GE2025: 'No parachute involved' when party fielded her in Mountbatten SMC, says PAP new face Gho Sze Kee

SINGAPORE: People’s Action Party (PAP) new face Gho Sze Kee on Wednesday evening (Apr 30) said that as a party and grassroots activist for over 13 years in Bukit Timah, there was “no parachute involved” in her becoming the ruling party’s candidate for Mountbatten SMC in this General Election.

She has been “walking the ground for decades” and will be “on the ground for Singaporeans for decades more”, Ms Gho said in her rally speech at the Home of Athletics, formerly known as Kallang Practice Track. 

The 46-year-old is contesting against Mr Jeremy Tan - one of two independent candidates in the election – to replace former Member of Parliament (MP) Lim Biow Chuan in the single-seat ward. 

Mr Lim, a four-term MP and ex-deputy speaker of parliament, was elected in 2006 under the PAP slate in the former Marine Parade GRC, before moving to helm Mountbatten SMC from 2011 to 2025. 

While Mr Lim is not contesting the 2025 election, he spoke in support of Ms Gho at Wednesday’s rally. 

LONGTIME PARTY ACTIVIST  

Ms Gho, a maritime lawyer by profession, laid out her various grassroots involvement over the past 13 years. 

This included being branch secretary of PAP Bukit Timah, vice-chairperson of the Bukit Timah citizens’ consultative committee and vice-chairperson of a residents’ network. 

“From running legal clinics to setting up community fridges for families in need, to raising funds for stationery vouchers for children of more needful families, I have worked with town councils, residents’ committees and partnered social service organisations,” she said. 

“And of course, the ever-constant Meet-The-People sessions and community outreach programmes – these have been truly the heart of my work.” 

Over the past 10 months, she has also “personally walked every corner of Mountbatten without fanfare”, she added.

“PAP DOES NOT BELIEVE IN GAMBLING”

Ms Gho also struck out at her election opponent’s position on bitcoin. 

Mr Tan, 34, is a big proponent of bitcoin, having "studied" the cryptocurrency as a potential hedge against US dollar irresponsibility. He goes into further detail on his website, using the moniker "Encik Bitcoin" and calling it an "inflation-proof" asset. 

Among his proposed policies is for a Singapore dollar denominated Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) to be established as a form of savings protection for Singaporeans.

Ms Gho said she has been told by “many of the residents” she met that they have “rejected” Mr Tan’s proposals.

“Bitcoin is not backed up by any physical assets or any government body, and this is unlike the US treasury bonds or gold. It can go to zero. There is nothing – nothing – to back it up,” she said. 

“My opponent will and can only tell you the upside. This is what I call gambling. And let me say this again in very clear terms: The PAP does not believe in gambling.”

Mr Tan’s other proposals are similar, she said, proceeding to list bitcoin “baby products” and having an additional 0.5 per cent interest on Central Provident Fund (CPF) money to be used for investment into bitcoin products “to be paid by the government” as examples. 

“I also failed to distil the logic from the motherhood statements in some of his explanations,” she added. 

Ms Gho said it is important not to confuse ideas and suggestions with “actual policy making”, adding that the government does not “run a country based on flashy sound bites”.

If elected, Ms Gho said she will introduce “precinct improvements”. Among these, she said she plans to expand legal aid and financial advisory services and introduce “job mobility clinics”.

There will also be intergenerational neighbourhood events and “community fridges”, she added. 

Under the redrawn electoral boundaries, Mountbatten SMC has 22,754 eligible voters. One of its polling districts was absorbed by the new Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, which saw a walkover on Nomination Day.