SINGAPORE: Red Dot United (RDU) has unveiled its five potential candidates who will likely contest the Jurong East-Bukit Batok Group Representation Constituency (GRC). 

They are: non-profit organisation manager Liyana Dhamirah, waste management company director Osman Sulaiman, artist Ben Puah, marketing agency director Marcus Neo and principal software engineer Harish Mohanadas.  

Ms Liyana had previously contested under RDU in the 2020 General Election for Jurong GRC, while Mr Osman contested under the Singapore People’s Party (SPP) banner for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

Ms Liyana, Mr Puah and Mr Harish were earlier this month unveiled as “team leads” for the party’s campaign at the five-member GRC.

RDU presented the potential candidates to the media on Wednesday (Apr 16) at 255 Jurong East Street 24, near Jurong-Clementi Town Council, which is within Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.

The quintet, if fielded on Nomination Day on Apr 23, will be up against a People’s Action Party (PAP) slate that will be led by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and former Yuhua SMC MP Grace Fu.  

Joining her are two new faces: charity director David Hoe and former Hougang representative Lee Hong Chuang. Also on the team are current Jurong GRC MP and Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mazam, as well as Bukit Batok SMC MP and Minister of State for Transport and Law Murali Pillai.

When asked by the media about his thoughts on the new faces in the PAP slate, RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon said that they have "yet to prove themselves". 

He took aim at Mr Lee, who had lost the previous election at Hougang SMC to Workers' Party candidate Dennis Tan with 38.79 per cent of the vote. 

Mr Philemon said that Mr Lee's move to the GRC is a "reward" for previously contesting in an opposition stronghold. 

"Here you have a candidate who didn't do so well in one constituency, and the incumbents are thinking that probably this is a constituency where he will be well accepted," he said. 

"I think the voters here are very mature, and that's the decision that they will have to make."

Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC was formed from a merger of Bukit Batok SMC and parts of Jurong GRC, Yuhua SMC and Hong Kah North SMC following the latest electoral boundaries review. The GRC has 142,510 voters.

Jurong GRC was PAP’s best-performing GRC in the last two elections, securing 79.29 per cent of votes in 2015 and 74.61 per cent in 2020. It was previously anchored by former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who left politics to contest the presidency in 2023.

Singapore will head to the polls on May 3. 

LIYANA DHAMIRAH  

Ms Liyana, 38, is the manager of a non-profit organisation focused on gender equality. She also runs a virtual services business.

In 2020, she was fielded as part of RDU’s team contesting Jurong GRC alongside Ms Michelle Lee Juen, Mr Philemon, Mr Nicholas Tang and Mr Alec Tok. They attained 25.39 per cent of the vote.

That same year, Ms Liyana was named one of the SG100 Women in Tech for her contributions to the tech and entrepreneurial space. Her book Homeless: The Untold Story of a Mother’s Struggle in Crazy Rich Singapore won the best non-fiction title at the Singapore Book Awards.  

RDU said Ms Liyana has brought her “authenticity and grassroots spirit to the national stage” during the previous election. 

“She continues to champion policies that uplift families, support small businesses, and address systemic inequality – with a focus on lived experience, empathy, and action,” the party added.

OSMAN SULAIMAN

Mr Osman, 50, is a director of a waste management company in Cebu, Philippines, and has contested in the last three General Elections. 

His latest outing was under the SPP banner in 2020, when he contested Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC with Mr Steve Chia, Mr Melvyn Chiu, and Mr Williiamson Lee, attaining 32.77 per cent of the vote. 

He became an RDU member last September.

He is an entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience, having helmed two companies – one in interior design and another in debt consolidation. 

“Osman believes that it’s time to stop overlooking the workers who keep this country running,” said RDU in a statement on Wednesday. 

“He stands for a Singapore where every honest job is respected, and where government policies reflect the value of every citizen - not just the privileged few.”  

Mr Osman is based overseas for work, but he will relocate back to Singapore to be with the constituency's residents if elected. He said he will leverage his business experience to manage the town council.

BEN PUAH 

Mr Puah, 48, is a contemporary artist and community art organiser. 

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and has exhibited his works across Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States. 

In 2005, Mr Puah founded Colours of Life, a community arts initiative that uses collaborative and community art to strengthen social bonds, promote well-being, and give marginalised groups a platform to express themselves. The initiative was officially opened by the late President S R Nathan and his wife. 

Speaking to the media, he said that he believes in a future where "no child grows up thinking they are not good enough, and no adult carries the weight of a number that was stamped on them when they were barely a teenager", referring to the Primary School Leaving Examination. 

"The Singapore we build must be one where everyone, no matter how they started, has the chance to rise," he added. 

RDU said in its statement that Mr Puah brings a “deeply empathetic and community-grounded approach to politics”. 

“He believes in policies that support mental well-being, cultural inclusion, and holistic education – values he has long championed through his artistic and social practice,” the party added.

MARCUS NEO

The 33-year-old is a director of a boutique marketing agency serving law firms in Singapore.

RDU said in its statement that Mr Neo had experienced financial hardship growing up that “shaped his understanding of inequality”. 

He also believes that parliament must include more people with lived experience – those who “didn’t start from privilege but built their lives through grit, failure, and perseverance”, said the party. 

“With a background in data-driven marketing and a deep understanding of ground realities, Marcus hopes to bring fresh insights to policy making and champion long-term, inclusive solutions.”  

During a news conference presenting the team to the media on Wednesday, Mr Neo said: "(There's) nothing wrong with conventional markers of success, but external insights can help a government avoid groupthink. 

"In policy making, there must be more diverse representation from different segments of society, especially so from individuals who maybe have taken the path less travelled."

HARISH MOHANDAS 

Mr Harish, 39, is a principal software engineer who develops digital solutions for government and industry clients.

Prior to this, he was a civil engineer with over a decade of experience in Singapore’s built environment sector. Projects he has contributed to include Phase 2 of Singapore’s Deep Tunnel Sewerage System. 

Mr Harish also contributes to public discourse through opinion pieces published on socio-political news sites. 

“With first-hand experience in shaping modern Singapore’s infrastructure and a strong belief in evidence-based policy, he hopes to bring a forward-thinking, systems-driven approach to parliament – one that promotes resilience, equity, and long-term national wellbeing,” said RDU.

In his speech to the media, Mr Harish focused on the cost of living. 

“The rising cost of living makes it very, very difficult for our seniors to live dignified lives, especially if they cannot find gainful employment,” he said. “How do we ensure that Singapore's success gets shared by all Singaporeans?”