SINGAPORE GE2025: PAP BEGINS CAMPAIGN WITH WALKOVER, 92 SEATS TO BE CONTESTED

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, April 23 (Bernama) -- Singapore will head to the polls on May 3 with 92 out of 97 parliamentary seats set to be contested, following a surprise walkover in the newly formed Marine Parade-Braddell Heights Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), which secured five seats uncontested, also fielded candidates in the remaining 32 constituencies, comprising 17 GRCs and 15 single-member constituencies (SMCs).

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and his team will face a straight fight against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) to defend the PAP’s four-seat stronghold in Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC.

In a day marked by unexpected developments, last-minute changes and rain, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng replaced Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong as the PAP’s anchor candidate in Chua Chu Kang GRC.

Gan, instead, will lead the party’s charge in the newly carved Punggol GRC, where the PAP faces a straight contest against newcomers from the Workers’ Party (WP).

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong will once again lead the PAP slate in Ang Mo Kio GRC, which will see a three-cornered fight for the first time since its formation in 1991.

The former prime minister, who has been a Member of Parliament for the GRC since its inception, will be joined by incumbents Darryl David and Nadia Ahmad Samdin, as well as Victor Lye and first-time candidate Jasmin Lau.

 Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam will lead the PAP at the Nee Soon GRC with four newcomers, including former Nominated Member of Parliament Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi.

They will face the Red Dot United (RDU) team, which includes its secretary-general, Ravi Philemon, and chairman, David Foo.

Meanwhile, two cabinet ministers – Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean – have announced their retirement from politics, joining a list of PAP leaders stepping aside to make way for a new generation under Wong’s leadership.

The main opposition WP, which won 10 seats in the 2020 general election, will contest eight constituencies this time.

These include five GRCs: Aljunied, East Coast, Punggol, Sengkang, and Tampines; and three SMCs – Hougang, Jalan Kayu, and Tampines Changkat.

WP secretary-general Pritam Singh will once again lead the party’s team in defending Aljunied GRC, alongside WP chair Sylvia Lim, Gerald Giam, Fadli Fawzi, and newcomer Kenneth Tong.

The WP kept its cards close to its chest until nomination day, withholding its full candidate list ahead of time.

Several other opposition parties – including RDU, the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR), Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), People’s Power Party (PPP), National Solidarity Party (NSP), Singapore People’s Party (SPP), Singapore United Party (SUP), and Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) – are fielding a small number of candidates.

Two independent candidates are also contesting – one each in Mountbatten SMC and Radin Mas SMC.

With the nomination process concluded at noon, candidates can now begin their campaigns until the cooling-off day on May 2.

Key issues such as the cost of living are expected to dominate the election discourse.

-- BERNAMA