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Sengkang GRC: Workers’ Party vs New-Look PAP Team

 




Sengkang GRC is set for one of the most closely watched battles in the 2025 General Election as the incumbent Workers’ Party (WP) team faces off against a refreshed slate from the People’s Action Party (PAP). Nomination Day on April 23 confirmed both parties’ candidates after filings at Yusof Ishak Secondary School.

The WP team, which made history in 2020 by flipping the GRC from PAP’s control, returns with three familiar faces – He Ting Ru, Louis Chua, and Jamus Lim – and introduces a new candidate: Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik, a senior property manager at Aljunied-Hougang Town Council. He replaces Raeesah Khan, who resigned in 2021 after admitting to making false statements in Parliament.

On the opposing side, PAP is fielding a significantly altered team. Dr Lam Pin Min is the only returning candidate from the party’s 2020 lineup, which then included Ng Chee Meng, Amrin Amin, and Raymond Lye. In this round, Dr Lam is joined by three newcomers: Bernadette Giam, Theodora Lai, and Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat.

Ng Chee Meng, who led the PAP team in 2020, will instead contest Jalan Kayu SMC. Both Amrin and Lye are not running this year.

Sengkang GRC remains unchanged in terms of boundaries and has 126,641 registered voters. It was the site of one of the biggest upsets in GE2020, when WP secured the GRC with 52.12% of the vote. This made Sengkang only the second GRC ever to be won by an opposition party, following Aljunied GRC in 2011. The result brought four WP MPs into Parliament and increased the opposition’s influence in national policymaking, leading to WP chief Pritam Singh being officially named Leader of the Opposition.

Addressing supporters after the WP candidacy was confirmed, Ms He Ting Ru thanked Sengkang residents for their support over the past four years.

“It has been a privilege to serve as your representatives in Parliament, where we have fought for issues that matter to you and to Singapore,” she said. “The Workers’ Party team has been honoured to share in your joy, your tears, and your fears – but the journey does not end here. This election, we are seeking your vote so that we may continue working for Sengkang.”

On the PAP side, Dr Lam said the new slate has been working hard to regain residents' trust.

“For the past four years, we have worked hard to earn back your trust. We want to be your voice in Parliament,” he said.

The revamped PAP team includes diverse professional backgrounds – Giam and Lai bring legal and communications experience, while Elmie is an academic. Their inclusion suggests PAP is recalibrating its strategy to present a relatable and professionally competent alternative.

The 2020 defeat was a significant moment for PAP, especially as it involved senior figures like Ng Chee Meng and took place in a new GRC carved out just before the election. With the WP holding the ground since then and navigating the political fallout from Raeesah Khan’s resignation, this contest will be both a test of WP’s resilience and PAP’s renewal.

As both sides gear up for the May 3 polls, Sengkang GRC is expected to feature high on the list of key battlegrounds, with intense campaigning, rallies, and walkabouts over the next two weeks.

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