Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong recently announced he would not be running in this year's General Election (GE), and would be retiring as a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

The news caused quite a stir considering that ESM Goh has been a fixture at Marine Parade and serving its residents since 1976.

The departure of ESM Goh has likely left many pondering who would shoulder the responsibility of leading the GRC.

For instance, will a Minister from another GRC anchor Marine Parade instead?

Tan Chuan-jin possesses the "seniority and experience"

In an upcoming interview Mothership had with incumbent MP for Marine Parade GRC's Joo Chiat division, Edwin Tong, it was revealed that there is a high likelihood that Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-jin would be the anchor for Marine Parade GRC.

Prior to being appointed as 10th Speaker for Parliament, Tan was the Minister for Manpower and Minister for Social and Family Development.

He was elected as the MP at Marine Parade GRC during the 2011 General Election.

Although Tan was understood to be anchoring the GRC with ESM Goh's guidance the past few years, the latter's retirement as an MP will undoubtedly alter the Marine Parade GRC team's dynamics and leadership.

Tong, who is Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Health, said,

"I think that the dynamics of this GRC team will be very different. I expressed to you just now, when you have a very senior minister, stalwart as an anchor, I think the dynamics are very different than what it is now."

"I expect Chuan-jin to be the anchor," Tong said.

Seniority and experience, Tong added, was something Chuan-jin possessed, despite their similar age.

Tong said that with Tan becoming the anchor (speaker) for Marine Parade GRC, both could play on each other's strengths and weaknesses.

"It plays up the strength of our relationship as well. He's the anchor, but I also am consulted by him on things. And we work together. I give him perspectives that perhaps as Speaker, he doesn't see...

... So I think this is a very workable situation, assuming we're all standing here."

Potential new PAP candidates fielded

Tong also revealed some potential tidbits of who might be the new candidates fielded at Marine Parade GRC.

At the moment, aside from Tong, FairPrice Group CEO Seah Kian Peng is the incumbent MP for Braddell Heights division, Tan the incumbent MP for Kembangan-Chai Chee, and Fatimah Lateef the incumbent at Eunos.

ESM Goh recently introduced new PAP candidate Tan See Leng as his successor, saying that Tan had been his understudy for the past two years.

Tong added that Tan Chuan-jin had been "showing around Fahmi", referring to new candidate Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman, perhaps hinting at the possibility of him being fielded at Marine Parade GRC for the upcoming election.Fatimah too had been "going around with someone else", Tong noted.

Previous media report noted that there were three new faces seen in Marine Parade GRC, namely Tan Lee Seng, Fahmi Aliman, and lawyer Kawal Pal Singh.

Ultimately though, whether these new candidates will be contesting at Marine Parade GRC or not, the "core" of the team would be "one that knows each other reasonably well", he said.

Top photo from SIX5Productions LLP / FB