GE2025: PAP stalwart Heng Chee How to step down from Jalan Besar GRC
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Mr Heng Chee How has served Whampoa residents for nearly 30 years, and will be succeeded by new face Shawn Loh.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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SINGAPORE - PAP stalwart Heng Chee How is stepping down from Jalan Besar GRC
Mrs Josephine Teo, who helms the group representation constituency, announced this at a media conference held by the PAP at Whampoa Park on April 16.
Mrs Teo, who is Minister for Digital Development and Information, thanked Mr Heng, 63, for serving with dedication and distinction in the GRC all these years.
She said that she knew him from their time in the labour movement, and that he has a heart for workers, particularly the senior ones. She also said that he has “a great sense of humour”.
“Chee How is the elder brother I have never had. He is a complete gentleman, fully honourable. You can try, but you will never find a nasty bone in him,” Mrs Teo told reporters, while also announcing the new Jalan Besar slate for the election.
She added that Mr Heng is well loved by the residents, and they are going to miss him terribly.
When asked if Mr Heng was going to retire from politics or be fielded in another ward, Mrs Teo said that everything is still open, and it is for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to decide.
“It means that up to Nomination Day (on April 23), you can never say for certainty who is running and who is not running,” she said.
Mr Heng, who is Senior Minister of State for Defence, started out as a grassroots adviser in Whampoa before he became the MP serving the ward following the 2001 General Election.
Several grassroots volunteers who were attending the event teared up as Mr Heng spoke about his time in the ward.
“It has been an absolute honour and privilege to have been given the chance to serve Whampoa and to serve our people here,” he said, adding that he will always be grateful for the kindness residents have shown him “every day of this journey”.
Mr Heng made his political debut in the 1997 General Election, contesting as a solo PAP candidate in Hougang SMC against the incumbent – the Workers’ Party’s Mr Low Thia Khiang. He secured 41.98 per cent of the vote.
His breakthrough came in the 2001 General Election, when he joined the five-member PAP team led by Dr Lee Boon Yang contesting Jalan Besar GRC. The team won decisively, with 74.48 per cent of the vote, and Mr Heng became the MP looking after the Whampoa ward, a seat he has consistently retained since then.
In 2020, the PAP team led by Mrs Teo, then manpower minister, secured 65.37 per cent of the vote against the Peoples Voice team headed by party chief Lim Tean in the four-member GRC.
With the demography of the Whampoa area mostly consisting of older and ageing residents when Mr Heng became the MP, he focused on strengthening the infrastructure and services for seniors there.
At the same time, he also lobbied for rejuvenation of the constituency through new public housing and amenities to attract younger people.
Mr Heng said that his joy as an MP has been being able to relate to his residents, young and old.
“There is no greater joy for me than to be told by our residents that they treat me like family, and this gives me immense satisfaction and a sense of gratitude,” he added.
Before entering politics, Mr Heng served in the Singapore Police Force, rising to the rank of superintendent. He later joined the National Trades Union Congress in 1995, where he subsequently became deputy secretary-general in 1999, a position he has held for more than two decades.
Over the years, he has served in various ministerial capacities, including as minister of state for trade and industry, national development, health, and in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). He became senior minister of state in the PMO from 2011 to 2018, before he was appointed to his current position as senior minister of state for defence in 2018.
Mr Heng was also mayor of the Central Singapore District from 2001 to 2006, and deputy leader of the House from 2011 to 2015.
He also left his mark in labour advocacy.
As a union leader, Mr Heng championed the rights of older workers,
Through various roles in the labour movement, he strived to make the intent of “Every Worker Matters” more real and equitable amid an ever-changing economy and workforce.
Mr Heng was a key advocate for skills upgrading and lifelong learning, helping to promote initiatives such as the Workfare Training Support Scheme and SkillsFuture.
He also pushed for policies supporting older workers, including raising the re-employment age and enhancing older worker employability and retirement adequacy.
He also acted as a bridge between government, unions and employers, promoting tripartism as a cornerstone of Singapore’s industrial harmony.
Mr Heng said that as he relinquishes his role in Whampoa, he hopes that the work the team has done together for the residents can continue, and that somebody with the heart and capability will take care of his ward and residents.
“I think we have found the person,” he said, looking at Mr Loh. “And, of course, Shawn will also have even more specific plans for our people here.”
He added that it was of utmost importance to serve with a pure heart, saying: “We step forward, we say we want to serve, then we do it properly... and sincerely. And when it is the time and the season to hand over, let us do so with joy and gladness and gratitude.”
As the media conference drew to an end, Mr Heng requested a group photograph with all the media present, for his keepsake.
