SINGAPORE — Tampines Group Representation Constituency (GRC) Member of Parliament (MP) Mah Bow Tan, who has helmed three ministries in his 27-year political career, said today he will not contest at the coming General Election — the most high-profile retirement so far.

His announcement at a Tampines East National Day dinner capped a day that saw two of his colleagues from the People’s Action Party (PAP) saying they will similarly step out of politics: Fellow Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng and Sembawang GRC MP Hawazi Daipi, who is Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower.

Last month, Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Inderjit Singh announced on Facebook he will not be standing in the next polls, which must be held by January 2017 but is widely tipped to happen next month.

Last night, Mr Mah, who will turn 67 next month, told residents: “It’s time for me to step aside and make way for the next generation. My work here is done. I’ve decided I will not be standing for election at the next GE. I have informed the Prime Minister and he has agreed.” He added that his “last duty and responsibility is to help to look for my replacement and to guide him or her”, but said he cannot reveal who the candidate will be.

Vice-chairman of the Citizen Consultative Committee in Tampines East Cheng Li Hui, whom Education Minister Heng Swee Keat has identified previously as one of two potential candidates for his Tampines team, was seated beside Mr Mah at the dinner today. The other is Mr Desmond Choo, who contested twice, unsuccessfully, in the Hougang single-seat.

The remaining MPs in the five-member constituency are Mr Masagos Zulkifli, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and for Foreign Affairs, and Mr Baey Yam Keng.

Before politics, Mr Mah worked at the Singapore Bus Service, rising to become its general manager, and later becoming the chief executive officer of the Singapore Monitor newspaper.

He stood in Potong Pasir in the 1984 General Election, but lost to opposition veteran Chiam See Tong, who went on to hold onto the constituency until the 2011 polls.

In 1988, he was elected in Tampines GRC. Other freshly-elected PAP MPs that year included Mr Ng Pock Too, who was similarly edged out four years prior in his first try, losing in Anson constituency to J B Jeyaretnam.

Mr Mah was appointed Minister of State for Communications, and Trade and Industry in the same year.

Three years later, he was made full Minister for Communications — a post he held until 1999 — with the environment portfolio concurrently between 1993 and 1995. His final posting was Minister for National Development from 1999 to 2011.

Mr Mah also served as Deputy Leader of the House from 2002 to 2007, and Leader of the House from 2007 to 2011.

He was part of a slew of former Cabinet Ministers who stepped down after the last elections, making way for a younger generation of office-holders. The others included former Transport Minister Raymond Lim and former Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng.

Speaking at the dinner today, Mr Heng thanked Mr Mah for his contributions to the nation and to Tampines for more than two decades.

CORRECTION: The original report said Madam Halimah Yacob attended the Tampines East National Day celebration. That is incorrect. She was not there.