SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) will face the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) in the new Pasir Ris-Changi GRC in Singapore's May 3 General Election, after candidates from both parties successfully filed their nomination papers at Yusof Ishak Secondary School on Wednesday (Apr 23).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah will lead the PAP’s four-member team, also comprising Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Desmond Tan, Mr Sharael Taha and new face Ms Valerie Lee.

SDA chairman Desmond Lim will helm a team also comprising Mr Abu Mohamed, Mr Harminder Pal Singh and Mr Chia Yun Kai.

After polls were called last week, the latter had introduced himself, largely online, as part of a new Most Valuable Party. But on Wednesday he was revealed as a member of SDA's slate for Pasir Ris-Changi.

Pasir Ris-Changi GRC, which has 100,639 voters, was formed by merging some districts under the now-defunct Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC with adjacent areas in East Coast GRC.

Ms Indranee, who joined the slate after being in Tanjong Pagar for 24 years, said in a speech on Wednesday: "There are so many challenges facing Singapore. We need to tackle these and work together to succeed. But also we know your concerns, your personal aspirations, your needs. We have plans for you at the national level, at the local level."

She later told reporters "it really was very hard to leave" Tanjong Pagar, but that she now wanted to build on Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean's work in Pasir Ris-Changi.

Mr Teo earlier announced he would not contest in this GRC, but left it open as to where he could be fielded instead. On Nomination Day on Wednesday, he went to the same nomination centre as the Punggol GRC team, but ultimately did not file his papers. He later confirmed he would not be running in the elections at all.

Asked what she brought to her new GRC, Ms Indranee said: "Tanjong Pagar is an older constituency. The profile here is slightly different, slightly younger and more spread. What is most important is listening to what the residents have to say."

Mr Chia of the SDA meanwhile said in his speech that the party was here to provide voters with "clear, direct and practical solutions that put Singaporeans first".

"We are not there just to contest, but to contribute; not to critique, but to create."

He later told media it was a "no-brainer" to join the SDA given its values were aligned with his.

"I stepped forward for Singaporeans. It’s a perfect complement for a young candidate to come in."

SDA had been contesting Pasir Ris-Punggol in every election since 2006 without success. 

At the last election in 2020, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC hosted a three-way contest between the PAP, SDA and People's Voice (PV). The PAP won with 64.16 per cent of the vote, while PV lost its deposit.