• The People’s Action Party introduced its final slate of eight new candidates
• The candidates’ ages range from 38 to 47
• Four individuals have experience in the public sector while four are from the private sector
• Succession is critical, PAP must ensure to bring in diverse people from different walks of life, said Mr Chan Chun Sing
• PAP has to put ears on the ground and react appropriately to opposition changes, said Mr Masagos Zulkifli

SINGAPORE — The People’s Action Party (PAP) unveiled its final slate of eight new candidates on Friday (June 26), bringing the total number of candidates introduced over the last three days to 27.

The eight include one who had been named by the party in 2015 as a candidate before she subsequently pulled out for family reasons.

The first four candidates were introduced by the party’s vice chairman Masagos Zulkifli, and the second group by its second assistant secretary-general Chan Chun Sing.

The first set of candidates are:

• Ms Gan Siow Huang, 46, ​deputy chief executive of the labour movement’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) 

• Ms Rachel Ong Sin Yen, 47, ​ chief executive of consultancy firm Rohei Corporation 

• Mr Sharael Taha, 39, vice-president of strategy and the project management office at Singapore Aero Engine Services

• Mr Alex Yeo Sheng Chye, 41, director of law firm Niru & Co 

In the second session, the party introduced:

• Ms Mariam Jaafar, 43, ​managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group 

• Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong, 38, director for enterprise development at Temasek International

• Ms Carrie Tan Huimin, 38, founder of charity Daughters of Tomorrow

• Ms Chan Hui Yuh, 44, ​chairman of PAP’s Serangoon branch

Ms Chan had previously been named by the party in 2015 as a new candidate to stand in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), but she subsequently pulled out, citing her struggles to keep up with the pace of grassroots work with two young children, who are now in primary and secondary school, in tow.

Mr Chan said succession in the PAP is critical. 

“In the PAP, just as in Government, we will always have to plan for our succession, because the success of Singapore depends not just on the few people at a point in time. It depends on us being able to implement consistent and coherent policies, over the long term,” he said. 

In response to a question about diversity among PAP candidates, given that the Workers' Party (WP) slate seems more diverse, Mr Chan said the PAP must also ensure that it continues to bring in “diverse people from different walks of life, to speak up and represent the interests and aspirations of all Singaporeans”.

On former WP chief Low Thia Khiang’s decision to retire as a Member of Parliament (MP) and not to contest the election, Mr Masagos said the PAP will have to track the movement of opposition parties as it can “change over days” and over hours.

“In any GE (general election), plans of opposition parties will evolve,” said Mr Masagos. “We have to keep listening, putting our ears on the ground and react appropriately.”

Eight candidates were introduced on Wednesday while another 11 were unveiled on Thursday. In the 2015 election, when 89 seats were contested, the PAP unveiled 24 new candidates.

When TODAY asked why all 27 candidates were introduced over just three days, Mr Chan said that due to this election being held “under very difficult circumstances”, political parties are “all working on compressed timing”. 

“We wanted to introduce our candidates as soon as possible, so that the public has as much time as possible to get to know them. While the introduction is done over three days, I'm quite sure over the next weeks and months and if they get elected, the public will have many more opportunities to get to know them more intimately, their personalities, their working styles and the causes that they believe in,” he said.

Mr Chan added that on Saturday, PAP secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong will launch the party’s manifesto. The party will progressively introduce the GRC and SMC teams over the next few days leading up to nomination day, said Mr Chan.

In a separate doorstop interview, Mr Chan said MPs who will be retiring will also be announced by Mr Lee “in due course”. 

NEW PAP CANDIDATES

Ms Gan Siow Huang, 46

Ms Gan was appointed deputy chief executive of the labour movement’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) in April.

She was in the Singapore Armed Forces for more than 25 years where she became the country’s first woman brigadier-general in 2015.

Ms Gan is one of the first four women to receive the SAF Merit Scholarship in 1993. She graduated in economics with first-class honours from the London School of Economics and Political Science and holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She has been volunteering with the Girl Guides Singapore for more than seven years and has been seen in walkabouts in the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

Ms Gan said serving in the military was one of the “best and fulfilling choices” that she had made as it is a place where men and women of different backgrounds “come together to serve a common goal — to protect Singapore”.

In her career in the SAF, Ms Gan was the commander of the largest formation in the air force and also involved in long-term planning, capability development, policy work, manpower, intelligence among other areas.

“So I have gathered... several building blocks that I think are critical to any good organising entity and I would say the leadership experiences that I gained and also the lessons I learnt in taking care of people will help me to be a good politician."

Ms Rachel Ong Sin Yen, 47

Ms Ong is the chief executive of consultancy firm Rohei Corporation and founder of Trybe, a charity that runs the Singapore Boys Hostel and the Community Rehabilitation Centre.

After graduating from CHIJ St Joseph’s Convent Secondary School, she did her post-secondary education at Columbia College in Canada before studying at Southern Illinois University. She received her master’s degree in business administration in a joint programme by Insead business school and Tsinghua University.

She is a member of the PAP’s Telok Blangah branch and is tipped to contest in West Coast GRC.

Ms Ong said that she hopes to see the youth succeed in life.

“In order for us to help the youth succeed we first must learn to listen, to see, to hear, to understand and to care for the needs of the youth. Then we are empowered to continue to challenge them and support them, given the rights and the trust by them,” she said.

“What I’ve learnt about the journey with the youth is that there is no quick fix. It takes time. It takes a lot of patience, but it's worth every minute. Often it is believing in them more than they believe in themselves.”

Mr Sharael Taha, 39

Mr Sharael is vice-president (strategy and project management office) at Singapore Aero Engine Services as part of a secondment from British aerospace company Rolls Royce.

He graduated with a master’s degree in business administration with distinction from the University of Oxford and an honours degree in mechanical engineering from the National University of Singapore.

Mr Sharael said that the transformation of the country “cannot be at the expense of others”, such as seniors, low wage workers and the less-abled. 

“We have to make sure that they are part of this journey together to ensure that we leave no one behind. For youths, the world ahead may be daunting but don't worry… I want to continue to work together with you to ensure this equal opportunity for each and every youth regardless of race, language, religion, or economic standing. And every child in Singapore, can be the best that they can be,” he said.

Mr Alex Yeo Sheng Chye, 41

Mr Yeo is a director at law firm Niru & Co. He was formerly a foreign service officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He is an economics and political science graduate from the National University of Singapore and also holds a law degree from the University of Sydney. He received a master’s degree in public administration from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Starting out as a party volunteer in Potong Pasir, he took over from Mr Murali Pillai in 2016 as the chairman of the PAP’s Paya Lebar branch within Aljunied GRC, after Mr Murali won in the Bukit Batok by-election that year. Since then, he has led a pro-bono legal and healthcare initiative for Paya Lebar residents.

“We go the extra mile to listen and help with a personal touch because we want to build a community that not only lives, works and plays together, but cares for each other, together,” he said at the PAP65 Awards and Conference last year.

Mr Yeo, who has served in the mature estates of Paya Lebar and Potong Pasir, hopes to enable “seniors to enjoy a higher quality of life”.

Asked about the PAP’s chances in Aljunied GRC, Mr Yeo said he could not comment on which candidates will be fielded there but hopes residents will give the party another chance to represent and serve them.

“It’s not about the elections, it’s about serving the residents and trying to regain and rebuild the trust and relationship that we have with the residents,” he said.

Ms Mariam Jaafar, 43

Ms Mariam is managing director and a partner at Boston Consulting Group. She has served on the Committee for the Future Economy chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and is also on GovTech's board of directors.

She has a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School.

She was introduced in a Facebook post on March 31 by Sembawang GRC’s Amrin Amin, who helms the Woodlands ward. 

Ms Mariam said what she cares about most is social mobility. 

“Singapore has always been a place where someone from a humble background can grow up to believe she can do anything she wants to do, be anyone she wants to be. But I think we all know that income inequality and technology disruption are real issues and they have been for some time,” she said.

“I want to help to give a voice to the needs and ideas of Singaporeans in order to help shape good policy as well as give a helping hand to residents on the ground. I'm an advocate for women. I'm a believer in youth, and I love Singapore,” she added.

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong, 38

Mr Huang is a director for enterprise development in Temasek International.

Before that, he was a fighter pilot and commanding officer in the Republic of Singapore Air Force, where he served for 19 years. He was the parade commander for the 2018 National Day Parade.

He is the first non-American to become the top graduate in military performance at the United States Air Force Academy, where he graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering.

“When I was 18, I joined the Air Force, with one powerful idea that I play a small part contributing to the country. It was my time in the military... that I've learned that a country can only be strong when its people are diverse, united, competent, compassionate, friendly to a fault and steadfast,” he said.

Mr Huang is a community volunteer in the Taman Jurong ward where he has mentored children from low-income homes and helped ex-offenders restart their lives.

“It is a fight that needs constant work and a whole of heart, and with that heart, there must also be a voice,” he said. 

Ms Carrie Tan Huimin, 38

Ms Tan is the founder and executive director of Daughters of Tomorrow, a charity incorporated in August 2014, which helps underprivileged women in Singapore find jobs.

She was seen accompanying Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam on March 24 to tour the HomeTeamNS clubhouse in Khatib.

Ms Tan said that by joining politics, she hopes to enhance policies “with a different perspective and more diversity”. 

“I hope that we can bridge the gap between those who are more under-served and under-represented so that the voices and the challenges can be heard,” she said. 

“I believe that we need innovation, perhaps in the way that the government and people work together... create a slightly different space where beyond the efficiency and the task-drivenness of solving problems we can create space for people's feelings to be valued and acknowledged.”

Ms Chan Hui Yuh, 44

Ms Chan is a marketing director at Jingslink Marketing and a long-time grassroots activist.

She is an adviser to the Aljunied grassroots organisations and the branch chairman for the PAP’s Serangoon branch in Aljunied GRC. She was initially slated to run as a PAP candidate in the 2015 generation election but pulled out to care for her two children.

Ms Chan began assisting then-MP Abdullah Tarmugi in Siglap in 2000, and subsequently helped Dr Maliki Osman. She has held various roles in the youth wing of the PAP, including as assistant organising secretary of the Young PAP Executive Committee.

She is also the voiceover talent behind the recorded announcements heard in MRT stations and trains.

Ms Chan said that although she withdrew from candidacy in 2015, she had never been away.

“I never left the party. I never left my position as chairman, and I ran the election for PAP Serangoon as a branch chairman for the candidates. Residents have never missed me because I've always been there the whole time,” she said.

Ms Chan added that she understands the needs and challenges of families with children and the elderly.

“The government must continue to listen and find new ways to meet the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans, and I look forward to being able to help make the system friendlier and easier for our citizens and businesses to get help to fulfil that daily needs, dreams and hopes,” she said.