PAP Fields Unchanged Team in Holland-Bukit Timah; Liang Eng Hwa to Defend Bukit Panjang Seat

They have right blend of experience and youth, says Vivian, who again leads GRC team

- Christine Tan and Lee Li Ying

The PAP team that will contest Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in the upcoming polls will remain unchanged, with Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan helming the line-up in a constituency he has represented for about two decades.

In neighbouring Bukit Panjang SMC, four-term MP Liang Eng Hwa, 61, will defend the single seat in a likely contest against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

Apart from Dr Balakrishnan, the Holland-Bukit Timah team is made up of Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann, 50, lawyer Christopher de Souza, 49, and businessman Edward Chia, 41.

In a press briefing on April 15 at the Pang Sua Pond in Bukit Panjang, Dr Balakrishnan, 64, said the upcoming polls will take place at a time of profound change, where externally the world is beset by volatility.

He said: "We know that the old world order has ended, the new world order is coming, and we don't know the exact shape.

"But what we do know is that a small, tiny city-state, trade-dependent economy like Singapore will face the impact, perhaps in a more turbulent way than many other bigger economies. So, this is a time to be prepared domestically."

He added that the conversations and choices made in this election will have a major impact on whether Singapore is shipshape and ready for the storms to come.

When asked why there were no changes to the PAP slate, Dr Balakrishnan said that after holding discussions with the Prime Minister, they felt the team still has the right blend of experience.

For example, three members of his team are under the age of 50.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "We believe this is still a team which has the right blend of youth, ideas, energy, vigour. Fortunately, we have had the time to deeply embed ourselves into the society. So that's why the Prime Minister decided to retain the line-up for now."

But in the future, renewal is expected, he added.