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SINGAPORE – WP chief Pritam Singh’s last-minute reshuffle of the Aljunied team that will face off against a refreshed PAP slate saw party vice-chairman Faisal Manap move to Tampines GRC.
The PAP team for Aljunied comprises second-time candidate Chan Hui Yuh, 48, dental surgeon Faisal Abdul Aziz, 37, company director Adrian Ang, 42, urban planning consultancy chief Daniel Liu, 40, and unionist Jagathishwaran Rajo, 37.
The WP’s updated line-up in Aljunied GRC is led by Mr Singh, 48, and includes WP chairwoman Sylvia Lim, 60, and Mr Gerald Giam, 47.
The incumbents are joined by new face Kenneth Tiong, 36, and Mr Fadli Fawzi, 44, who had contested Marine Parade GRC under the WP banner in 2020.
The PAP is seeking to prise Aljunied GRC from the hands of the WP, which has held the constituency since 2011.
In the Hougang single seat, which the WP has held since 1991, incumbent MP Dennis Tan, 54, a shipping lawyer, is battling it out with the PAP’s new face, lawyer Marshall Lim, 38.
The candidates turned up all smiles on April 23 as supporters cheered them on at Poi Ching School, which is the nomination centre for Aljunied GRC, Hougang SMC, Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC.
Mr Singh, speaking at the nomination centre located in Tampines to the cheers of supporters, said: “In Parliament, we have asked the tough questions and worked hard. We are not shying away from asking questions on matters some deem too sensitive.
“This election, let us keep up our momentum. Let’s have a more balanced Parliament with more voices and credible choices.”
Ms Lim, speaking in Mandarin, said the WP has had the support of Aljunied residents since 2011, and the party will continue to raise concerns from the ground in Parliament.
Mr Fadli, a lawyer, spoke in Malay, saying the WP will carry on making improvements to the estates over the next five years.
The WP’s Mr Tan and the PAP’s Mr Lim – who are contesting Hougang SMC – began their speeches to supporters in Teochew, asking for their votes and support.
Speaking in Teochew at election rallies in Hougang was a trademark of former WP MP Low Thia Khiang, who represented Hougang SMC from 1991 to 2011.
The Workers’ Party did not disclose its full slate for Aljunied GRC before Nomination Day, confirming only that Mr Tiong, a director at technology start-up Sensemake AI, would be fielded in the group representation constituency’s Serangoon ward.
Mr Tiong, who was introduced as a candidate in a press conference on April 18, had said he plans to push for stronger economic security and strong family foundations if elected.
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There was early speculation that Mr Faisal could leave the WP’s Aljunied team to face off against Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli in Tampines GRC.
When asked about the move after nomination papers were filed, Mr Singh said Mr Faisal had always wanted to stand in Tampines.
“He has been asking me to consider that proposal from him for quite a long time. So, he succeeded,” he said.
Responding to a reporter’s question about whether his conviction of lying under oath to a parliamentary committee would sway votes away from the WP, Mr Singh said he is going to appeal against the conviction.
He added that Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam was found guilty of negligence in an Official Secrets Act case and fined in 1994. He also said Mr Tharman had said before the presidential election in 2023 that “they got the wrong man”. Mr Tharman is now Singapore’s President.
The five-member PAP team in Aljunied is led by Ms Chan, a marketing director who has helmed the PAP’s Serangoon branch since 2014 and is the only remaining member from the party’s 2020 election slate.
The other four are newcomers who have been involved in party work for at least a decade.
Speaking at the nomination centre, Ms Chan said the PAP slate has expertise, experience and energy.
“Residents of Aljunied, change starts now,” she said.
When asked about the four new faces, she said they have experience in party work, but added that it will be a hard fight.
“We have a will to act for our residents, so we hope to be given the opportunity to serve them in a better way,” she said.
At the 2020 polls amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the WP managed close to a 10-point vote swing to win Aljunied with 59.95 per cent of the vote.
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The boundaries of Aljunied GRC remain largely unchanged for this election, though three polling districts in Tampines West – comprising 3,834 voters – have been moved to the PAP-held Tampines GRC.
Aljunied GRC has 144,298 registered electors as at April 18.
It is the first GRC won by an opposition party since the GRC system was introduced in 1988 – a milestone in Singapore’s political history.
The WP team – led at the time by then party chief Low Thia Khiang – secured 54.72 per cent of the vote in 2011.
Hougang has been WP’s stronghold since 1991 when Mr Low wrested control of the constituency from the PAP with 52.82 per cent of the vote.
In 2020, Mr Tan won the single seat with 61.2 per cent of the vote.
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