If his schedule allowed it, Mr Dennis Tan, the Workers' Party's chosen candidate to defend Hougang, would spend the whole day chatting with residents.

As he walks around in the constituency, he is constantly approached by residents wanting a word.

A short 10m walk from the Hougang Block 322 coffee shop to some nearby benches takes nearly 10 minutes, thanks to numerous interruptions by passers-by.

That's why Mr Tan, a shipping lawyer who turns 50 next month, says he is careful to slow down when he does the rounds in the single-member constituency.

"You cannot walk too quickly. If not, people will say you 'zou ma kan hua', so you need to give the residents the time."

The Mandarin phrase refers to a person who has a superficial understanding of the issue based on hasty observations.

Speaking to The Sunday Times on a Saturday morning in Hougang, three days before Nomination Day, Mr Tan says he learnt that he needed to take his time here from his WP predecessors in the constituency, Mr Png Eng Huat and former party chief and opposition icon Low Thia Khiang.

The two figures - who both announced they would not be contesting the general election this year - clearly loom large for Mr Tan.

He brings up the names of Mr Png and Mr Low frequently during the interview, crediting them with guiding him through his political career thus far.

Mr Png and especially Mr Low are also seen as key surrogates of his campaign.

Since Nomination Day, he has been seen walking the ground with Mr Low and Mr Png.

The first interview that WP chief Pritam Singh gave after the nomination process was also in Hougang.

In 2015, there were few if any party leaders helping to boost the incumbent.

Mr Tan makes it clear that he feels the pressure to defend a seat the WP has held since 1991 and still considers its spiritual home.

"I really look forward to serving them in the way that I've learnt from Mr Png and Mr Low. I don't want to let the people down. I don't want to let Mr Low and Mr Png down," he says.

"I hope that the people give me the mandate to serve them, and give me the chance to show that another Workers' Party MP can serve them in a way that they are satisfied and happy."

While the WP has successfully changed candidate in Hougang twice before - Mr Yaw Shin Leong and then Mr Png were MPs there after Mr Low went to contest in Aljunied GRC in 2011 - this is the first time it is having to manage the transition without Mr Low as party leader or even anywhere on the ballot.

When asked if he thought this would affect the vote count, Mr Tan says: "I can't really predict how it will go. You know elections depend on a myriad of factors... So I don't want to really think about these because I can't control these."

He does not think that his ability to speak fluent Teochew was a factor in the party's decision to field him in the constituency where Mr Low was known for his fiery Teochew rally speeches.

This is Mr Tan's second stab at getting elected.

He made his debut as a WP candidate in the 2015 General Election, standing in Fengshan single-member constituency where he got 42.5 per cent of the votes, losing to the People's Action Party's Ms Cheryl Chan.

As one of the best-performing losers in that election, he got a seat as a Non-Constituency MP, and has jumped into parliamentary debates on a wide range of topics, from maritime law and public transportation to climate change and safety issues in national service training.

ALTERNATIVE VOICE

On the ground, some Hougang residents say Mr Tan could be more assertive while engaging them in the company of Mr Png in the last few years, but they also acknowledge that this might change should he be the one in charge as Hougang's next MP.

Mr Tan plans to continue speaking up on issues such as lift upgrading and estate matters in Hougang, and give clear answers to residents: "In these rather uncertain times post-Covid, it's important to have more discussion of ideas rather than one-sided group think."

On the WP's key message on having an alternative voice, Mr Tan says: "Now (the need for an alternative voice) is very important, and this is something that Hougang residents have understood for almost 30 years."

Mr Tan, who is married and has a daughter, spends most weekend mornings with Mr Png mingling with residents in Hougang.

While he does not keep time, he says these sessions usually last from around 8am to some time after lunch.

"We don't usually tell them to hurry up; we cannot do that. This is the time of the day they have with their MP and it's our privilege to have a conversation with them," says Mr Tan, who is a partner at a law firm.

As he wends his way around Hougang, Mr Tan appears to have an easy-going manner and the common touch.

He smiles at everyone, breaks into Mandarin, Teochew and English for a banter, and here and there gives residents a "foot bump" - like a fist bump but with the foot.

Hougang residents, says Mr Tan, are unique - they like their MP to show up and mingle with them daily, like Mr Low used to when he was Hougang MP from 1991 to 2011.

Says Mr Tan: "They're quite used to WP MPs on the ground and spending time engaging them. Maybe it's the way Hougang developed since the kampung days, people are used to straight-talking and getting a chance to chit-chat with their MPs directly."

The WP's groundwork in Hougang has led to victories in the last six general elections, but Mr Tan says the people's mandate cannot be taken for granted.

Most of the older residents, especially those who have lived there for decades, are familiar with the party's yellow hammer symbol, and they tell The Sunday Times about their personal encounters with WP leaders at funeral wakes and coffee shops, among others.

Whether the same is true of new residents and younger folk is unclear.

For instance, they may not have bought into the WP's legacy and values, or share with the seniors the significance of an opposition-run town.

The aftermath of the Covid-19 restrictions and closures and the fallout in terms of jobs, livelihoods and the economy are being felt in Hougang, like they are in the rest of the country.

Are people worried about rocking the boat and voting for the opposition in this economic climate? Mr Tan does not think so.

He says: "I think people can see from how the Government handled the crisis in the last couple of months, there's some inconsistency in the way that things are carried out.

"We believe that this is not about rocking the boat. This is to strengthen the ship. To have more WP voices... to provide constructive contribution in Parliament as a loyal opposition."