GE2025: PSP to contest Kebun Baru, Marymount and Pioneer SMCs

SINGAPORE: The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) announced on Saturday (Apr 12) that it will contest Kebun Baru, Marymount and Pioneer Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) in the upcoming General Election. 

Party leaders made the announcement during concurrent walkabouts in the three constituencies, accompanied by potential candidates, although they said PSP's confirmed candidates would only be revealed closer to Nomination Day. 

PSP previously fielded candidates in all three SMCs during the 2020 election.

The announcement comes after the party unveiled its manifesto last Sunday, during which it confirmed plans to contest West Coast-Jurong West and Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs).

PSP secretary-general Leong Mun Wai, speaking during a walkabout at Bishan North Shopping Mall in Marymount SMC on Saturday, said: "We are still looking at what is the best lineup that we can put up with the slate of candidates we have, where to deploy them and all that."

This brings the number of candidates it could field to 12. 

Mr Leong had earlier indicated the party is likely to field fewer than the 24 candidates it had in 2020 – the largest opposition slate in that election.

PSP chairman Tan Cheng Bock said on Saturday the party would be taking a more focused approach this time. 

“The last GE, we had too many places to cover. Now we can concentrate better since we are not fielding so many candidates.” 

He added that while the party is currently concentrating on the three SMCs, it may still explore other constituencies.

“At the moment, we are looking at these three (SMCs), but it doesn’t preclude us from going into the others,” he said. “But we have to be realistic. We work within our means and also our capabilities.”

PSP OPTIMISTIC ABOUT CHANCES AT MARYMOUNT 

On Saturday, Mr Leong was joined by former PSP central executive committee member Jeffrey Khoo during the Marymount walkabout. But he would not confirm if Mr Khoo will be the party's candidate for the single-seat ward.

“We have not decided on who is going to be the candidate at Marymount yet, that will be only made known before Nomination Day or on Nomination Day,” said the PSP chief. 

In GE2020, People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Gan Siow Huang edged out PSP’s former assistant secretary-general Ang Yong Guan, garnering 55.04 per cent of the votes in Marymount SMC.

Asked about PSP's prospects without Dr Ang, Mr Leong expressed optimism. "We will continue to do our best, and we are confident that we will be able to put up even better results this round."

Mr Khoo, who previously contested as part of PSP's West Coast GRC team, added: “PSP has never put our eyes away from Marymount. We’ve done walkabouts here, previously with Dr Tan and Hazel. It’s a place close to our hearts.” 

On whether the party will try to avoid a three-cornered fight with lawyer Lim Tean’s People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR), Mr Leong said PSP leaders will speak to PAR. 

Ms Gan and her PAP team, who were also at Bishan North shopping mall on their own walkabout, exchanged greetings with the PSP team. 

“It’s good that our residents have a choice on which party and which candidate you want to vote for,” said Ms Gan, who is the Minister of State for Education, told CNA. "Regardless of which candidate from PSP comes, we will stay focused on the work that we do. 

“We have built up a good team over the last five years, and we have not stopped in our engagement of residents and helping residents, improving the town since five years ago, so we are ready.”

WALKING THE GROUND IN KEBUN BARU

At Mayflower Market and Food Centre in Kebun Baru, PSP vice-chairperson Hazel Poa introduced her husband Tony Tan Lay Thiam, 54, as a potential candidate.

An entrepreneur in the education and gaming sectors, Mr Tan previously contested in Chua Chu Kang GRC under the National Solidarity Party (NSP) in 2011. Since the 2020 General Election, he has been a volunteer with PSP.

Mr Tan, speaking in both English and Mandarin, told reporters he grew up in a single-parent household and that receiving a Singapore Armed Forces scholarship had “changed his life”.

Ms Poa said that residents continue to express concerns about the rising cost of living, which remains a key issue for the party.

"The high cost of living and economic uncertainty is going to weigh heavily on our society, stretching our social fabric," said Mr Tan. “There will be Singaporeans who feel left behind. We, as a country, can do more for them.”

Asked if the couple might be fielded together in a GRC, Ms Poa said the party's slate of candidates would be confirmed after the writ of election is issued.

However, she left open the possibility that either she or Mr Leong could contest in an SMC.

Ms Poa had earlier said that she is willing to stand in an SMC to “walk my talk”. 

“For us, of course, West Coast was the area where we had the best results (in GE2020), so that was the area that we were focusing most of our efforts on,” she said.

“For reasons of electoral boundary changes, we have always thought that it is prudent to actually cover ground that are protected, but that means CCK (Chua Chu Kang) as well as West Coast.”

The party has been walking those areas “more intensively”, she added. 

“But subsequently we reviewed our situation and we felt that although one strategy is for us to focus on the GRCs. We need also to keep options open for the party where either myself or Mun Wai may contest SMCs.”

In the previous election, PAP’s Henry Kwek beat PSP former member Kumaran Pillai with 62.97 per cent of the votes in Kebun Baru SMC.

Mr Kwek was also on the ground at Mayflower Market and Food Centre on Saturday morning. He exchanged greetings briefly with Ms Poa, Mr Tan and the PSP team.

NEW FACE "FAMILIAR" IN PIONEER

Over in Pioneer, PSP chairman and founder Tan Cheng Bock led a walkabout at a coffee shop in Jurong West, joined by Mr Lim Cher Hong – who previously contested there – and newcomers Stephanie Tan and Sani Ismail. 

Describing Pioneer as “smack in the centre” of PSP's target West region, Dr Tan said the party is "very positive" about its chances in the constituency.

“We will try to of course better what we did last time,” he said. 

In 2020, PAP’s Patrick Tay won 61.98 per cent of the votes in Pioneer SMC, beating Mr Lim. 

Ms Tan, 38, is a trained lawyer who previously worked in the Ministry of Law. She has been a full-time stay-at-home mother to her two children, who are in primary school, for the last nine years.

“She’s coming out to do a national service," said Dr Tan. "A mother of two coming to help me, I’m very honoured and very proud.”