PAP Aljunied team responds to 'Suicide Squad' label, says objective is to serve residents & win

The People's Action Party unveiled its slate of candidates for the Workers' Party stronghold Aljunied GRC on Apr. 13.

The five-person team was introduced by PAP Assistant Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing, who emphasised the troubled times that the country is facing internationally.

Chan echoed comments made by PAP Secretary-General Lawrence Wong, saying that "every contest is a tough one now" and that the PAP does not take any outcome as "given, neither at the local or national level".

He added that the party sought candidates who were capable of taking care of residents at a local level, forming a good government at a national level, and representing the country at an international level.

The Slate

Chan Hui Yuh - Serangoon

The slate was led by Chan Hui Yuh, representing the Serangoon electoral division.

Chan is an adviser to Aljunied GRC, has been a community volunteer since 2000, and has been chairman of the PAP Serangoon branch since 2014.

She previously contested in GE 2020 as part of the team that lost to the WP.

She runs a company that provides sustainable solutions to the construction industry, among other advisory roles, such as advisor to Scoot's Staff Union.

Faisal Abdul Aziz - Kaki Bukit

Representing the Kaki Bukit division is dental surgeon Faisal Abdul Aziz.

Faisal began his political journey as a community volunteer and spoke about his experience raising two young children.

Faisal was part of the wave of changes that the PAP made to Aljunied and Hougang branch heads in February, a set of changes that involved two of his Aljunied GRC comrades and the neighbouring Hougang SMC PAP candidate Marshall Lim.

Adrian Ang - Bedok Reservoir-Punggol

Part of those changes also involved Bedok Reservoir-Punggol division candidate Adrian Ang.

Ang takes over from Victor Lye, who was seen on a walkabout in Ang Mo Kio while the Aljunied slate was being unveiled.

Ang is a director for group stability and business at Chye Thiam Maintenance Pte Ltd and has been a volunteer since 2012.

During the unveiling, he spoke in both Mandarin and Teochew, and of his desire to make "the town more lively, desirable and sustainable for future generations".

Daniel Liu - Paya Lebar

Part of the February changes saw Daniel Liu, son of architect Liu Tai Ker, take over as Paya Lebar branch head.

Liu leads an urban planning and architectural firm and spoke about his experience of growing up with albinism in Singapore.

Liu spoke about how the team's focus was squarely on residents in the constituency, adding that the team possessed a wealth of professional experience, but a focus on the grassroots did not mean the team "did not know what the world was like".

In particular, noting that his team has no anchor minister, Liu said that this allows his team to engage with residents more:

"The fact that we are not political office holders running this campaign means that we have more time to be on the ground, more time to engage and understand more holistically."

Jagathishwaran Rajo - Eunos

Rounding out the slate is trade unionist Jagathishwaran Rajo, representing the Eunos electoral division, where he is the branch head.

As a trade unionist, Jaga has advocated for workers' rights and well-being, particularly focusing on freelancers and self-employed individuals.

Jaga spoke about his experience as a caregiver to elderly parents and how it helped him connect with other caregivers, particularly those who needed the flexibility afforded to them by freelance work, such as private-hire drivers.

Suicide Squad?

Chan spoke about the team's efforts to develop programmes on the ground to respond to the Aljunied residents' desire for support.

This included a multitude of care programmes for seniors and their families, healthcare, worker support, and developing an inclusive society.

Liu responded to a question about whether the team faced an insurmountable challenge against a strong WP incumbent, essentially acting as a "suicide squad".

Liu referred to the movie franchise, saying:

"Suicide Squad is just a bunch of people who have very different backgrounds who come together and achieve what they want to do. For us, that is to serve and win back this place. And I think we can do the same."

Top image: Tan Min-Wei