PAP new faces spotted in West Coast, Nee Soon GRCs

SINGAPORE – A third new face has been seen on the ground with the People’s Action Party (PAP) in West Coast GRC – trade unionist Natasha Choy.

Ms Choy has since mid-February been seen at community events with West Coast GRC MP Foo Mee Har. 

Also pictured with Ms Foo since late 2024 is Ms Valerie Lee, Sembcorp’s head of corporate affairs for Singapore and South-east Asia.

They join entrepreneur Chua Wei-Shan as new faces seen with the constituency’s sitting MPs. Ms Chua was appointed acting branch chairman in former transport minister S. Iswaran’s West Coast ward after he resigned in January 2024 following a corruption probe. 

Iswaran’s successor in the group representation constituency remains unclear. The three women do not fulfil the GRC’s ethnic requirements, where the minority seat is allocated to the Indian community. 

Ms Foo, who has been an MP in the GRC since 2011, told The Straits Times: “Both Valerie and Natasha are volunteering and serving residents at West Coast.”

She did not comment on whether the pair are potential candidates for the ruling party. 

When contacted, Ms Choy and Ms Lee also did not comment on the possibility of their candidacy. 

Ms Lee, 39, said she has been volunteering for more than five years through different organisations and avenues. 

She said: “I find joy in serving the needs of all Singaporeans, be it seniors or youth, families, communities. And I will continue serving in whatever capacity that is presented to me as long as I can value-add to the lives of the people I am helping.”

Ms Choy, a director for youth development at the National Trades Union Congress, said she is grateful for the opportunity to serve the community.

She is one of two unionists who have emerged as possible PAP candidates in the upcoming election expected by mid-year. The other is Mr Jagathishwaran Rajo, who in August 2024 was made a party branch chairman in Aljunied GRC. 

In the last election, the ruling PAP fielded 10 candidates linked to the labour movement – a mix of sitting MPs and new faces. Of these, eight were elected, including then deputy secretaries-general Heng Chee How and Koh Poh Koon.

Ms Choy, who is in her 30s and is also executive secretary for the Creative Media and Publishing Union, recently joined Ms Foo in celebrating Pongal – a Tamil harvest festival – with West Coast residents.

A day later, Ms Foo posted a picture of Ms Choy – clad in white – and other volunteers wearing the PAP uniform at Teban Market. 

Ms Lee similarly has been featured in social media posts by Ms Foo.

On Dec 14, Ms Foo posted pictures of Ms Lee along with herself and Minister for National Development Desmond Lee at another walkabout at Teban Market.

Ms Lee also led a talk on lasting power of attorney and wills for residents in Ms Foo’s ward – Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh.

In a post on Dec 9, Ms Foo said: “Special thanks go to our PAP activists, led by Ms Valerie Lee, for their hard work in organising this successful event.”

Also on the ground in the north of Singapore is Ms Lee Hui Ying, 36, who has been volunteering in Nee Soon GRC for more than 15 years. She was seen with Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam at an event in January, along with another new face – lawyer Deryne Sim.

Mr Shanmugam had introduced the pair to the media as people who have been helping him on walkabouts.

Ms Lee has also been seen at Meet-the-People Sessions in Mr Shanmugam’s Chong Pang ward. 

When contacted, Ms Lee did not comment on her potentially standing in the general election. She said she is volunteering with grassroots organisations in the area, not the PAP.