The People's Action Party (PAP) announced its latest batch of new candidates in a virtual press conference this morning (June 26).

The four new candidates were introduced by PAP's Chan Chun Sing, who is the party's 2nd Assistant Secretary-General. 

Here are the candidates:

1. Mariam Jaafar

Mariam, 43, is a Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

She grew up in a one-room rental flat, but thanks to the sacrifices of her parents and the kindness shown by many people, she was able to go on to study in the U.S.

Mariam earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. She then went on to Harvard Business School, where she received her Master in Business Administration.

As the head of Women@BCG, she helps to plan initiatives that offer career development, mentorship and programs to help women excel personally and professionally.

She aims to build stronger communities and make a difference to the health and welfare of fellow Singaporeans.

Mariam shared that given her family background, social mobility is something important to her.

"Singapore must always be the place where someone from a humble background can grow up to believe she can do anything she wants to do, be anyone she wants to be."

2. Shawn Huang Wei Zhong

Huang, 38, is the director for enterprise development at Temasek International.

He served in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) for 19 years, where he was a former fighter pilot, and later the Commanding Officer of an F-16 squadron and Parade Commander for the National Day Parade in 2018.

Huang started his career with the RSAF as a pilot trainee. He was subsequently sent to the United States Air Force Academy and graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering with distinction.

He was the first non-American to become the top graduate in military performance.

Huang has been an active community volunteer in the Taman Jurong constituency over the past ten years. He mentors children from low-income homes and helps former prison inmate restart their lives.

He has also been serving as the Chairman of Community Arts and Culture Club (CACC) for several years, leading efforts to allow residents to have access to arts and culture activities in the community.

During the press conference, he shared several quotes in English, Malay and Mandarin including: "We will never realise the beauty of a rainbow if we never had rain and sunshine."

3. Carrie Tan Huimin

Tan, 38, is the founder and executive director of Daughters of Tomorrow (DOT), a social enterprise that enables sustained livelihoods for underprivileged women in Singapore.

She started the social enterprise after quitting her job in the private sector in 2012. Tan worked in the advertising agency before setting up her sole proprietorship consultancy, providing headhunting and talent development services in Singapore and Shanghai.

She received her Bachelor of Arts from National University of Singapore, where she majored in History.

In 2015, DOT was awarded the Most Investment-worthy Social Enterprise by the Asian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship & Philanthropy (ACSEP) under National University of Singapore.

In May 2016, Tan was awarded Honoree for the Children, World Peace and Human Rights category in the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award by Junior Chambers International in Singapore.

She said that her motivation to join politics is to bring more diversity and representation into Parliament, so that more voices from different segments of society can be heard.

4. Chan Hui Yuh

Chan, 44, is Marketing Director at Jingslink Marketing Pte Ltd, and she graduated from the National University of Singapore and the University of Western Australia with Honours.

She has been serving in Siglap since 2000, helping then-Member of Parliament Abdullah Tarmugi, and subsequently Maliki Osman.

She was elected as the Southeast Region Chairman for the Young PAP (YP), and was the Assistant Organising Secretary of YP Executive Committee.

Chan was later the Chairman of the Siglap Citizens’ Consultative Committee, and then assumed her role as Adviser to the Aljunied Grassroots Organisations in 2015.

She hopes to work with the people she serves to come up with ground-up initiatives to fulfil their needs, and to not leave anyone behind.

She also added, "The government must continue to listen and find new ways to meet the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans."

While introducing Chan Hui Yuh, Chan Chun Sing mentioned that she served as the chair of the Serangoon PAP branch, and thanked her for her "service to Serangoon."

Top image from PAP.