SINGAPORE - Spouses in party colours made their appearance early Tuesday morning before nominations opened for the Sept 11 General Election.

Wives of various candidates were spotted at party headquarters and meeting points across the island.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's wife Ho Ching was at the Raffles Institution nomination centre, cheering with fellow supporters as the candidates made their speeches.

In Sembawang, People's Action Party candidate Ong Ye Kung's wife, Diana, was seen next to fellow candidate Lim Wee Kiak's wife, Ai Ling.

At Bishan-Toa Payoh, anchor minister Ng Eng Hen turned up with his wife, Professor Ivy Ng. The women were in party whites, as was Michelle, the wife of PAP Ng Chee Meng over at Pasir Ris-Punggol. She said of her husband at the Fengshan nomination centre: "He worked very hard campaigning. I made ginseng for him this morning."

At the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East town council office in Hougang, Workers' Party (WP) secretary-general Low Thia Khiang's wife Han Mui Keow made a rare public appearance, dressed in blue.

She posed for photos with the WP chief, and greeted and chatted with their supporters. The couple have three children .

Dr Chee Soon Juan, secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party, turned up at the party headquarters in Ang Mo Kio with his wife Huang Chih Mei.

The 2015 General Election will be the most widely challenged one for the ruling People's Action Party since Independence, with all 89 seats contested.