On April 6, 2025, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) revealed its five-member team for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), which it intends to contest in the upcoming general election. The announcement was made by party chairman Paul Tambyah during a media session at Kampung Admiralty.
The line-up comprises Deputy Head of Policy James Gomez, Vice-Chairman Bryan Lim, Treasurer Surayah Akbar, and party members Alfred Tan and Damanhuri Abas. This move is part of the party’s broader electoral approach, referred to as its “northern strategy,” where focus will be placed on Sembawang GRC, the newly created Sembawang West Single Member Constituency (SMC), Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, and Bukit Panjang SMC.
Among the five candidates, only Surayah Akbar will be contesting an election for the first time. The other four members have previously stood in past general elections. James Gomez, aged 60, first entered politics in 2001 with the Workers’ Party and later joined the SDP in 2010. He has contested in three general elections, with his most recent appearance in 2020 under the SDP banner.
Bryan Lim, aged 49, works as an assistant director at a public hospital. He has represented the SDP in three elections—Hong Kah GRC in 2001 and Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC in 2015 and 2020.
Alfred Tan, aged 59, is the director of the local food and beverage business Kopi Ong. He began volunteering with the party in 2015 and contested in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in 2020. Damanhuri Abas, 54, is a regional educational consultant who contested in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC in both 2015 and 2020.
Surayah Akbar, 42, is a music publisher and mother of three who has been an SDP member for over 18 years.
During ground engagement activities in Kampung Admiralty, the team received feedback from residents on issues such as rising costs of living and the displacement of professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs). Bryan Lim mentioned that these will be key themes in SDP’s campaign message for the area.
The team also encountered members from the National Solidarity Party (NSP), who were distributing materials in the same area. NSP has indicated its intention to also contest Sembawang GRC. Its secretary-general, Spencer Ng, stated that the party will be meeting SDP to understand its reasons for contesting the same constituency.
The SDP last contested Sembawang GRC in the 2011 General Election and secured 36.1 percent of the vote. At that time, it was a straight contest with the ruling party. In the 2020 General Election, the People’s Action Party (PAP) won 67.29 percent of the votes against NSP in the same constituency.
The PAP team in Sembawang GRC is currently led by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, alongside members Lim Wee Kiak, Mariam Jaafar, Poh Li San, and Vikram Nair. On March 29, 2025, Ong Ye Kung introduced two new individuals likely to be part of the PAP line-up for the coming election. They are Ng Shi Xuan, director of Powermark Battery and Hardware, and Gabriel Lam, chief operating officer of Shalom International Movers.
Beyond Sembawang GRC, the SDP has confirmed that party secretary-general Chee Soon Juan will stand in the newly carved-out Sembawang West SMC. Paul Tambyah will again contest Bukit Panjang SMC. The party also intends to run in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, which is currently anchored by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. SDP has not ruled out contesting in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC either.
In the previous three general elections, the SDP fielded 11 candidates each time. Based on the current announcements and intentions, the party appears set to do the same in 2025. When asked if more candidates will be introduced, Paul Tambyah said that the party is assessing ground sentiment and is in conversation with other political parties. He added that the full picture will only be clear on Nomination Day.
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