SINGAPORE - Current Moulmein-Kallang GRC MP Edwin Tong attended a Marine Parade grassroots event on Sunday night, in a sign that he may run in Marine Parade GRC in the coming election.

At a National Day celebratory parade held by the Marine Parade grassroots organisations, Mr Tong arrived together with MPs for the area, including Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin.

Speaking to reporters at the event, Mr Tan, said: "Edwin is here actually helping out on the ground in Joo Chiat."

The former single seat of Joo Chiat has been redrawn into part of Marine Parade GRC.

"He'll be learning about the area itself, getting to know the residents and seeing how best to serve them," Mr Tan added. But he stopped short of confirming whether Mr Tong would contest as part of the Marine Parade GRC team, saying only that formal candidate announcements would be made after National Day.

Asked about his current ward, Mr Tong said: "It is in good hands with the team that will take over at Jalan Besar GRC."

"I'm confident that with the team that remains in Jalan Besar, with the grassroots that are there, it's a strong place. We have worked hard for the past five years and I am confident that there has been a great degree of bonding (with the residents)," he added.

Mr Tong's Jalan Besar ward used to be part of Moulmein-Kallang GRC, which was created for the 2011 election and has been dissolved ahead of the coming one. After boundary revisions, Jalan Besar ward is now part of the new Jalan Besar GRC, which is a four-man GRC but takes in the current territory of five MPs.

The other MPs are Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, Ms Denise Phua, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Heng Chee How, and Dr Lily Neo.

Meanwhile, five-member Marine Parade GRC has lost the ward of MacPherson and gained former single-seat Joo Chiat. Current Joo Chiat MP Charles Chong is expected to contest in the Workers' Party-held single-seat ward of Punggol East instead.