SINGAPORE'S PAP FINALISES CANDIDATES FOR UPCOMING ELECTION, PM WONG TO DEFEND GRC SEAT

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, April 12 (Bernama) -- Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has finalised its candidates for the upcoming general election, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong set to defend his Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) seat with the same slate of incumbents.

Wong, who is also PAP secretary-general, announced at a press conference on Saturday that he will contest together with Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, North West District Mayor Alex Yam, and Hany Soh in the four-member GRC.

Wong and Yam have served in the GRC since it was formed in 2015, while Zaqy and Soh joined later.

The quartet won the Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC seat in 2020 with a total of 69,813 votes (63.18 per cent) against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) candidates.

There are two types of electoral divisions in Singapore – the Single Member Constituency (SMC) and the GRC. During an election, registered voters of a GRC vote for a group of individuals – between three to six – to be their Members of Parliament, who must either be from the same political party or all independents.

Meanwhile, Wong said that the PAP will field more than 30 new candidates at the upcoming general election, which must be held by November this year – to renew and refresh the PAP and bring in new ideas and energy to the party.

“This is the largest slate of new faces we’ve introduced in recent history. You will get to know all our new candidates in the coming days, as each GRC and SMC unveils its candidates,” he said.

The full list of candidates will be introduced starting Saturday, constituency by constituency.

Wong also noted that the general election will be held at a time of great global uncertainty, and he left it to Singaporeans to decide on the team that they trust will navigate them forward.

“There is a gathering storm ahead and we are flying straight into turbulence. In such conditions, who you have in the cockpit matters. Singaporeans will have to decide on the team they trust to navigate the storm and chart the way forward for our nation,” he said.

Wong said he takes the responsibility seriously, as the stakes are high, including for Singapore’s place in the world.

He added that the PAP’s plans will be unveiled in a manifesto that will be published soon.

This will be Wong’s first election as the Prime Minister and the PAP’s secretary-general. More than 2.75 million Singaporeans will be eligible to vote in this year’s election.

-- BERNAMA