GE2025: 4-way fight may be brewing for Tampines GRC

Tampines GRC looks set to be hotly contested at the upcoming general election, with three opposition parties staking their claim to the constituency held by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).

- Wong Pei Ting

The Workers' Party (WP) has been walking the area over the past two years, at least, and party sources told The Straits Times that it intends to contest Tampines.

The National Solidarity Party (NSP), which contested the five-person group representation constituency in the last three general elections, held walkabouts there as recently as Jan 6 and Feb 9. It told ST it would press on with its work there, which has not stopped since 2020 and has intensified of late.

Now, the People's Power Party (PPP) is entering the fray, with its secretary-general Goh Meng Seng announcing on Feb 23 at the party's latest outing in Tampines Street 81 that he intends to field a team in Tampines, as it is the constituency with the "highest possible chance of winning for (the party)".

He said this just hours after PPP announced late on Feb 22 its withdrawal from an opposition alliance led by Peoples Voice (PV) party chief Lim Tean due to "irreconcilable strategic differences".

When asked for comment on a possible multi-cornered fight in Tampines, Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli said he would deal with it "when the time comes".

Mr Masagos, an MP for Tampines GRC and the PAP's anchor minister in the constituency, said the team remains focused on serving residents.

Two new faces have been spotted with the PAP team in Tampines GRC. They are Dr Charlene Chen, an academic, and Mr Gabriel Lam, chief operating officer of moving company Shalom Movers.

For WP, the four individuals tipped to be fielded as candidates in Tampines are Mr Jimmy Tan, 53, who is self-employed; Mr Jasper Kuan, 46, a payment expert; Mr Andre Low, 33, a dispute lawyer turned consultant; and Ms Afifah Khalid, 42, an associate director in the financial services industry.