PAP fields 'younger, dynamic team' with equal gender representation to contest Sengkang GRC

The People's Action Party (PAP) has unveiled its slate of candidates for the Sengkang GRC for the upcoming General Election.

They are chairman of PAP Sengkang West Branch Lam Pin Min, 56, principal at private equity firm Tembusu Partners Theodora Lai, 39, associate professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Elmie Nekmat, 43, and director of Creative Eateries Bernadette Giam, 38.

The four-member team was previously seen at a walkabout in Sengkang on Mar. 30.

Average age of 43

Lam, who contested Sengkang GRC in the previous election, said the party "did a post-mortem on some of the reasons why we lost Sengkang GRC" in GE2020.

"We realised after GE2020 that there is actually a call for younger candidates, as well as female candidates," Lam said.

"This time, we have a younger, dynamic team, with diverse expertise," the ophthalmologist and chief executive officer of Eagle Eye Centre said.

"Our team has an average age of 43 with equal gender representation. Though we come from different professional backgrounds, we share the same passion to serve Sengkang residents and to win back their trust."

No delusion bringing back Sengkang GRC will be easy

When asked how confident the team are in taking back Sengkang GRC, given the short runway to the General Election, Lam said: "We are under no delusion that bringing back Sengkang GRC will be easy."

"We have never won back [a] GRC in the history of Singapore political history; it's not easy. But no matter how difficult the journey may be, or what the chances are, I think one thing that we're very sure of is that we are very determined to try to win [Sengkang GRC] back."

"It's never easy to win any election," said Elmie, who has been serving as the chairman of PAP Sengkang Central Branch since 2022.

"But being in a ward as a non-incumbent and has been serving for the [past] four, five years, my confidence is strong because I spent the time to really understand the residents... not as a person who's out there to win elections, but as a friend who is really concerned about making things better."

Short runway towards GE2025

The four shared that they have been walking the grounds and interacting with the residents in Sengkang.

"We started by knocking on doors and listening to residents," Lai said.

"It takes one to initiate a plan for the constituency, but also at the same time, [we will also] be available to listen to what [the residents] care about and what they are concerned with, and then make tweaks if necessary."

Giam, who was appointed the branch chairman of PAP's Sengkang East Branch in January, shared that she has been on the ground "almost on a daily basis" for the past three months.

"I'm aware that there's a very short runway towards the GE, which would take place at some point this year," said Giam.

"I hope that Sengkang residents would see the sincerity and the focus on the local issues, because ultimately, it is the lives of the Sengkang residents who are living within Sengkang that our team hopes to make a difference in."

High proportion of younger families

Sengkang has been recognised for its high proportion of younger families.

When Sengkang GRC was created and contested for the first time in 2020, the WP managed to win it with a narrow margin of 52.13 per cent of the vote.

It is the second-ever GRC to be won by the opposition in Singapore's history.

The boundaries of Sengkang GRC were not affected by the recent EBRC report, and will remain a 4-member GRC.

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Top image via Mothership