GE2025: Singapore Democratic Party unveils 5-member slate for Sembawang GRC

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has introduced its slate for the five-member Sembawang GRC, which it intends to contest in the upcoming general election in 2025.

The line-up comprises the party’s deputy head of policy James Gomez, party vice-chairman Bryan Lim, party treasurer Surayah Akbar, and party members Alfred Tan and Damanhuri Abas.

The slate was announced by SDP chairman Paul Tambyah at a media doorstop in Kampung Admiralty on April 6.

Professor Tambyah said that Sembawang town – which includes Sembawang GRC and Sembawang West SMC – will be SDP’s focus this election, in line with the party’s “northern strategy”.

With the exception of Ms Surayah, who is contesting an election for the first time, the other four candidates-to-be have all stood in previous elections.

Prof Tambyah said: “This is the Sembawang GRC team... I think we are pretty confident that we have an experienced team of political veterans.” 

He added: “We are not getting some CEOs parachuted in at the last minute, but we have people who have walked the ground in Sembawang, in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC and in Sembawang West, and so regardless of how the EBRC (Electoral Boundaries Review Committee) carved up the constituency, we think that we have a team who will be able to serve the residents well.”

Under the latest changes to electoral boundaries announced on March 11, Sembawang West was carved out as a single-member constituency from Sembawang GRC. There was no change to the boundaries of Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.

Dr Gomez, 60, began his political career with the Workers’ Party in 2001, and later joined the SDP in 2010. He has stood in three elections – one in 2006 under the WP banner, and twice under the SDP banner in 2011 and 2020. 

Mr Lim, 49, is an assistant director at a public hospital, and contested with the SDP in Hong Kah GRC in 2001, and in Marsiling-Yew Tee in 2015 and 2020.  

Mr Tan, 59, started volunteering with the SDP in 2015, and previously contested with the party in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in 2020. He is the director of local food and beverage chain Kopi Ong.

Mr Damanhuri, 54, is a regional educational consultant who contested in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC in 2015 and 2020.

Ms Surayah, 42, a music publisher, has been an SDP member for more than 18 years. She is also a mother of three. 

In the Sembawang team’s interactions with residents, the public brought up issues like the cost of living and the “displacement of white-collared PMETs”, said Mr Lim, adding that these will be the key issues that form the basis of SDP’s campaign. PMETs refer to professionals, managers, executives and technicians.

The Sembawang GRC team gave out fliers and interacted with residents around Kampung Admiralty, where they encountered a team from the National Solidarity Party (NSP). NSP has indicated that it also intends to contest Sembawang GRC.

SDP last contested Sembawang GRC in 2011, clinching 36.1 per cent of the vote. 

NSP secretary-general Spencer Ng said that his party is committed to Sembawang GRC, and will be meeting SDP in the coming week to understand why it has chosen to come to Sembawang GRC. 

Prof Tambyah said SDP is happy for others to contest in the same constituency, and that that is the essence of a mature democracy. 

“I don’t think any of the political parties are running as ‘we are not the PAP’. They’re running with their own vision, and that’s up to people to decide which vision is more in line with their values and their own ideas,” he said. 

The current incumbents in Sembawang GRC are a PAP team led by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. The team includes Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Ms Mariam Jaafar, Ms Poh Li San and Mr Vikram Nair.

The PAP team defeated an NSP team with 67.29 per cent of the votes in GE2020. 

On March 29, Mr Ong introduced two new faces who are likely to contest in Sembawang GRC. 

They are Mr Ng Shi Xuan, director of battery company Powermark Battery and Hardware, and Mr Gabriel Lam, chief operating officer of moving company Shalom International Movers.

SDP has said that its secretary-general, Dr Chee Soon Juan, will be contesting in the newly carved out Sembawang West SMC, and Prof Tambyah will run again in Bukit Panjang SMC. 

It also intends to compete in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, the group representation constituency currently anchored by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

SDP previously stated that it has not ruled out fielding candidates in other constituencies like Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

In the opposition party’s previous three election outings, it fielded a slate of 11 candidates in total each time. For 2025, the party looks set to also field at least 11 candidates across the four constituencies it has planted its flag in. 

When asked if voters can expect a larger slate this time, Prof Tambyah said the party is looking at the situation on the ground and talking to people, like other political parties.

“You won’t know until Nomination Day for sure,” said Prof Tambyah.