3 weeks ago
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SINGAPORE: The new Jalan Kayu SMC will see a straight fight between the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Ng Chee Meng and Workers’ Party (WP) new face Andre Low, after other opposition parties bowed out of the contest there.
Both candidates successfully filed their nomination papers at Deyi Secondary School on Wednesday (Apr 23).
It is Mr Ng’s third time standing in an election, but his first time doing so in an SMC.
Addressing his supporters, Mr Ng said: “I’ve had so many meaningful conversations with you… I ask for your vote so we can build a better home together with all the community programmes that you treasure.”
The labour chief had previously said he would want to be elected to Parliament based on his own merit, and not because he was “parachuted into a safer seat”.
In 2020, the former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office led a four-man team unsuccessfully in the newly created Sengkang GRC, losing to the WP.
The 56-year-old has remained secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) after that defeat, and was co-opted into the ruling party’s 38th central executive committee in December last year.
Speaking to the media after his nomination speech, Mr Ng said that he is looking forward to a fair and respectful contest with Mr Low.
"I'm very focused with the many conversations I have residents about cost of living realities, the job security concerns and the different municipal issues," he said.
"I hope to be able to get and secure the votes so that I can represent them in Parliament, to speak up for them, and also to take practical action to uplift the lives in Jalan Kayu and Fernvale communities."
The WP had earlier kept silent on where it plans to run, though it introduced 14 new potential candidates in its lineup over the past week, including Mr Low.
There was initial confusion if it would be Mr Low or another WP member, Mr Tan Kong Soon, the party’s deputy organising secretary, who would be fielded, as both walked into the nomination centre together.
Mr Low is currently a staff product manager in a global financial technology company. He graduated with first-class honours from the University College London’s law school, and has a master’s degree in business administration from Insead.
The former disputes lawyer joined the WP in 2020, and is a member of the party’s media team.
He previously served as a secretarial assistant to Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua for over three years, supporting grassroots engagement, policy research and weekly Meet-The-People Sessions.
“I'm a young Singaporean, I am soon to be a father. But I will speak for all Singaporeans, young and old,” he said.
“I invite you to put your trust in me and to put your trust in the workers party and join us in working for Singapore.”
Speaking to reporters after his speech, he said the WP has demonstrated over the last couple of parliamentary terms that it is a "respectable, responsible opposition party", and he hopes residents in the SMC can recognise that.
He said that Jalan Kayu SMC is "one of the youngest constituencies in the whole of Singapore" and that as a 33-year-old, he can "resonate a lot with the younger residents there".
He added that as an only child with two elderly parents, he will soon be taking on more caregiving responsibilities and can speak for older Singaporeans too.
He added that he will "definitely be on the ground" every single day to "catch up a little bit".
He also intends to focus on issues such as cost of living, housing affordability, caregiver policies, as well as better access to facilities and amenities in the Jalan Kayu area.
Jalan Kayu SMC was carved out of Ang Mo Kio GRC - which had the most voters across all wards - in the latest electoral boundaries review.
The new ward, which has 29,565 registered voters, includes private estates along Jalan Kayu Road, the Seletar Aerospace Park and a portion of the Housing and Development Board flats in Fernvale.
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who anchors the Ang Mo Kio GRC team, had earlier said that Jalan Kayu SMC will go under the purview of the Ang Mo Kio Town Council after the election.
