GE2025: No changes to PAP's Holland-Bukit Timah GRC team, Vivian Balakrishnan remains anchor minister

The People's Action Party (PAP) unveiled its candidates for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC on Apr. 15, 2025.

There are no changes for the PAP's line-up.

For Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, the party will field the incumbents Vivian Balakrishnan, Sim Ann, Christopher de Souza, and Edward Chia.

For Bukit Panjang SMC, PAP will field the incumbent Liang Eng Hwa.

4-member team for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC

Three of the team are long-time MPs for Holland-Bukit Timah.

Vivian, the Foreign Affairs Minister and de Souza have both been MPs for the constituency since it became a GRC in 2006.

Sim, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development, joined the team in 2011.

Chia is the newest member of the group, having joined the GRC in 2020.

Bukit Panjang SMC

Liang represented the Zhenghua ward in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC for three terms before running in Bukit Panjang SMC in 2020.

The boundaries of Bukit Panjang SMC were not affected by the recent EBRC report.

Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) chairman Paul Tambyah said he would contest Bukit Panjang SMC in the upcoming election.

He contested the constituency in the 2020 election but ultimately lost to Liang, who won with 53.73 per cent of the vote.

In an interview with The Straits Times, Liang called Tambyah a "formidable opponent".

However, Liang said that, "with humility", he believed he could do a "better job" than Tambyah, pointing to his track record of "getting things done".

Holland-Bukit Timah GRC

The Holland-Bukit Timah GRC 2025 borders are practically the same as 2020, realigning the boundary to assign some HDB estates to Chua Chu Kang GRC.

It also added a polling district East of Upper Bukit Timah Road, currently under Jurong GRC.

Red Dot United (RDU) announced on Apr. 10, 2025, that they intend to contest Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

SDP, which has contested Holland-Bukit Timah for the past three general elections, is reportedly "uncertain" about running there in 2025.

In 2020, PAP won the constituency against SDP with 60.98 per cent of the vote.

RDU Secretary-General Ravi Philemon acknowledged that Vivian might be "entrenched" in the GRC and that it would be a "very difficult fight", but it is a contest the party must take up for the sake of Singaporeans.

Top image via Mothership