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. 

HOUGANG SMC

An opposition stronghold, the Hougang SMC has been held by the WP since 1991, when it was won by former WP chief Low Thia Khiang. 

The constituency was carved out of Punggol SMC in 1988, the same year the GRC scheme was introduced. 

The incumbent is shipping lawyer Dennis Tan Lip Fong from the WP, who retained the seat for his party in 2020 with 61.21 per cent of the votes. Mr Tan beat PAP challenger Lee Hong Chuang, who won 38.79 per cent of the votes. 

Hougang remains one of the four single-seat wards left unchanged by the report released by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) in March. According to the latest EBRC report, Hougang SMC has 29,433 eligible voters.

“I've always admired the Hougang spirit, the values that make up this spirit, values such as perseverance, community and solidarity are the same values I share, and residents whom I've interacted with exemplify these values,” said Mr Lim on Sunday. “Hougang residents are fighters. And at its core, the Hougang spirit is a fighting spirit. At my core, I am a fighter. I have been one my whole professional life," he added.

On Hougang SMC’s history as an opposition stronghold, Mr Lim said: “My focus has always been about serving the residents in a sincere way. I’m mindful of the history here, but I’m not shackled by it.”

In response to CNA’s query on how confident he is feeling going into the election, Mr Lim said residents have been “very open” in sharing their concerns. 

“I do appreciate the residents taking the time to interact with me, and share their concerns and their aspirations about what they would like to see improve,” he added. 

In his ground engagements, the top concerns he has heard are municipal issues relating to the cleanliness of the estate.

His plan on how to address these concerns “comprehensively, permanently, so they don’t recur” will be presented to residents at the appropriate time, Mr Lim said. 

“Stepping into Hougang, I’ve always been mindful of the history. But again, I’m not held back or shackled by it. At every election, the slate is wiped clean, and every candidate from whichever party has to step forward and present their plans, and that’s what I plan to do.”

Mr Lim, who spoke in English, Mandarin and Teochew during his candidate introduction, said that he had been learning Teochew since he began his stint as the PAP Hougang branch chairperson in February. 

“I immediately wanted to make that connection with the elderly in Hougang, because many of them speak in the dialect. I grew up in a household that spoke Mandarin and Hokkien. My grandmother speaks Hokkien, so I understand how important dialects are in connecting with the senior generation,” he said. 

Mr Lim said that he has wanted to be a lawyer since he was 15 years old, because he believes in “the power of advocacy”.

“It has been a privilege to serve Singapore and Singaporeans as a lawyer in private practice and as a public servant. I now ask Singaporeans and especially Hougang residents to give me an opportunity to fight for you, your family and our community,” he added.