The People’s Action Party (PAP) has officially announced today that it will field Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Mr Ang Wei Neng, Mr Desmond Lee, Ms Rahayu Mahzam and Dr Tan Wu Meng in Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC) for the upcoming General Elections (GE).
The team's 2 newcomers, 35 year-old Ms Rahayu Mahzam and 40 year-old Dr Tan Wu Meng will replace MPs Halimah Yacob, who moves over to Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, and Mr David Ong.
The PAP won Jurong GRC with 66.96% of the votes against the National Solidarity Party 4 years ago. This upcoming GE, they will likely face the Singaporeans First party, led by ex-presidential candidate Tan Jee Say.
The five PAP candidates for Jurong GRC are:
58 year-old Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam - Deputy Prime Minister. Mr Tharman is also the Minister for Finance. He formerly served as the Minister for Manpower from 2011 to 2012 and the Minister for Education from 2003 to 2008. He has been an MP with Jurong GRC since he joined politics in 2001, having previously been Chief Executive at the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
"From young to old, we've got a very strong base of people with a real passion for doing good for the community. Programmes for the elderly, to help them understand their problems, we visit often to make sure they are never lonely. Also for disadvantaged kids and people who in mid-life fall by the wayside - to help them get real second and third chances. It's not just about the Jobs Bank, but helping them personally.
"Jurong is now a place with a real spirit for doing good for the community." Mr Tharman says.
48 year-old Mr Ang Wei Neng - senior vice-president of bus operations, SBS Transit. Mr Ang is SBS Transit’s senior vice-president of bus operations for the East district, having started his career in the Singapore Police Force. He has been an MP with Jurong GRC since 2011.
39 year-old Mr Desmond Lee - Minister of State, Ministry of National Development. Mr Lee is a lawyer by training, and was formerly a deputy public prosecutor. He held positions at the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Law, as well as at Temasek Holdings, before moving into politics, winning a seat in Parliament in Jurong GRC in 2011.
35 years-old Ms Rahayu Mahzam - former Deputy Registrar of the Syariah Court. Prior to announcing her candidacy, Ms Rahayu - also a lawyer by training - volunteered in Tampines and Bukit Batok, where she said she worked with youth and disadvantaged families. She currently sits on the National Library Board, the Malay Language Council and the National Youth Fund Advisory Committee, and has been volunteering with the Malay Youth Literary Association since 1997 and is active with the youth debate activities. She is currently a Partner at the law firm of Heng, Leong & Srinivasan. Before she returned to private practice, she was a Deputy Registrar of the Syariah Court from 2013 to 2015.
40 years-old Dr Tan Wu Meng - Oncologist. The consultant and medical oncologist at Parkway Cancer Centre is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Singapore Society of Oncology and the Singapore Medical Association. Dr Tan takes over the Clementi ward - moved from West Coast to Jurong GRC under the new electoral boundaries - from retiring three-term MP Arthur Fong. From 2006 to 2009, Dr Tan served with the North West CDC as councillor and vice-chair of the Youth Works Sub-Committee. From 2007 to 2011 he was a member of the Senja-Cashew Youth Executive Committee, and sat on the Senja-Cashew Citizens' Consultative Committee from 2010 to 2013.
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