A Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) faculty member recently made an appearance alongside members of the Marine Parade GRC, raising speculation that she could be a new candidate that the  People's Action Party intends to field at the next General Election.

Choo Pei Ling, an assistant professor at the university's Health and Social Sciences Cluster, was seen accompanying Marine Parade GRC Members of Parliament Edwin Tong, Tan See Leng, and Seah Kian Peng on their weekend walkabout on Mar. 24.

The photos were shared in a Mar. 26 Facebook post by Tan.

Dressed in a white Marine Parade polo tee, Choo was seen taking photos with hawkers and diners at the Marine Parade Central Food Centre with the rest of the team.

She was also previously spotted in photos on Tan's social media, such as a Mar. 17 post on Marine Parade Community Centre's Ramadan Majlis Berbuka Puasa.

A new face?

Her appearances has sparked rumours on whether she will be tapped as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate for the Marine Parade GRC, potentially to replace former MP Tan Chuan-Jin.

In response to questions by Lianhe Zaobao, Tan said that Choo is currently a grassroots volunteer and has not been appointed to any formal positions.

He added that it was still too early to discuss whether Choo would be a potential candidate for the PAP in the upcoming General Election.

"She has been assisting the Marine Parade branch for several years. She has been assisting as a volunteer since I joined Marine Parade. In fact, I have many volunteers like her," he said.

He pointed out that MPs occasionally invite volunteers to participate in community activities to help them better understand the work that goes on.

When interviewed, Choo reaffirmed that she was a volunteer and declined to comment further, Zaobao reported.

A neuroscientist and physiotherapist

Choo is a neuroscientist and physiotherapist with experience in neurological rehabilitation, according to biodata by the Singapore Physiotherapy Association (SPA).

She currently serves as a council member and chairperson of the SPA's Advocacy and Membership Committee.

In 2014, she made headlines after being awarded a prize by the Glasgow Caledonian University to help set up a rural satellite neurorehabilitation clinic in Myanmar.

She received a Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical & Imaging Neuroscience) at the same university, according to her SIT profile.