August 19, 05:32 PM 
514 Chai Chee Lane 03-16, Singapore 469029 All photos by Edwin Koo unless otherwise stated.
The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) officially introduced its new candidates for Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and Radin Mas Single Member Constituency (SMC) for the coming General Election (GE) today (Aug. 19). The unveiling was held at a coffeeshop near Tanjong Pagar Plaza.
The new candidates are former assistant police commissioner Melvin Yong and Temasek Cares Assistant General Manager Joan Cheng Sim Pereira.
Led by Minister and NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing, they will join the existing team that consists of Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah and doctor Chia Shi-Lu.
The PAP candidate for Radin Mas SMC was also unveiled, with Minister of State Sam Tan defending his seat.
1. The "adopted sons and daughters" from Tanjong Pagar GRC
The PAP candidates for Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas SMC Photo by Edwin Koo
The Tanjong Pagar GRC team members are the meritocratic products and beneficiaries of "From Third World to First" Singapore.
With the exception of Senior Minister of State Indranee Rajah (born in 1963), the four candidates are born in the first decade of Singapore's independence - Minister Chan (born in 1969), Pereira (born in 1967), Chia (born in 1971), and Yong (born in 1972).
Both Minister Chan and Yong mentioned how "special" the Tanjong Pagar constituency is, with Minister Chan highlighting how the story of Tanjong Pagar is the story of Singapore's development.
Chan said, "Tanjong Pagar is a very special place to the whole of Singapore. Its story is the story of Singapore - how it transformed from a difficult environment to what it is today - a mirror of how Singapore went from Third to First World".
As Lianhe Wanbao perceptively pointed out, this PAP team is "extra special" too, for it consists of a soldier (Chan), a policeman (Yong), a doctor (Chia), a lawyer (Indranee), and a long-term grassroots professional (Pereira).
2. Chan's impressive performance as an anchor Minister at the press conference
Photo by Edwin Koo
This is Minister Chan's first time anchoring the Tanjong Pagar GRC in the GE.
He is the first fourth generation leader (Minister Heng Swee Keat, Minister Tan Chuan-Jin and Minister Lawrence Wong are the other four gen leaders) to introduce his team and he easily destroyed the online "kee qiu" caricature.
Besides highlighting the local (the uniqueness of Tanjong Pagar), Chan was able to weave in a national narrative about Singapore and its future political leadership.
Chan said that Singapore needs a next generation of leaders who are caring, committed, competent and cohesive, with a common goal to build a better Singapore.
But more importantly, he said that the key job of the country's leaders is to pull Singaporeans in the same direction, for the country's benefit.
"And this is the role of leaders. Leaders are not just people who speak up for certain segments of interests. True leadership is about people who bring people together, mobilise them for action, beyond debate, beyond rhetoric", Chan said.
In other words, he has posed a question to the opposition for the electorate - can they bring Singaporeans together and not just speak up for certain segments of interest?
3. The two new candidates performed competently in their first media encounter
Melvin Yong (left) and Joan Pereira (right) conducting their media interviews. Photo by Edwin Koo
Pereira, an experienced former grassroots professional with People's Association, can speak Chinese quite fluently.
Tanjong'>
Posted by Mothership.sg on Tuesday, August 18, 2015
