SINGAPORE: Criminal lawyer Marshall Lim, 38, will be representing the People’s Action Party (PAP) in Workers’ Party-held (WP) Hougang SMC in the upcoming General Election, the party announced on Sunday (Apr 13).
A former deputy public prosecutor in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Mr Lim is a relative newcomer to politics, having replaced director of a cleaning service and pest control company Jackson Lam, 40, as the party’s Hougang branch chairperson in February.
He was previously an assistant chief public defender in the Public Defender’s Office, and is currently a partner in private law firm Martin & Partners.
Introducing himself at the branch office in Hougang, Mr Lim said he made sure those who broke the law were “held accountable” in his time as a deputy public prosecutor in the AGC, and as a criminal lawyer, represented people who made “serious mistakes” or those from “tough backgrounds”.
“To me, justice isn’t just about punishment, it is about fairness, compassion and believing people can change. I’ve stood up for people who don’t always get seen. People who mess up, but still have so much life ahead of them,” said Mr Lim.
“Politics is a natural choice. I am a fighter, and I want to take that ethos of public service, what I’ve learnt doing years of advocacy in the courtroom, I want to bring that with me into my political journey.”
Mr Lim was presented to the media on the second day of PAP’s formal candidate introductions after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong kicked off the slate announcements by revealing on Saturday that he will continue to stand in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.
Mr Wong, who is the PAP’s secretary-general, also said the party would be fielding over 30 new candidates in the coming contest, its largest slate of new faces in recent history.
Posting regularly about his ground engagements with Hougang residents on his social media platforms, Mr Lim has been active in Hougang since taking over from Mr Lam earlier this year.
The latter had replaced longtime Hougang candidate Lee Hong Chuang, 55, who had contested in two elections under the party’s banner.
