GE2025: Ex-army chief David Neo, academic Charlene Chen confirmed among PAP’s Tampines GRC slate
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(From left) Mr Desmond Choo, Dr Koh Poh Koon, Dr Charlene Chen, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Mr David Neo and Mr Baey Yam Keng at the party's line-up announcement on April 16.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
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SINGAPORE - Former chief of army David Neo
The 47-year-old will run alongside Dr Charlene Chen
Mr Neo and Dr Chen will contest the five-member constituency alongside three incumbents: Mr Masagos, 62, who is Social and Family Development Minister; Dr Koh Poh Koon, 53, Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Sustainability and the Environment; and Mr Baey Yam Keng, 54, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Sustainability and the Environment.
Incumbent Desmond Choo, 47, will contest the newly carved-out Tampines Changkat SMC.
Mr Masagos confirmed the slate of PAP candidates who will contest in Tampines at a press conference on April 16 held at a multi-purpose hall in the Tampines GreenVines estate.
He said the team will be one that cares for the town.
“Anyone can build a town, but Tampines is a model town. It can only be built by a caring community,” he said.
He noted that Tampines has numerous eco-friendly initiatives such as food waste recycling facilities, a shared cooling system and a comprehensive cycling network.
“This is what our team, the PAP team, will be with our residents. A town where we show that we care for one another and for our town, and that we’re inclusive, and no one will be left behind.”
On a potential multi-cornered fight, Mr Masagos said the team in Tampines GRC
The focus, he said, is on the residents and delivering on the promises made.
He added: “We will not busy ourselves on what may or can happen. (We will) focus on the residents, work together when we are operating in our various divisions, and be there, care for our residents, even as we’re going through the election.”
Mr Masagos had on April 12 formally introduced Mr Neo, who handed over the reins as army chief on March 21, as the newest member of the PAP’s Tampines GRC team. But he had then stopped short of confirming him as part of the team’s line-up for the election.
Mr Neo, who is married with a son, joined the Singapore Army in 1996 and was army chief from March 2022. He last held the rank of major-general.
He was programme director of the Pioneer Generation Office and the founding group chief of the Silver Generation Office under the Agency for Integrated Care.
Mr Neo said on April 16 that his areas of focus include putting people first and building a relationship with them, and fostering a caring community in Tampines.
“Purpose, people and being practical – these three key beliefs drive me,” he said. “People really don’t care how much you know, unless they know how much you care.”
He added that he would speak up on the pace of digitalisation for seniors.
Mr Neo said seniors have no problems using a digital interface to watch their favourite Hokkien dramas, but face difficulties when they have to use digital products that are only in English.
“It’s not that they cannot get used to digital products. It’s that some of them do not know English, and you’re actually asking them to both learn English and digitalise at the same time.”
He added: “I ask for your support, and I hope to have a chance to serve here.”
Tampines GRC anchor minister Masagos Zulkifli introducing Dr Charlene Chen and Mr David Neo on April 16.
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Meanwhile, Dr Chen was introduced to Tampines residents in June 2024 and is the second grassroots adviser in the Tampines East ward.
A former Buona Vista grassroots volunteer, she had been helming Meet-the-People Sessions for residents in Tampines East since late 2024.
Dr Chen, a social and consumer psychologist who holds a PhD in marketing from Columbia Business School in the US, thanked residents for welcoming her into their homes, chatting with her at coffee shops, and sharing their stories with her over the past year.
The mother of two said some residents have asked how a “little girl” like her is going to help represent their voices in Parliament. Adding that she has a “classic baby face”, she said it turns out that this is “a bit of a superpower”.
“It helps me connect with young people, especially when I work with them on mental well-being.”
She added that while she may look young, she has spent her life studying people and serving the community.
“At the heart of it, leadership isn’t about how old you look,” she said.
“It’s about how deeply you listen. It’s about understanding people’s lives. It’s about bringing energy, empathy and ideas to make things better for everyone.”
There had been much speculation about whom the PAP would field to fill two spots in Tampines GRC, after the exit of former MP Cheng Li Hui and the carving out of the Tampines Changkat single seat.
Ms Cheng, who managed the Tampines East ward, resigned in 2023
Tampines is set to be hotly contested at the polls, with up to three opposition parties expected to vie with the PAP for Tampines GRC and the Tampines Changkat single seat.
In the 2020 General Election, the PAP team in Tampines GRC won 66.41 per cent of the vote against the National Solidarity Party (NSP), which garnered 33.59 per cent.
Shortly after the electoral boundaries were redrawn on March 11, the NSP and People’s Power Party threw their hats into the ring.
The WP has thus far kept its cards close to its chest, but has been spotted actively engaging Tampines residents over at least the past two years.
David Sun is The Straits Times’ crime correspondent. He has a background in criminology and is a licensed private investigator.
Aqil Hamzah is a journalist covering breaking news at The Straits Times, with interests in crime and technology.
