'First time here?': Gan Siow Huang & Leong Mun Wai cross paths in Marymount SMC

People's Action Party's (PAP) Gan Siow Huang and Progress Singapore Party's (PSP) Leong Mun Wai crossed paths at Marymount SMC on Apr. 12, 2025.

PSP conducted three concurrent walkabouts on the same day. One of them included a walkabout at Bishan North Shopping Mall located in Marymount SMC, featuring PSP's secretary-general Leong Mun Wai.

He was there with fellow PSP member Jeffrey Khoo, who was part of the party's West Coast team during the last general election.

Both Gan and Leong shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

She then asked Leong if it was his "first time here", to which he replied it was.

The incumbent MP also asked Leong which PSP candidate will be contesting against her.

Leong replied that PSP has not confirmed which candidate will be contesting in Marymount but what's confirmed is that the party will contest in the SMC.

"We welcome y'all to Marymount," Gan added before inviting the PSP team to take a photo with the PAP team.

While this may be the first time Gan and Leong met in Marymount SMC, Leong said that he and Gan were "very friendly" and had exchanged many debates in Parliament.

"It's a good feeling. Democracy is about...keep engaging one another, right?" Leong replied to Mothership about meeting Gan.

Both sides confident about winning

As compared to her first general election in 2020, Gan said she's more confident and has built a team, many of whom are Marymount residents, to serve residents over the last five years.

"I know that we are ready," Gan said.

When asked about her thoughts on possible contests in Marymount SMC, Gan told Mothership that she thinks that it's good that the residents have a choice and she will stay focus on engaging the residents and helping them to improve the town.

Similarly, when asked about the contest in Marymount, the PSP secretary-general expressed confidence.

"We are quite confident, We think that Marymount residents have indicated to us the last round that they would consider PSP as a credible alternative in Marymount. So I look forward to a breakthrough this round," Leong said in response to Mothership.

In GE2020, PSP's Ang Yong Guan lost to Gan with 44.96 per cent of the vote. PSP said Ang will not stand in the election after his suspension as a psychiatrist was extended.

Besides PSP, an opposition coalition led by Lim Tean, People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR), has also indicated interest in contesting in Marymount.

Leong said that he will speak to PAR.

SMC maybe?

In a separate walkabout at Kebun Baru SMC, PSP's first vice-chairperson Hazel Poa talked briefly about their potential strategies for this upcoming GE.

She said that while one strategy would be to focus on contesting in a GRC, another would be to have either herself or Leong potentially compete in an SMC.

Interestingly, Poa also met PAP's Kebun Baru SMC MP Henry Kwek, during her walkabout.

Top image by Zheng Zhangxin.