Tin Pei Ling expecting first child, 'excited' about MacPherson SMC

SINGAPORE — Having gone through a baptism of fire in her first election, Member of Parliament (MP) Tin Pei Ling said she is ready to defend her MacPherson ward, which was one of three newly created single seats for the next polls.

Although she is two weeks from reaching full term in her pregnancy, Ms Tin, 31, said there has been “no indication” she would not be fielded, adding that she would like to continue serving her constituents and her team is “quite excited” about the ward becoming a Single Member Constituency (SMC).

“I do anticipate there will be a contest and we will just have to be prepared. For us, we have been working on the ground since Day One all these years,” she said, adding that opposition parties, such as the National Solidarity Party and Singaporeans First, have been sighted in her ward in the last couple of months.

Asked for her thoughts on why MacPherson was carved out from the hitherto five-member Marine Parade constituency, Ms Tin said the ward had been an SMC for two periods in Singapore’s electoral history: 1968 to 1991, and 1997 to 2011. The number of voters in MacPherson is also on par with the average number of voters in SMCs, she added.

Ms Tin, who was the youngest candidate under the People’s Action Party banner at the last general election in 2011, came under intense scrutiny among voters who questioned her maturity and ability to fulfil an MP’s duties. But last year, she got a ringing endorsement from her party chief, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who posted on his Facebook page in August that Ms Tin has “won over many hearts and minds”.

With the issuance of the electoral boundary report being the penultimate step before Parliament can be dissolved and elections called, Ms Tin said all plans for campaigning are in place.

Her family will provide support as she prepares for the elections, she said. Channels of communication have also been set up so that it will be “business as usual” even when she cannot be physically present because of her confinement period.

“I hope to get used to my new role as a mother, but the election is something very important which concerns Singapore, so naturally it is of great priority as well,” said Ms Tin. “Regardless of when the election is called, I am prepared to continue with the campaigning.”

Meanwhile, veteran MP Inderjit Singh announced his exit from politics on his Facebook page earlier tonight (July 24). Kebun Baru’s MP since 1996 thanked his constituents as the ward was shifted from Ang Mo Kio GRC to Nee Soon GRC. “I urge the residents at Kebun Baru to continue to support this team, which will be helmed by my successor,” he said. “To Kebun Baru, Ang Mo Kio and everyone there, you will always be in my heart.” NG JING YNG

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