The People’s Action Party (PAP) on Friday (Aug 28) officially announced its lineup for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) for the General Election (GE).
PAP members Yeo Guat Kwang, Chua Eng Leong, Victor Lye, K Muralidharan Pillai and Shamsul Kamar will attempt to win back the GRC from the Workers’ Party.
At the 2011 polls, the WP took 54.72 per cent of the votes in Aljunied GRC against a PAP team led by former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo. It marked the first time a GRC had been won by an Opposition party since the introduction of the GRC system in 1988.
The WP has already announced that its 2011 lineup of Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Mr Chen Show Mao, Mr Faisal Manap and Mr Pritam Singh will defend Aljunied GRC this year.
The five PAP candidates for Aljunied GRC are:
Mr Yeo Guat Kwang, 54, Assistant Secretary-General of National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)
Mr Yeo served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Cheng San GRC from 1997 to 2001 and Aljunied GRC from 2001 to 2011 before moving to Ang Mo Kio GRC. He was tipped to retire from politics this year, but at the PAP’s unveiling of its Ang Mo Kio candidates for the GE, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong instead announced that Mr Yeo would be fielded in another constituency.
“It’s so good to be home. I served here for years,” Mr Yeo said, on his return to Aljunied GRC.
“I’m a PAP man – I’m a man who serves with passion and purpose. I remind myself to be practical, pragmatic, get to the root of the problem and help,” he said.
He has been championing labour issues since he entered politics in 1997, Mr Yeo said. “We do our best to help them (workers) enhance their employability and to increase opportunities for all.”
Mr Chua Eng Leong, 44, private banker
Mr Chua is the chairman of the PAP’s Eunos branch. His father is the late former Cabinet Minister Chua Sian Chin, who passed away last year.
He joined PAP in 2011 because he was concerned about the future of young Singaporeans, he said. “Why the PAP? I was born PAP – it’s about Passion, Ability and Purposeful service.”
“Politics is just another name for service to the nation,” he said, adding “we can only be effective if we listen. Voters want to know we care”.
Mr Lye, who has two children, said that one of the programmes he plans to champion for is youth at risk. “This is a special group … All youths should get opportunities to do well in life,” he said.
More should also be done for young families, he said. “We need to pay more attention to (these) families, catering for more childcare, infantcare and eldercare facilities.”
Mr Victor Lye, 52, Chief Executive of Shenton Insurance
Mr Lye is the chairman of the PAP’s Bedok Reservoir-Punggol branch. He is also chairman of the National Council against Drug Abuse, and sits on the board of directors at the Singapore Chinese Orchestra.
An Aljunied resident, Mr Lye has been involved in grassroots work in the constituency since 1999, and has been the PAP’s Aljunied branch chairman since 2012.
Currently the CEO of a medical insurance company, Mr Lye said he enjoys turning businesses around. “My experience in the private sector helps me understand problems faced by Singaporeans … helps me empathise with others.”
When the PAP lost the 2011 General Election to the opposition Workers’ Party, he decided to stay on. “After 2011, it would have been easy to walk away. But we are here to serve and that hasn’t changed. Where few dare to tread, it’s more meaningful because I finally know where my heart is,” he said.
“I believe in ground-up leadership. We need to connect better with our people.”
Mr K Muralidharan Pillai, 47, lawyer
Mr Muralidharan is chairman of the PAP’s Paya Lebar branch. Before embarking on a legal career, he was Assistant Superintendent in the Singapore Police Force.
Mr Muralidharan, who also spoke in Tamil, Mandarin and Malay during the press conference for the unveiling, said he was honoured that the PAP decided to field him as a candidate, despite being the son of a former political detainee.
“If elected, my focus would be on social mobility. We all don’t want a permanent underclass to emerge in Singapore. The Government has done a lot for social mobility, the challenge is for families to grasp the opportunities,” he said.
“This isn’t a career enhancement move,” he said. “I don’t know how long my political career will be – it could be 10 days … I’m not fazed by the odds. I will fight this election with all my heart.”
Mr Shamsul Kamar, 43, former head of department, Spectra Secondary School
Mr Shamsul took over as chairman of the PAP’s Kaki Bukit Branch just this month, although he was a grassroots leader there from 2006 to 2011.
The former head of department in Spectra Secondary School, Mr Shamsul said he taught students from the Normal (Technical) stream. These kids are “underdogs”, he said, “not academically inclined but creative”.
If elected, he will ensure that students like these are able to complete their education. “Education is one of the most effective social levellers,” he said.
Another issue close to his heart is underprivileged families, he said. “Despite the support available to them, many still need a leg up. We can do a lot more.”
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
