SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) team in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is set for a rematch against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) at the May 3 General Election.

There were no big surprises for the ward on Nomination Day from both sides, given that they had already introduced their slates previously. The same two parties have been facing off with each other in the constituency since its formation in 2015.

Candidates from both parties successfully filed their nomination papers at Jurong-Pioneer Junior College on Wednesday (Apr 23).

The PAP slate remains unchanged from the same team of five they put up in the last election: Mr Wong, who is also secretary-general of the PAP, Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, Mr Alex Yam and Ms Hany Soh.

Challenging them are SDP’s organising secretary Jufri Salim, founder of alternative news site Wake Up Singapore Ariffin Sha, theatre director Alec Tok and Dr Gigene Wong.

WHAT THE CANDIDATES SAID

After they were introduced, each team of candidates were given three minutes to address their supporters.

Speaking first, Mr Tok noted that SDP has contested the GRC thrice in a row and “we are ready”.

“Ready to run a town council with the expertise that we've gained over the years, ready to carry your voices into parliament, and ready to be a leading advocate for a more humane, more compassionate Singapore, that is more fair,” he said.

“We have grown alongside Singaporeans, becoming better, stronger, wiser. Now is the time to vote for the SDP.”

Rounding up his party members' speeches, Mr Jufri began with a Malay pantun (a form of poem) that reminded residents to think wisely before they cast their votes.

“Don’t wait for change, be the change. We want to thrive, not just survive,” he said in English.

Mr Wong started off the speeches from PAP, and also began the message of familiarity.

“All these years, you know as well, we have walked this journey with you since the GRC was formed,” he said, asking voters to give his team an opportunity to continue serving.

“We are in a changed world with turbulence all around so there is much at stake in this election. Your votes will determine your future and your children's future, please vote for the PAP,” he said.

Mr Zaqy spoke next, reiterating Mr Wong’s message about geopolitical issues affecting Singapore.

“As Singapore faces turbulence, leadership matters. Who we choose to take us through, matters. Give us your mandate, support us so that we can build a brighter future for you and for Singapore,” he said.

THE MARSILING-YEW TEE CANDIDATES

Mr Wong and Mr Yam have been with Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC since it was first created in 2015. 

Mr Zaqy was a Chua Chu Kang GRC MP from 2011, but started helping out in the Marsiling-Yew Tee constituency as a grassroots adviser after Madam Halimah Yacob left in 2017 to contest the presidential election. 

Mr Zaqy was fielded there in the subsequent 2020 General Election, together with Ms Soh, who was making her election debut.

None of the SDP members who contested in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC in the past two elections are fielded there this year.

Mr Jufri, described by SDP chief Chee Soon Juan as a “one of the stalwarts” of the party, is making his electoral debut. 

Mr Ariffin, too, is contesting in a General Election for the first time, though he was the assistant secretary-general of the Singapore People's Party (SPP) before he reportedly resigned in 2020. 

Their remaining two team-mates have had prior experience.

Mr Tok ran under the SDP's banner in Bukit Panjang in the 2011 General Election, but was part of Red Dot United's (RDU) team in Jurong in the 2020 election.

Dr Wong was the Progress Singapore Party's (PSP) candidate in Hong Kah North Single Member Constituency (SMC) in the 2020.

Marsiling-Yew Tee was one of the only five GRCs that did not undergo any boundary change for this election. It has 119,352 voters.

In the last general election in 2020, the PAP team retained the GRC with 63.18 per cent of the votes.