; and Ms Afifah Khalid, 42, an associate director in the financial services industry.
Former Workers’ Party chief Low Thia Khiang (centre) with the four tipped to be candidates in Tampines: Mr Andre Low (second from left), Mr Jasper Kuan (fourth from left), Ms Afifah Khalid (third from right) and Mr Jimmy Tan (second from right).PHOTO: THE WORKERS’ PARTY
For the NSP, it will be its fourth successive showing in Tampines since 2011.
NSP president Reno Fong has said he will be leading the team in Tampines, with vice-president Mohd Ridzwan Mohammad a confirmed member.
Mr Ridzwan contested Tampines GRC in the 2020 election, while Mr Fong has been contesting there since the 2011 polls.
Other potential NSP candidates include operations manager Lim Rui Xian, 36; safety officer Nur Farahiyah Mahfoot, 39; and Mr Thamilselvan Karuppaya, 57, who is self-employed.
The WP and Mr Fong did not respond to questions for this story.
National Solidarity Party chief Spencer Ng (second from right) and president Reno Fong (third from right) conducted an outreach session at Tampines Round Market and Food Centre on Feb 9, 2025.PHOTO: NATIONAL SOLIDARITY PARTY
PPP secretary-general Goh Meng Seng has also declared that he will be leading a team in Tampines, confirming at least three possible candidates in his line-up so far.
They are party chairman Derrick Sim, 45, a financial planner; landscaping executive Vere Nathan, 26; and entrepreneur Arbaah Haroun, 49.
Mr Goh described Tampines as a “fortress of the PAP”, acknowledging that a lot has been put into upgrading the town and tackling municipal issues.
Therefore, he believes focusing on policy issues instead would be to his party’s advantage.
The PPP said its manifesto will be on population policy and good governance, and that it is “against mandatory vaccination and the LGBT agenda”.
“Our key slogan is ‘Better quality life for all’,” said Mr Goh.
The entry of the PPP, and specifically Mr Goh, in Tampines has raised eyebrows among opposition supporters and parties, as it would pit him against his former party and teammates.
He contested Tampines GRC in the 2011 election under the NSP banner, alongside Mr Fong.
The NSP team that year had lost, but it put on the best opposition showing in Tampines GRC so far, capturing 42.78 per cent of the vote.
Mr Goh said this is why he intends to contest Tampines in the coming polls, saying he still has strong support from residents there.
Although early battle lines in Tampines have been drawn, observers said it may be too early to assume that a four-way fight will materialise.
IPS’ Dr Koh said it is typical for various parties to stake their claims over areas at this stage.
Yet, a multi-cornered fight would be disadvantageous to the opposition, said Mr Loke.
Mr Goh Meng Seng, PPP’s secretary-general, speaking to the media during a party walkabout in Tampines on Feb 23, 2025.PHOTO: ST FILE
Having more parties in the mix will split votes among the opposition parties, favouring the incumbents.
But Mr Loke noted that the three polling districts formerly under the WP-held Aljunied GRC being moved to Tampines GRC could present a wild card.
“It remains to be seen whether those parts of Aljunied would contribute to increasing the opposition’s vote share in Tampines GRC,” he said.
It will also be interesting to see if NSP would cede ground to the WP if the latter plans to contest in Tampines, said IPS’ Dr Koh.
Compared with smaller opposition parties, the WP has preferred not to disclose the areas it plans to contest.
Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian from NUS’ department of political science said multi-cornered fights typically see smaller opposition parties fare badly, based on past elections. Any real competition has been between the PAP and WP.
In the last two elections, the PAP has in Tampines GRC consistently outperformed the national vote share.
In 2020, its win of 66.41 per cent was higher than the party’s 61.2 per cent share of the popular vote.
In the 2015 election, 72.06 per cent of voters in Tampines GRC chose the PAP, versus 69.9 per cent of Singaporeans.
Before that, however, Tampines GRC voters trailed behind the national vote share by variances of less than three percentage points.
The only outlier was in 2006, when 68.51 per cent of voters there picked the PAP, compared with 66.6 per cent of Singaporeans.
Responding to residents’ concerns
A common refrain among Tampines residents is that one never has to leave the town because it has everything.
From shopping complexes and amenities to well-connected transport nodes and sustainable initiatives, Tampines is a regional centre that Mr Masagos describes as a model town.
“Tampines is a unique model town that has taken the lead in various successful projects across Singapore,” he said.
“The PAP Tampines team will continue this approach, so that Tampines will always be a town our residents are proud of and is a joy to live in.”
He noted how Tampines is a town of many firsts, such as being Singapore’s first cycling town, piloting Project Wolbachia to reduce the dengue mosquito population, and building a shared cooling system.
Mr Masagos said these were made possible because his team has constantly listened to and engaged with residents, and knows their aspirations for better lifestyles well.
This is in addition to the usual needed improvements and alterations as residents move through various life stages, he added.
Tampines GRC MP Masagos Zulkifli noted how Tampines is a town of many firsts, such as being Singapore’s first cycling town, piloting Project Wolbachia to reduce the dengue mosquito population, and building a shared cooling system.PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN
Residents said some of these plus points have turned out to be mixed blessings.
For one thing, the 22km of dedicated cycling paths is a boon for cyclists, but has also been abused by errant riders of personal mobility devices (PMDs).
Mr Othman Salleh, a Tampines resident of almost 20 years, said: “The amenities are good; the transport is good. I feel very happy living in Tampines.
“But there are these PMD riders that speed so fast everywhere. It’s very dangerous. I’ve seen a few of the enforcement operations in Tampines, but it’s not enough to stop them because there are just too many.”
The 64-year-old, who is unemployed, added that there is also a stubborn rat problem in the town, which he believes has been spawned by more food waste being generated from an increasing population.
Ms Eileen Chong, 36, who works in client services and moved into Treasure at Tampines over a year ago, said: “There are a lot of amenities in Tampines, but it can get a bit overcrowded.”
Many residents who spoke to ST said that while municipal affairs mattered, they felt Tampines had most of that covered. They will, therefore, focus on broader issues at the upcoming election.
The 22km of dedicated cycling paths throughout Tampines is a boon for cyclists, but has also been abused by errant riders of personal mobility devices.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Ms Nur Hidayah Ninahdi, 31, an administrator who has lived in Tampines since her childhood, said the cost of living would be uppermost on her mind.
She said: “How the candidates address the cost-of-living problem should be the priority, because nowadays, everything is so expensive, like food, transport and housing.”
Another resident, who wanted to be known only as Ms Emily, 70, a homemaker, said the rising cost of living has affected seniors like her the most.
Said the 30-year resident of Tampines: “The transport fare is quite expensive and prices of goods have risen. So affordability for the elderly, in particular, is something we worry about.”
Going beyond estate issues and cost-of-living concerns, which are universal for Singaporeans, IPS’ Dr Koh said it would be useful to see what other policy issues the opposition brings up when engaging with Tampines residents.
Madam Angela Lee, 52, who works in a law firm, said how the people of Tampines might vote in the upcoming election would be difficult to call.
“But for me, I think we need a safe and stable environment with a vision for Singapore.”
