PAP introduces new face in Tampines East, likely to replace Cheng Li Hui

The People's Action Party has introduced Prof Charlene Chen as the new grassroots leader for Tampines East in Tampines GRC, potentially replacing resigned MP Cheng Li Hui for the upcoming election. Meanwhile, the Workers’ Party has been actively engaging Tampines residents, with figures like former WP Chief Mr Low Thia Khiang warmly received during their outreach efforts.

Yee Loon18 Jun 2024

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SINGAPORE: The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) recently introduced new faces for the Tampines East ward of Tampines GRC, likely to replace the resigned former Member of Parliament Cheng Li Hui to contest the seat in the upcoming election.

Last Saturday (16 June), Charlene Chen, a new grassroots leader for the ward, was introduced to residents by anchor minister Masagos Zulkifli.

Speaking at the Tampines Learning Festival, Mr Masagos, who is the Minister for Social and Family Development, said that Nanyang Technological University assistant professor of marketing Charlene Chen will be working with him to serve the residents of Tampines East, which he has been in charge of since July 2023.

Noting that Prof Chen has been appointed as the second adviser to the grassroots organisations in Tampines GRC, Mr Masagos said she had volunteered to step in.

“I have... two divisions. It’s very hard to run everything, and it’s not fair for the residents.”

“She said she will help us, and she will be working with me in serving residents in Tampines East,” Mr Masagos added.

Prof Chen, dressed in a polo shirt bearing the word “Tampines,” stood on stage alongside Mr Masagos and two other Tampines GRC MPs – Mayor Desmond Choo of the North East District and Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment and for Transport.

She mentioned it has been a few weeks since she joined their team.

“I’ve been amazed by the amount of dedication the grassroots leaders here have, and they are a wonderful bunch that are very concerned about raising the well-being and welfare of residents here. "

"I’m very glad to be able to support them,” she said.

“Please don’t be shy to say hello to me when I walk about in your neighbourhood, when I do my house visits. Please feel free to come up and share your concerns and issues with me. I’ll always be there to be a listening ear,” she added.

According to The Straits Times, Prof Chen, a social and consumer psychologist with a PhD in marketing from Columbia Business School, began her role as a member of the Tampines Town Council on 1 May, serving a two-year term.

She posted on her public Facebook account, which was created on 21 April, expressing gratitude for the support received from the grassroots and residents in Buona Vista, where she had previously volunteered.

Since then, she has been actively sharing updates about her engagements in the Tampines area.

According to ST, Prof Chen participated as a speaker at a PAP Policy Forum dialogue in October 2023, held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. During the event, she emphasized the importance of adopting a more empathetic and less authoritative approach to engaging with young people.

Besides Prof Chen, Dr Choo Pei Ling (朱佩玲), a Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) faculty member, has been spotted actively engaged alongside PAP MPs for Marine Parade GRC, prompting speculation about her potential candidacy for the next GE under the ruling party.

There is speculation that she may be considered as a replacement for former speaker and ex-MP for Marine Parade GRC Tan Chuan-Jin.

Tan, along with fellow PAP MP Cheng Li Hui, resigned from their positions on 17 July 2023, following revelations of an extramarital affair despite repeated advisements against it.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong formally announced this affair, which began before the 2020 General Election, and their subsequent resignations.

Ground sentiments favouring WP to contest in Tampines GRC in the upcoming GE

During the 2020 General Election, Tampines GRC saw a contest between the People’s Action Party (PAP) and the National Solidarity Party (NSP), which has been contesting in the ward since 2011.

Under the leadership of Minister Masagos, the five-member PAP team retained the ward for the party with a convincing 66.41% victory, a drop of 5.65% from the previous election.

Masagos Zulkifli’s team consisted of Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng, Mayor Desmond Choo, and then-PAP MP Cheng Li Hui.

Having secured 66.41 per cent of the votes, the PAP team achieved the status of the fifth-best performing GRC, following the successes of PM Lee and SM Tharman’s respective GRCs.

Before this election, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat had served as the anchor minister for Tampines GRC for a decade.

However, in GE2020, Heng surprised many by shifting to East Coast GRC, leading his team to victory there, albeit with a narrow margin of 53.39% against the WP team, a 7.34% drop from GE2015.

Since GE2020, the Workers’ Party has actively engaged residents of Tampines GRC through various outreach efforts.

Notable figures like Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim, and former WP Chief and ex-MP for Aljunied GRC, Mr Low Thia Khiang, received warm receptions from Tampines residents during their visits.

Speculation suggests that in the aftermath of Tan Chuan-Jin and Cheng Li Hui's extramarital affair scandal, the former Minister Iswaran graft trail, and the Ridout Road controversy involving Ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan, alternative parties might have an increased likelihood of challenging PAP strongholds.

Of notable importance is the prevailing ground sentiment regarding concerns about the cost of living, inflation, housing, and job insecurity, which significantly influences the ground-level support for the ruling party.

Newly sworn-in Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is expected to lead the ruling PAP into the upcoming elections slated for November 2025.

As speculation about the timing of the next GE grows, sources suggest it might be strategically held in September, potentially aligning with cash handouts from Budget 2024 and before major elections in the United States and the United Kingdom in November.

In response to the PAP’s dominant 2/3 majority in Parliament, Singapore’s political landscape has witnessed increased manoeuvring, intensifying grassroots outreach efforts, and witnessing alternative parties forming political alliances — both formal and informal — to contest in the upcoming GE.