New face Jackson Lam ‘very good on the ground’, will be asset to Parliament: Shanmugam

SINGAPORE – Mr Jackson Lam, the former PAP branch chairman in Hougang, will be an asset to the party, Government and Parliament if he runs in the upcoming election, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on March 29.

Speaking during a constituency event in Nee Soon GRC, where he is the anchor minister, Mr Shanmugam said of Mr Lam: “He was my branch secretary, and he is very good on the ground. I would love to see him contest the elections.”

Asked by reporters if Mr Lam would be fielded in Nee Soon, Mr Shanmugam said: “Well, from anywhere. He will be an asset to the party, to the Government and Parliament wherever he contests from. Where he contests, and whether he contests, you have to wait and see.”

Mr Shanmugam was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a

community pop-up market event organised by DBS Bank.

Mr Lam, who stepped down as PAP branch chairman in Hougang SMC on Feb 17, was also at the event.

The 40-year-old is one of a number of

new faces recently seen at Nee Soon constituency events

.

Others include former Nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi, 39; grassroots volunteer and civil servant Lee Hui Ying, 36; and intellectual property lawyer Deryne Sim, 40.

The Straits Times understands that Dr Syed Harun and Mr Lam could be candidates for the PAP at the upcoming general election, widely expected to be held within the first half of the year.

On March 29, Mr Shanmugam and Mr Lam were joined by Nee Soon GRC MPs Carrie Tan and Louis Ng at the DBS event. Ms Sim was there as well.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin, an Ang Mo Kio GRC MP, was also spotted in DBS colours at the event.

When asked about the presence of Ms Nadia, Mr Lam and Ms Sim at the DBS event, Mr Shanmugam told reporters that “some of them clearly are not candidates”.

“All of them, other than Nadia, are volunteers with my branch or the other branches in this area,” Mr Shanmugam said, adding that people must not jump to the conclusion that those seen at constituency events are automatically considered candidates.

“Nadia is a DBS employee, so that may be a reason why she’s here, not necessarily because she’s moving over,” he said.

Ms Nadia is a team lead at DBS Foundation.

Mr Shanmugam added: “The others that you mentioned, I can tell you some of them clearly are not candidates, so it would be inaccurate speculation. They are my grassroots volunteers... so I can tell you, some of them are clearly not candidates. Some of them may be potential candidates, but I’m not at liberty to tell you who they are.”

Mr Lam told The Straits Times that he served the Nee Soon community as branch secretary for Chong Pang for seven years, from 2017 to 2023. “I believe in serving the community with heart and will continue to do so,” he said.

During the event, Mr Shanmugam said that while daily life and municipal concerns are important, some residents may also want to discuss broader national and international issues with their MPs and ministers.

He said there are various platforms catering to students, professionals and residents to discuss these issues. He also pointed to the Government’s feedback unit Reach.

“I hold many town halls, both closed-door as well as open,” Mr Shanmugam said. “We talk about the Budget, we talk about many issues, Israel-Hamas, we talk about laws that are being put forward. I have attended hundreds of such sessions.”

Mr Shanmugam also said Reach conducts many such sessions, sometimes with the help of a suitable office-holder or MP, depending on the issue.

He added: “Ministries conduct such sessions too. And whenever we have relevant legislation going through, we also conduct sessions. I would say a lot of our effort goes towards consultation, meeting, talking, discussing and getting feedback.”