Who are the new faces who could be candidates in Singapore’s upcoming General Election?
Singapore must head to the polls by November this year.
These are some of the potential new faces in the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and opposition parties, including the Workers’ Party and the Progress Singapore Party (Photos: CNA/Jeremy Long, CNA/Fabian Koh, Facebook/Marcus Loh, Facebook/Progress Singapore Party, Facebook/Workers' Party, People's Action Party website, Workers' Party)
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SINGAPORE: As political parties ramp up preparations for this year’s General Election, some new faces have been seen across various constituencies in the past months.
Singapore must head to the polls by November, though no party has named its candidates yet.
These are some of the potential new faces in the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and opposition parties, including the Workers’ Party (WP) and the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).
Dr Chen is an assistant professor of marketing at Nanyang Technological University who also holds a Master’s degree in clinical psychology.
She was introduced in June last year by Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli, who helms Tampines group representation constituency (GRC). She is also a grassroots adviser at Tampines East.
Choo Pei Ling
An assistant professor at the Singapore Institute of Technology’s Health and Social Sciences Cluster, Dr Choo has been often seen in Manpower Minister Tan See Leng's Marine Parade ward since March last year.
Hamid Razak
Dr Hamid is an orthopaedic surgeon. He is the assistant branch secretary of PAP Jurong Spring and a grassroots adviser there. He is also adjunct associate professor at Duke-NUS Medical School.
Along with Dr Chen, Dr Hamid addressed the PAP's annual party convention in 2023. A few new faces who had spoken at previous conventions later become election candidates.
Jagathishwaran Rajo, Kenny Sim, Jackson Lam
Other fresh faces in the PAP camp include three recently appointed branch chairmen in Aljunied GRC, which has been held by WP since 2011.
Trade unionist Jagathishwaran Rajo is helming the branch in Eunos. He was an active grassroots leader in the Zhenghua ward of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC for years and was the branch secretary there before taking on his role in the east. Mr Sim is CEO and executive director of computer and electronics manufacturing firm Serial Achieva, which was listed on the Singapore Exchange Catalist in June. He is in charge of Paya Lebar.
The pair took over in August last year from predecessors who lost to the WP team in the 2020 General Election.
Another trade unionist, Mr Jackson Lam, was appointed branch chairman in Hougang single member constituency - also a WP ward - in October 2023.
Elmie Nekmat, Marcus Loh, Theodora Lai
The three new faces were unveiled as part of the PAP team in Sengkang GRC team - a WP ward - in 2022. Dr Elmie is an associate professor in the Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He was appointed chair of PAP branch Sengkang Central in 2022 and spoke at the PAP party convention in 2023. Mr Loh is a director at Temus, established by Temasek in partnership with digital transformation solutions firm UST. He has been a party activist since 2015 and is also a council member in PAP Policy Forum. Ms Lai has been a community volunteer since 2009 and is principal at private equity firm Tembusu Partners.
Chua Wei-Shan
Ms Chua has been active in West Coast GRC and has been acting branch chairman in West Coast since former Transport Minister S Iswaran's absence. She has been seen at grassroots events and house visits with Minister for National Development Desmond Lee and was also among the new faces who spoke at the PAP party convention in 2023.
Harpreet Singh
Mr Singh is a co-managing partner of law firm Audent Chambers, which he established in 2019. He is also a Senior Counsel. He has been walking about in Marine Parade GRC alongside WP leaders, and has been seen wearing the WP T-shirt which is given only to party members.
Tan Kong Soon, Ang Boon Yaw
Mr Tan is assistant director of alumni relations at Nanyang Technological University, while Mr Ang is a senior associate at a law firm. Mr Tan and Mr Ang are two of the party’s three deputy organising secretaries.
Both men entered the WP's top decision-making body in 2022, despite never having run in a GE before.
Angela Oon, Mr Sumarleki Amjah, Leon Perera
These potential candidates are not new to the scene, but may be batting for a different team in the upcoming election. They may be candidates for PSP.
Ms Oon contested Nee Soon GRC in 2011 under the WP flag while Mr Amjah was a former WP volunteer.
Former Aljunied GRC MP Leon Perera has been seen with PSP leaders at events - including the party's National Day dinner last year.
