Workers’ Party to contest four GRCs and two SMCs, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
Singapore

Workers’ Party to contest four GRCs and two SMCs

This article is more than 12 months old

The opposition Workers' Party (WP) will contest four group representation constituencies and two single-member seats in the July 10 general election.

In addition to defending Aljunied GRC, which it has held since 2011, and its north-eastern bastion of Hougang SMC, the party said it will contest Marine Parade GRC, Sengkang GRC, East Coast GRC and Punggol West SMC.

WP chief Pritam Singh announced this at a virtual press conference yesterday, during which the party leaders also introduced four candidates.

Two of them are new candidates: Mr Louis Chua Kheng Wee, 33, a research analyst at an investment bank, and Mr Muhammad Azhar Abdul Latip, 34, a gig-economy worker who lost his left leg in an accident in 2014.

The third candidate introduced was Ms Nicole Seah, 33, an associate director in a multi-national marketing firm.

Ms Seah was a National Solidarity Party candidate in the 2011 election but quit in 2014 and began volunteering with WP the following year.

The final candidate introduced was education entrepreneur Yee Jenn Jong, 55, who was a Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) from 2011 to 2015.

At the briefing, Mr Singh announced that former WP chief Low Thia Khiang, and party stalwarts Chen Show Mao and Png Eng Huat, will not stand for election this time, in line with the party's leadership renewal plans.

In all, the WP will field 21 candidates in six constituencies - five in Aljunied, East Coast and Marine Parade GRCs, four in the new Sengkang GRC, and one each for the two SMCs.

Asked why the party was contesting fewer seats this time, Mr Singh said the party wanted to field its best candidates.

He said: "We want them to represent Singapore, and to represent them well. If we can find more candidates, of course, we can consider fielding more seats."

He added: "It's important to focus our efforts and ensure the candidates we put forward can do well for the Workers' Party."

ALJUNIED

Taking Mr Low's and Mr Chen's places in the Aljunied GRC team are two members who have been NCMPs.

Mr Gerald Giam was an NCMP from 2011 to 2015 and Mr Leon Perera became an NCMP after the 2015 polls.

Party organising secretary Dennis Tan, who also became an NCMP after the 2015 election, will stand in Hougang SMC, Mr Singh said.

The WP will introduce more candidates today and at the weekend.

GENERAL ELECTION 2020