Sudden PAP branch head changes could be 'tactical' move to win back WP wards: political analyst Eugene Tan

Last week, the People's Action Party (PAP) announced a slew of leadership changes at its branches in Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC, constituencies that are currently held by the Workers' Party (WP)

Within a month, the PAP unveiled five new faces to oversee its grassroots activities in opposition territory.

Three of them took over from predecessors who served tenures of less than two years.,

With the General Election speculated to take place as early as May, what can voters make about these seemingly abrupt personnel changes?

Good move?

Political observer and law academic Eugene Tan told Mothership it is "common" for PAP to make changes to their line-up in areas where they are not the incumbent.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said at the launch of a Ramadan Bazaar last Sunday that it was part of PAP's tradition to refresh its candidates for every GE.

Ultimately, all political parties have to start finalising their list of candidates, and their agenda would be to refresh, rejuvenate and reinforce their line-ups for GE, said Tan.

However, Tan felt these changes from the PAP were "unusual" so late in the electoral cycle, as in his view, GE could be held as early as May.

The associate professor from the SMU School of Law pointed out that when there are changes to representatives on the ground, the replacements typically face issues like lack of recognition and lack of time to build rapport with residents.

"Residents will be confused by the many changes and they might have insufficient time to get to know the new PAP faces," said Tan.

He added that these late personnel changes could indicate that the PAP sees them as a "necessary" move or "even tactical and strategic as well".

Tan said that as the PAP seeks to wrest back these WP-held wards, the new line-up is likely seen as the one which "offers them the best prospects of winning".

Why 3 PAP branch chairs stepped down after less than 2 years?

Regarding the reasons for Kenny Sim, Marcus Loh and Jackson Lam stepping aside from branch leadership after less than two years in the role, Tan said,

"Given that not much is known of the previous PAP new faces in Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC, it could well be a matter of fit or personal reasons that these changes have been made."

Sim, who stepped down from the Paya Lebar branch chairperson role after less than six months in charge, reportedly did so due to health reasons.

Loh, who served Sengkang East residents for about one-and-a-half years, said he requested to step down to focus on keeping well for his family.

Lam, who is the second Hougang branch chair to be replaced since the last GE, did not share his reasons for stepping down.

"It may be that the PAP has assessed that the fit of their prospective candidates and residents can be better," Tan said of PAP's new faces.

The five new branch chairpersons are:

• F&B corporate planning director Bernadette Giam
• Facility and environmental management company director Adrian Ang
• Urban planning consultancy managing director Daniel Liu
• Dental group clinical director Faisal Abdul Aziz
• Private litigator Marshall Lim

PAP might be 'playing the long game'

Tan also offered an alternative explanation for the slew of personnel changes — that the PAP might be playing the long game in WP-held wards.

Even if they fall short of victory, it is expected that the new faces will be appointed as GRO (Grassroots Organisations) advisers, Tan pointed out.

"The upcoming GE provides an unsurpassed opportunity for the new faces to be introduced, to work and walk the ground, and to hit the ground running in the important challenge to win back the GRC. In this regard, it would be good for them to be exposed to contesting in a GE for the first time."

That said, Tan pointed that regardless of which line-up they went with, the PAP will still go into all three contests as the "underdog".

"All three wards (Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC, and Hougang SMC) are for the WP to lose," he added.

Top image from Marcus Loh/Facebook, Kenny Sim/Facebook, Jackson Lam/Facebook, Canva & Mothership