The People’s Action Party has announced the following team representing the PAP to stand for election at Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency (GRC):
- Christopher de Souza
- Edward Chia
- Sim Ann
- Vivian Balakrishnan
The team and candidate were introduced today at Pang Sua Pond, where they shared their motivations to step forward and sought the mandate to represent Holland-Bukit Timah residents.
About the team
Christopher de Souza 迪舒沙 , 49
Christopher de Souza serves as Deputy Speaker of Parliament and was formerly Chairman of the Home Affairs & Law Government Parliamentary Committee. In Parliament, he pushed for a values-based education system to emphasise character development over exam results and the reduction of class sizes. Christopher also advocated to protect and strengthen families; to reduce domestic abuse of children; and pushed for greater support for working mothers.
Christopher graduated at the top of his Law Class with First Class Honours from King’s College London and obtained a Masters in Law (Distinction) from Oxford University. He is a Partner at law firm Lee & Lee. During NS, he was awarded the Sword of Honour at OCS and served as an Officer.
Fun fact: Chris represented Singapore in hockey, as a goalkeeper, from the age of 14 to 30 years of age.
Edward Chia 谢秉辉 , 41
Edward Chia believes in empowering individuals to uplift the community, creating a collective impact greater than the sum of its parts. In Bukit Panjang, he launched Bukit Panjang Sedap!, a community-based network that supports homebakers during the pandemic and fostering neighbourliness. A strong advocate for sustainability, he collaborates with residents to build greener spaces and reduce waste through initiatives like the weekly Zhenghua Food Rescue and monthly Pre-Loved Markets.
Edward founded Life Lab Resources, a venture that transforms food systems by closing the food loop—upcycling food waste into aquaculture feed to reduce waste, cut carbon emissions, and enhance food security. He previously co-founded Timbre to provide Singaporean musicians a platform for sustainable careers, earning the STB Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
A strong advocate for SMEs, Edward draws from his own experience as a business owner to champion issues such as rising costs, manpower challenges, and digital disruption. In Parliament, he has actively supported policies on workplace fairness, progressive wages, mental health, and support for hawkers, workers and employers.
Sim Ann 沈颖 , 50
Sim Ann has been an MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC since 2011. She is now Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Development, and Minister in-charge of the Municipal Services Office.
As Chair of PAP Women’s Wing, she is focused on advancing women’s development. She also has a special interest in championing bilingualism and translation.
Prior to politics, Sim Ann worked in the civil service.
Fun fact: Sim Ann is fond of handicraft. She sewed masks for her young constituents during COVID, and her favourite hobby is knitting.
Vivian Balakrishnan 维文 , 64
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan has been an MP for the Holland Bukit Timah GRC since 2001.
He is currently the Minister for Foreign Affairs; and has previously served in the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports; and Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
Before entering politics, he was an ophthalmologist who was Medical Director of the Singapore National Eye Centre; and subsequently CEO of Singapore General Hospital.
Fun fact: He enjoys computer coding and assembling mechanical watches.
