PSP’s potential candidates spotted in Boon Lay

SINGAPORE - At least three new faces from the Progress Singapore Party were seen with its vice-chair Hazel Poa at an April 5 walkabout in Boon Lay, an area under the new West Coast-Jurong West GRC.

The three new faces – Mr Sani Ismail, Mr Sumarleki Amjah and Ms Stephanie Tan – joined Ms Poa, a Non-Constituency MP who was part of the PSP team that contested West Coast GRC in the 2020 General Election, on the walkabout at Boon Lay Place Market.

Mr Sani is an in-house legal counsel, while Mr Sumarleki, a former WP volunteer, is head of packaged food and business development at food and beverage company Del Monte Pacific. Ms Tan is a full-time homemaker with a law degree from the National University of Singapore, according to her biography in a PSP newsletter.

Also with them was Ms Poa’s husband, Mr Tony Tan. Like Ms Poa, Mr Tan was formerly from the Reform Party and National Solidarity Party, but is now with the PSP.

Together with party volunteers, the group was seen giving out pamphlets and tissue packets, which included the party’s proposals to lower the cost of living, such as through lowering healthcare costs and food prices. More than 20 party members and volunteers were on the walkabout.

Boon Lay is part of the new five-member West Coast-Jurong West GRC.

In GE2020, the PSP team that contested West Coast GRC narrowly lost to a PAP team that included former minister S. Iswaran and Minister for National Development Desmond Lee. It was the narrowest loss that year.

In that election, the PSP slate comprised Dr Tan Cheng Bock, a former PAP stalwart who was MP for Ayer Rajah from 1980 to 2006; Ms Poa and fellow NCMP Leong Mun Wai; Mr Nadarajah Loganathan and Mr Jeffrey Khoo.

Speaking to the media on April 5 after the walkabout, Mr Sani said he joined the party about seven to nine months ago.

“I’ve got a lot of passion, and I found that the energy within PSP matches what I have and what I hope to achieve,” he said.

During his interactions with residents, they have raised concerns about the rising cost of living, the need for affordable housing and social inequality, he said.

Asked what makes him attractive to voters, he said: “I hope (residents) can feel that I’m a very genuine person, and I’m very approachable, and that I have their interests at heart and a good listening ear.”

Hawkers whom The Straits Times spoke to said they have seen the party doing walkabouts in the area at least twice.

Retiree Linda Lim, 74, who lives in the area, said it was her first time seeing the PSP in the area. She thought it was “not bad” to have the opposition competing in the area.