In a major shake-up to the General Election landscape, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Gan Kim Yong has been named as the People’s Action Party (PAP)’s anchor minister for the newly formed Punggol GRC, setting up a dramatic face-off with the Workers’ Party (WP)’s high-profile candidate, senior counsel Harpreet Singh.
This surprise announcement was confirmed on Nomination Day, April 23, ending days of speculation about where key figures would contest. Mr Gan, 66, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, was initially expected to lead the PAP slate in Chua Chu Kang GRC. Instead, he will lead the PAP charge in Punggol GRC alongside three incumbents: Dr Janil Puthucheary, 52, Senior Minister of State; Ms Sun Xueling, 45, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development; and Ms Yeo Wan Ling, 48, assistant secretary-general at NTUC.
The sudden reshuffling saw Manpower Minister Tan See Leng move to Chua Chu Kang GRC in Mr Gan’s place, in what appears to be a strategic realignment by the ruling party.
On the opposition front, the WP is fielding a formidable team of fresh faces led by Harpreet Singh, 59, a respected senior counsel in the legal field. Joining him are Ms Alexis Dang, 39, a senior director in advertising technology; Ms Siti Alia Abdul Rahim Mattar, 43, a legal counsel; and Mr Jackson Au, 35, a senior manager in corporate affairs and marketing with the London Stock Exchange Group.
The WP’s decision to deploy big names to Punggol and Tampines—rather than Marine Parade as many had anticipated—has taken observers by surprise, underscoring their intent to aggressively contest newer political ground.
Punggol GRC is a freshly carved constituency with a total of 123,557 voters, combining 96,825 from the former Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and 26,732 from the former Punggol West SMC. With over half its electorate estimated to be aged between 21 and 45, this GRC has a significant concentration of millennial and Gen Z voters—overrepresented by more than 10 percentage points based on Department of Statistics data as of June 2024.
This younger demographic makes the battle in Punggol especially compelling, as it becomes a test bed for how each party connects with the aspirations and concerns of younger Singaporeans. The WP previously contested Punggol West SMC in 2020, where Ms Sun Xueling won with 60.98% of the vote, while the WP secured 39.02%.
Speaking after the nominations, Mr Gan acknowledged the significance of the contest and the stakes involved, emphasizing the need for experienced leadership during uncertain global times. Meanwhile, the WP’s Harpreet Singh brings legal gravitas and public interest credentials to the race, marking his electoral debut with a challenge in a constituency crucial to Singapore’s future political direction.
As both parties unveil carefully curated slates in one of Singapore’s fastest-growing regions, Punggol GRC promises to be one of the most closely watched battlegrounds in GE2025.
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