The highly anticipated showdown in East Coast GRC is heating up once again for Singapore’s 2025 General Election, with the People’s Action Party (PAP) fielding a revamped line-up led by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, 55. Facing off against him is Workers’ Party (WP) veteran Yee Jenn Jong, 60, who returns after multiple prior contests in this hotly contested constituency.
Mr Tong is joined by returning MPs Tan Kiat How, 47, a Senior Minister of State, and four-term backbencher Jessica Tan, 58. New to the team are Dinesh Vasu Dash, 50, the former CEO of the Agency for Integrated Care, and Hazlina Abdul Halim, 40, a former journalist and current senior VP at advisory firm Teneo.
Notably absent is Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who led the PAP team in 2020 after a dramatic last-minute switch from Tampines GRC. Two other members from that 2020 team – Cheryl Chan and Maliki Osman – have retired from politics.
On the WP side, Mr Yee leads a team that blends experience with fresh talent. Nathaniel Koh, 41, who contested in East Coast in 2020, is joined by newcomers Paris V. Parameswari, 51, a former US Navy security administrator; Sufyan Mikhail Putra, 33, formerly an associate director at a law firm; and Jasper Kuan, 46, currently a regional product lead at Visa Worldwide.
The full line-ups were announced on April 23 at the Yusof Ishak Secondary School nomination centre. This followed months of speculation, with confirmation only arriving on Nomination Day itself. WP’s teaser video, released just before the close of nominations, had hinted at Mr Yee’s return – a strategic move meant to rally long-time supporters.
East Coast GRC has long been a political battleground. In GE2020, PAP won with just 53.39% of the vote, while WP scored 46.61% – the second-closest result for the ruling party that year. In 2015, all three NCMP seats were awarded to WP candidates from East Coast and Fengshan SMC, reinforcing the constituency’s reputation as a swing ward.
This year, East Coast’s electoral boundaries have changed once more. The Joo Chiat ward from Marine Parade GRC has been added, while Loyang and Flora estates have been moved to Pasir Ris–Changi GRC. The current voter roll stands at 150,691, with around 40,000 voters from Joo Chiat and Chai Chee – areas expected to be closely watched by both sides.
The inclusion of Joo Chiat is significant. Mr Tong has been overseeing this area since 2015 and has expressed strong interest in continuing to serve its residents. Meanwhile, Mr Yee has deep roots in Joo Chiat, having narrowly lost the SMC in GE2011, after which he served as an NCMP. He also ran in Marine Parade GRC in both 2015 and 2020, making this his fourth electoral contest.
Both parties are aiming to strengthen their performance in East Coast, with the PAP hoping that Mr Tong’s leadership and the presence of fresh faces will retain voter confidence. The WP is banking on Mr Yee’s familiarity and credibility with voters, as well as a growing slate of credible professionals, to make deeper inroads.
As the battle lines are drawn, all eyes are on whether WP can finally break through in East Coast—or if PAP’s new line-up can hold the line.
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