Singapore

NTU assistant professor Charlene Chen will also join PAP's Tampines GRC team.

PAP unveils slate for Tampines GRC, including former army chief David Neo

PAP's potential candidates for Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC (from left): Desmond Choo, Koh Poh Koon, Charlene Chen, Masagos Zulkifli, David Neo and Baey Yam Keng at the PAP slate announcement on Apr 16, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

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SINGAPORE: Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli will lead the  People’s Action Party (PAP) slate in Tampines GRC for the upcoming election, joined by two political newcomers.

Former Chief of Army David Neo, 47, and Assistant Professor Charlene Chen, 43, will join Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon and Mr Baey Yam Keng to complete the five-member team, the party announced on Wednesday (Apr 16).

Former MP Desmond Choo, whose Tampines North ward was carved out to form the new Tampines Changkat SMC, will move to helm the single-seat ward.

A second vacancy in Tampines GRC arose in July 2023, when former MP Cheng Li Hui resigned from parliament and the PAP over an affair with then-Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin.

Tampines GRC, which has 147,904 registered voters, was one of the constituencies flagged by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee for experiencing “higher growth than others,” driven by population shifts and new housing developments. As a result, parts of the GRC were carved out to create Tampines Changkat SMC, while areas in Tampines West – east of Bedok Reservoir – were absorbed from Aljunied GRC.

Sustainable living will continue to be an important factor in how PAP's Tampines team improves facilities for residents, said Mr Masagos, while unveiling the line-up at a multi-purpose hall in Tampines Street 62.

"Anyone can build a town, but Tampines is a model town. It can only (be) built by a caring community," he said. 

"When we show that we care for one another in our town and that we are inclusive, no one will be left behind."

DAVID NEO

PAP new face David Neo speaking at the PAP slate announcement for Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC on Apr 16, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

Mr Neo previously served as chief of army for nearly three years and held the rank of major-general in the Singapore Armed Forces. He was the first commando officer to assume the post.

He led the Army 2040 transformation initiative, which focused on modernising the SAF through new warfighting concepts, inter-service integration, technology adoption and workforce development. 

According to the Ministry of Defence, Mr Neo also oversaw the resumption of large-scale training and live-firing exercises after the COVID-19 pandemic and led operations including the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Earlier, he oversaw SAF’s contributions to Singapore’s national COVID-19 response.

"I didn't have the greatest start to life," said Mr Neo. "I lost my mother when I was nine, and my uncle and auntie brought me up, became my parents, my family. Growing up, I didn't have very much, but I never felt I was short of anything."

CHARLENE CHEN

PAP's Charlene Chen at the PAP slate announcement for Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC on Apr 16, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)

Asst Prof Chen teaches marketing at Nanyang Technological University and serves as deputy director of industry relations and consulting at the Nanyang Centre for Marketing and Technology. 

She holds a PhD in marketing and a master’s degree in clinical psychology, both from Columbia University in New York, as well as a bachelor’s degree with first-class honours in psychology from the National University of Singapore.

Before joining the Tampines GRC team, she was an active volunteer at the Meet-The-People Session in PAP's Buona Vista Branch. She is now the second adviser to the grassroots organisations in Tampines GRC.

A mother to two children aged four and seven, Asst Prof Chen wants to promote resilience and well-being among the younger generation, according to a PAP press release.

Asst Prof Chen said that residents have commented on her "baby face" and asked how she would understand the pressures they face, such as the rising cost of living. 

"Leadership isn't about how old you look. It's about how deeply you listen. It's about understanding people's lives. It's about bringing energy, empathy and ideas to make things better for everyone," she said. 

"So yes, I may look young, but I spend my life studying people, serving the community and raising my family here in Singapore."