After saying for days that he was seriously considering contesting the single seat ward of Punggol East, Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam has now said he is "90 per cent likely to go ahead".

He told reporters on Sunday that he is still in talks with the Workers' Party and nothing can be confirmed till nomination day.

"But we are pretty close," said the 53-year-old, the son of the late opposition leader J.B. Jeyaretnam.

The former investment banker said preparations are going "full steam ahead" as the party is ordering posters and handing out flyers.

"In terms of confidence, only a fool will be supremely confident at this point," added Mr Jeyaretnam, who was handing out party flyers with five other party members and introducing himself to residents at Rivervale Plaza on Sunday morning.

Also spotted in the area was acupuncturist Zeng Guoyan who was distributing flyers to residents.

Meanwhile, Singapore Democratic Alliance secretary-general Desmond Lim, who contested Punggol East in the 2011 General Election, was huddling with members of an SDA-backed residents' group that was formed last month.