SINGAPORE: Former People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate for Aljunied GRC Victor Lye and the party's new face Jasmin Lau were spotted on a walkabout at Hougang Village on Sunday (Apr 13) morning.

They accompanied Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong – anchor minister for Ang Mo Kio GRC – and Members of Parliament (MPs) Darryl David and Nadia Samdin, fuelling speculation that they could be fielded on PAP’s slate for the five-member constituency at the upcoming election.

But Mr Lee told reporters that the Ang Mo Kio team would be officially unveiled in time.

“We look forward to having them with us. Where exactly they are going to be deployed, well, in due course, we'll announce the Ang Mo Kio GRC line-up, and you will know very soon,” he said. 

“But we're happy to have them here, and if they stay on with us, I'll be delighted to have them on my team.”

Mr Lye was the branch chairman at Bedok Reservoir–Punggol division in Aljunied GRC for 13 years but handed over the reins to his vice-chairman Dr Adrian Ang in February this year.

He was also part of the PAP Aljunied teams that contested the 2015 and 2020 General Election, losing to the Workers' Party. 

The 63-year-old said he was "familiar" with Sunday morning's walkabout area at Hougang Village, which comes under Ang Mo Kio GRC. Not only do many residents whom he served for many years frequent the area, but he also used to grow up in Ang Mo Kio, he said. 

But whether he is fielded in Ang Mo Kio, Mr Lye added, would not be the most important thing. 

“The important thing is to see where our hearts are, to do our best for Singapore, especially when you know the world is not getting easier, especially when you know that domestically, there is going to be greater political diversity,” he said. 

“It’s something that we have to deal with, but our ultimate goal is to keep Singaporeans united.”

Meanwhile, the walkabout at Ang Mo Kio GRC was Ms Lau's first. The former Ministry of Health (MOH) deputy secretary, whose last day in the civil service was Apr 1, said she has been asked whether she would be running in the election. 

“So here I am,” the 42-year-old said, adding that she was glad to be “standing on the shoulders of giants” and learning from them.

“It’s been very, very warm actually, meeting all residents in Ang Mo Kio, even as I do it quietly. There’s been a lot of generosity of time, energy and resources, and people genuinely want to contribute. So I look forward to a lot more of that,” she added.

While Ms Lau felt "very honoured" when Mr Lee invited her to visit Ang Mo Kio to learn, she confessed that she was also "a little bit stressed".

"We're learning not just from SM Lee, but from a team – generations of leaders who've served Ang Mo Kio, who have done so much for the people here," she said.

Ms Lau was among the highest-ranked civil servants at MOH, where she oversaw manpower, financing and regulatory measures in the healthcare system.

Her civil service career began in 2006 and spanned six postings, including an earlier stint at MOH from 2013 to 2019.

As a civil servant, she also worked at the Economic Development Board, the Public Service Division, the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Finance.

Noticeably absent during Sunday's walkabout were Ang Mo Kio MPs Gan Thiam Poh and Ng Ling Ling. 

In response to a reporter's question about their absence, Mr Lee said: “I didn't say that we have the whole (Ang Mo Kio) team here. I said I have some of my colleagues here with … two new activists.”

Ang Mo Kio current MPs include Mr Lee (Teck Ghee), Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio-Hougang), Ms Nadia Samdin (Cheng San-Seletar), Ms Ng Ling Ling (Jalan Kayu) and Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Fernvale). 

Ang Mo Kio GRC will remain the largest electoral division with 161,235 electors at the upcoming polls, even as newly formed Jalan Kayu Single Member Constituency (SMC) has been carved out of it.

Jalan Kayu SMC – with 29,565 electors – will comprise parts of both the current Jalan Kayu ward under Ms Ng and Fernvale ward under Mr Gan.

Ang Mo Kio GRC will continue as a five-member ward.

In the 2020 election, the PAP secured 71.91 per cent of votes in Ang Mo Kio GRC against the Reform Party.

The Singapore United Party and People’s Power Party have said they will contest the constituency this election.