Former Clementi MP Tan Wu Meng retires after 10 years, not contesting in GE2025

Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Jurong GRC Tan Wu Meng is stepping down after 10 years in politics.

He will not be fielded in any Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) or Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) for the 2025 General Election.

He was previously the MP for Clementi ward under Jurong GRC.

In an Instagram post on Apr. 23 (Nomination Day), Tan penned a note thanking his residents and those who supported him.

Time to move on

Tan announced that he will not be a candidate in the 2025 General Election.

He is retiring from politics to spend more time with his family.

"In life, I go where I am most needed, and right now my family needs me most," he said.

"Regardless of one’s political persuasion, being in public life is never easy for the families of those who serve."

Tan is a father to two young daughters.

He added that while he will no longer serve the ward, he hopes to keep in touch with the many Clementi residents and volunteers he has met.

Tan, who is an oncologist by profession, said his political experiences have helped to bring a "different dimension" to serving as a physician and speaking up for patients and healthcare workers.

"And I will never stop advocating for our fellow Singaporeans and a better Singapore."

Passing on the baton

Jurong GRC, a PAP stronghold, was dissolved following the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee’s (EBRC) report, with its estates also being absorbed by Jurong Central SMC, and West Coast-Jurong West GRC.

A new GRC, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, now includes polling districts from the Jurong GRC and three former Single Member Constituencies (SMCs): Hong Kah North, Bukit Batok, and Yuhua.

PAP's Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC team includes David Hoe, who will be serving Clementi if elected.

Tan said that he has seen how Hoe "puts in full heart and full effort" to serve the residents and encouraged the Clementi community to give him their full support.

10 years as MP

Tan first became an MP when he was elected as part of the PAP's Jurong GRC team in the 2015 General Election.

He served as a backbencher in Parliament until May 2018, when he was appointed as a Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry.

He retained his seat in the 2020 General Election but stepped down from his roles as Senior Parliamentary Secretary, returning to serve as a backbencher.

Top photos from tanwumeng/Instagram and Jurong GRC's website