SINGAPORE: It is “always a challenge” to win back a constituency, especially a Group Representation Constituency, from the opposition but the effort to make that happen “speaks for itself”, said the People’s Action Party's (PAP) Sengkang West branch chair on Sunday (Mar 30).

“We started walking the ground the moment COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. In fact, for Elmie, myself and Theodora, we have been walking the ground for the past three to four years,” added Dr Lam Pin Min.

He was addressing the media alongside PAP new faces, Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, Ms Theodora Lai Xi Yi, and Mrs Bernadette Giam before their walkabout. 

The team was there to distribute bears to the young families and residents at Rivervale Shores Housing and Development Board (HDB) estate and Buangkok Hawker Centre as a “symbol of love and comfort” and to reach out to residents. 

Sengkang, being a relatively new town, is marked by a younger population compared to the national average. Over half of its residents are under 40 years old, while only 19.2 per cent are 60 and above.

Sengkang GRC was formed ahead of the 2020 General Election, where it combined parts of the former Sengkang West Single Member Constituency (SMC), Punggol East SMC, and parts of Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC into a new four-member constituency.

During the 2020 election, the Workers’ Party (WP) came out on top with 52.12 per cent of the votes.

The WP’s slate of candidates comprised lawyer He Ting Ru, equity research analyst Louis Chua, social activist Raeesah Khan and associate professor of economics Jamus Lim. 

The PAP team consisted of labour chief Ng Chee Meng, then minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, political office holders Lam Pin Min and Amrin Amin, as well as newcomer lawyer Raymond Lye. 

Dr Lam – a former senior minister of state – is the only member remaining from PAP’s 2020 slate and is the party’s branch chair in Sengkang West and team leader. 

In 2022, PAP introduced new faces to helm the other divisions: Assoc Prof Elmie (Sengkang Central), Ms Lai (Sengkang North) and Mr Ling Weihong (Sengkang East).

They took over from Mr Ng, Mr Amrin and Mr Lye respectively. However, the Sengkang East post has been reshuffled twice since then.

Mr Ling was succeeded by communications practitioner Marcus Loh in November 2023. 

In January, Mr Loh was replaced by Mrs Bernadette Giam as branch chairperson for the Sengkang East division.

“A LOT OF PASSION” 

Asked about the value the team will bring to residents, Dr Lam said that the new team is much younger and has a “good gender representation” that comes with “a lot of passion”.

“We see that Professor Elmie, Theodora and Bernie (Bernadette), all of them come with different offerings to our residents,” said Dr Lam. 

“We hope that through our sincerity, our diligence and determination, we will be able to win over the hearts of our Sengkang residents.”

Speaking to the media about the reception of the walkabout, Mrs Giam said the residents have been “very warm”. 

“I think they are very happy to see us all out as a team,” said Mrs Giam. 

Ms Lai added that this is part of their regular visits and is especially helpful as the needs of residents often vary. 

“It’s for us to really listen and get to know them a little better before we can think of what programmes to offer.”

Assoc Prof Elmie added it was a very “heart-warming” scene during his walkabout today to see multi-generational families out and about in Sengkang. 

He added that seeing these families, he is concerned about their “digital safety” and digital wellness in the online space, as it can affect all generations.

On whether this was the confirmed lineup of candidates, Dr Lam said: “Unfortunately, I think it's not for us to decide whether this will be the final slate.

“Ultimately, whether we will be fielded as a team in Sengkang GRC will depend on the Party HQ.”