GE2025: PAP candidates for Sengkang GRC ask voters for a chance to get town ‘back on track’

SINGAPORE - On the final night of campaigning before Singapore goes to the polls on May 3, the four PAP candidates contesting Sengkang GRC urged voters to give them a chance to do a better job at improving the town, and to get the constituency “back on track”.

Taking shots at what they said was a lack of development and poor estate management by the incumbent WP MPs over the past five years, the PAP slate of candidates promised during a two-hour rally on May 1 to revitalise Sengkang, while also championing the issues that matter to the residents.

Eye surgeon Lam Pin Min, 55, said in his speech that many Sengkang residents had shared with him their frustrations about estate wear and tear in the opposition-held group representation constituency, such as unreliable lifts, multi-storey carparks in poor condition and playground equipment left damaged for months.

He also cited pigeons nesting in Housing Board blocks, pest infestations in the neighbourhoods, and corridors left unswept.

“These are basic standards we expect in a well-maintained town, and frankly, these standards have slipped over the past five years,” said Dr Lam, the only candidate retained from the PAP’s previous slate that lost Sengkang GRC to the Workers’ Party in the 2020 General Election.

This time, he is leading a group of political newcomers – NUS Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, 43; food and beverage company director Bernadette Giam, 38; and deep tech venture capital firm co-founder Theodora Lai, 39. They face a WP team comprising incumbent MPs He Ting Ru, Louis Chua and Jamus Lim, and new WP candidate Abdul Muhaimin.

“We owe it to you to get these fundamentals right. We will hold ourselves accountable to you,” said Dr Lam. “If something’s not up to scratch, we will fix it.”

At a rally on April 28, the WP’s Ms He said Sengkang Town Council, which she chairs, has achieved the top banding for estate cleanliness in the Ministry of National Development’s town council management report since the WP took over management of the town.

In her speech, Mrs Giam said the PAP team wanted to return. “In spite of having lost in 2020 we want to get Sengkang back on track.”

She said improved amenities that a resident cited to her were all committed to before 2020, and were “the work of the PAP”.

“Other people, they are claiming credit for (the improvements). But with your support, we can pick up where we left off,” she said to chants of “come back” from the rally crowd.

Meanwhile, Prof Elmie said residents had told him in recent years that the town had “slowed down”. “Sengkang seems to have lost its momentum and energy, but that should not be the case any more.”

He highlighted the 19 proposals that the PAP team has put out in its town manifesto, including more green spaces, improved LRT and bus services, and regular town halls for residents to raise causes and to produce actionable outcomes.

The academic, who teaches communications and new media, said the WP incumbents had boasted about asking hundreds of questions in Parliament, but he questioned whether these questions had improved the lives of Sengkang residents.

“They tried to sell you a bargain for living in opposition wards: buy one get one free, get two for the price of one, (but) we say that the Sengkang vote is not for lelong (Malay for auction),” he said.

“This is not a game of numbers and bargains thrown around to win the votes, it is about choosing the Sengkang we want for our families.”

Mrs Giam also questioned the feasibility of proposals made by opposition parties, such as a universal minimum wage, which the WP has called for in its manifesto.

“Can our businesses, especially our SMEs, afford these carrots that have been dangled before you?” she asked. “We all want to do more for our people, but we have to be responsible. We have to be honest.”

In their call for Sengkang voters to back the ruling party, the PAP candidates also elaborated on the causes they would champion in Parliament, if elected.

Ms Lai said she hopes to create more opportunities for young people through internships, mentoring and industry tie-ups. With rising costs and global uncertainty, she said Singapore needs more home-grown companies “with real edge”.

“Let’s get more... companies built here, policies that connect talent, capital and opportunity. On the ground, I’ll help bridge these opportunities. In Parliament, I’ll push for bold strategies that deliver real impact,” she added.

Prof Elmie said he will push for stronger government policies around online safety. Speaking in Malay, he also expressed deep concern about the success of children in the Malay community.

Mrs Giam said she hopes to push for better childcare and eldercare support. “Too often, women are forced to choose, career or caregiving, duty or dreams. This must change,” she said. She also called for sustained support for single mothers, and a greater focus on women’s healthcare and financial literacy.

In his pitch to voters as he wrapped up the rally, Dr Lam reiterated that the PAP team is a refreshed and gender-balanced one with an average age of 43, reflecting the youthful energy of Sengkang.

While returning to contest this election meant being the underdog in the fight, Dr Lam said he did so not for his ego but for a larger cause of continuing the Sengkang story.

“There are unfinished plans and new dreams we have yet to achieve for our town: projects we have envisioned, improvements that were in the pipeline, ideas we had for the community that were put on hold,” said the former senior minister of state, who asked for a second chance for the PAP’s Sengkang team to prove themselves.

“Let us finish what we have started... together, let’s make Sengkang sui (beautiful in Hokkien) again,” he said.