GE2025: PAP shakes up Nee Soon GRC team with 4 newcomers led by Shanmugam

SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) will field four new faces in Nee Soon GRC slate in the coming General Election, the ruling party announced on Monday (Apr 21).

Only Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam remains from the slate that won in 2020, and he will continue to anchor the five-person team in the coming polls.

The first-timers are former Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) director Goh Hanyan, ex-Nominated Member of Parliament Syed Harun Alhabsyi, director of a cleaning service and pest control company Jackson Lam, and longtime Nee Soon volunteer Lee Hui Ying.

“This is a, I would say, very balanced, but very young, youthful slate – except for me – because there is a mix of skills and talents: two potential office holders who can perform in helping govern the country as a whole, and who also have good service experience, two candidates with a lot of grassroots experience,” said Mr Shanmugam, during a press conference at the PAP’s Chong Pang branch office.

He identified Ms Goh and Dr Syed Harun as potential political office holders who can “go far in helping govern the country as a whole”.

He added that although the candidates may be contesting for the first time, some like Mr Lam have spent years walking the ground and are “very experienced”. 

Having volunteered for 12 years, Mr Shanmugam said that Mr Lam’s length of service is “more than a lot of candidates, and maybe more than some Members of Parliament”.