The big local political story of the week was The Straits Times report on Nicole Seah joining the Workers' Party (WP).

However, technicality alert: Seah didn't join the party.

She is currently volunteering with WP -- quietly. This is something people on the ground have known for quite a while now.

So the scoop shouldn't be how ST managed to find out that Seah was already with WP.

Rather, why did it take an agonising two years for ST to confirm it.

Quietly working the ground the past two years

In fact, Seah, 31, began volunteering for WP after the 2015 General Election and has been contributing to the party.

For instance, Seah was involved in helping out with the WP 60th anniversary book, Walking with Singapore: The Workers' Party's 60th Anniversary.

In the book's acknowledgements, non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Daniel Goh, who was the editor-in-chief of the book, thanked Seah and the media team for researching and writing the drafts that form the foundation of the book.

Yet, Seah was discreet enough not to have her photo profile featured as one of the 60 members on the WP60 book:

When approached by Mothership.sg on Seah's involvement with WP, a WP spokesperson and Seah declined comment on the story.

Seah helping WP not a surprise

The first hint of Seah's WP leanings came in 2015.

During the GE period in August 2015, Seah shared a post on GE2015 Marine Parade GRC candidate He Ting Ru, expressing her support for He.

Seah also praised WP in one of her Facebook comments:

"What I appreciate about WP is that they have very clear processes for candidacy and membership... There is no fast track or parachuting. So, Ting Ru has really gotten to this point because of her hard work helping at the legal and grassroots level."

Those comments subsequently aroused curiosity among Singaporeans about Seah running as a candidate during GE2015, which was laid to rest with this exclusive interview with Mothership.sg.

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Seah really doesn't want the spotlight. For now.

Seah was merely 24 years old when she became one of the most recognisable faces in Singapore.

Under the National Solidarity Party (NSP) ticket, she ran a strong campaign in Marine Parade GRC during GE2011, when her team came up with the fifth best result (43.4 percent) among the losers. And this was against Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong's team.

In fact, Seah narrowly lost out to a NCMP position as the parliament only allowed three NCMP posts for the three best-performing electoral losers.

But Seah probably needed time to grow, experience and live life.

In the past few years out of the limelight, Seah got married and had risen up the ranks in the advertising industry.

In fact, Seah was selected by business and employment social networking service LinkedIn as LinkedIn's power profiles in Singapore.

While ST is generally excited about "scooping" a two-year old story, Seah is, in all honesty, a private citizen volunteering and exercising her democratic right to choose the political party she wants.

Because if Seah really starts campaigning, the more than 100k fans on her dormant public figure page will know.

And should Seah join WP formally as a member, she will have something in common with her Secretary-General and Chairman: Both Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim lost in their first electoral contests, also in GRCs, with a respectable 40 percent vote shares (Low: 42.2 percent in Tiong Bahru GRC; Lim: 43.91 percent in Aljunied GRC).

And in case anyone is curious, Low and Lim then went on to win their second electoral contests.

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Top photo by Bernice Wong for Mothership.sg