It's official. Hougang SMC will see a battle between Dennis Tan of the Workers' Party (WP) and the People's Action Party's (PAP) Lee Hong Chuang.
Both men submitted their paperwork and had their nominations approved at Poi Ching School in Tampines — the nomination centre for Hougang SMC — on June 30.
Dennis Tan, the anointed successor
Tan, 48, will be looking to follow in the footsteps of WP stalwarts Low Thia Khiang and Png Eng Huat in winning the contest.
Last elections, Tan ran in Fengshan SMC, gaining 42 per cent of the vote up against the PAP's Cheryl Chan.
While it wasn't enough to win the seat, the shipping lawyer did earn a spot as a non-constituency member of parliament.
In a June 28 post on Facebook, Tan said that he had been helping Png in Hougang for three years.
Tan also acknowledged that his candidacy in the long-held opposition constituency "(stood) on the shoulders of giants".
"Hougang residents have been so warm and kind to Mr Low and Mr Png, and now they have extended this Hougang hospitality to me as well," he wrote.
WP has held Hougang SMC since Low won the seat in 1991.
Lee Hong Chuang, the challenger
PAP candidate Lee, 50, will be returning to Hougang SMC after losing to Png at GE2015.
Photo by Andrew Koay.
According to The Straits Times, Lee is an adviser to Hougang grassroots organisations and chairs the PAP's branch in the constituency.
One day before nomination day, Lee posted a video showcasing some of the infrastructure improvements he had worked on.
This included the upgrading of the Hougang Community Club and three batches of the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP).
In the accompanying description, Lee said that he had been serving in Hougang since 2014.
Top image by Andrew Koay.