Adding to the 19 new candidates who were introduced on 24 and 25 June, the PAP’s last batch of eight new candidates were introduced today (26 June).
They were introduced at two virtual press conferences helmed by Vice-Chairman Masagos Zulkifli and 2nd Assistant Secretary-General (2ASG) Chan Chun Sing, respectively.
In response to a media query on why the unveiling of the 27 candidates was packed into three days, 2ASG Chan explained that due to COVID-19, the timeline was tight.
He said, “We will want to introduce our candidates as soon as possible, so that the public has as much time as possible to get to know them.”
He added that it would become clear over time that what the candidates have in common is commitment.
“We hope that this election will give Singaporeans a chance to look at the different parties, different candidates. Which party can come forward to serve the people with good and workable ideas that can take Singapore forward; which candidate can really take care of residents and help residents overcome not only the current challenges but more importantly, to bring the whole Singapore together as one into the next lap.
There are many choices among the party and there are many candidates. But I hope that regardless of the party and the candidates, all of us can be united in this goal to want to serve Singapore.”
The candidates introduced earlier today were:
1. Alex Yeo Sheng Chye 杨陞才
Alex Yeo Sheng Chye is the Director at Niru & Co LLC. Prior to his current career, 41-year-old Yeo was a former Foreign Service Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has been an active grassroots volunteer in Potong Pasir since 2014 and in Paya Lebar since 2017.
2. Rachel Ong Sin Yen 王心妍
Rachel Ong Sin Yen, 47, is the Chief Executive of consultancy firm Rohei. In 2001, she helped to start Trybe, a youth development charity. Trybe runs three entities – the Singapore Boys’ Hostel, a youth probation institution, as well as the Community Rehabilitation Centre for first-time drug abusers, and also Trybe Aftercare. She wants to bring people together and nurture a Singapore community where everyone can care and look out for one another.
3. Sharael Taha 沙礼尔
Sharael Taha, 39, is the Vice President (Strategy and Project Management Office) for Rolls Royce Pte Ltd and is currently on secondment at SAESL (Singapore Aero Engine Services Pte Ltd). He attributes his success to the opportunities that he received in Singapore. He wants to ensure that youths, regardless of race, religion or background, are nurtured and developed to their fullest potential.
4. Carrie Tan Huimin 陈澮敏
Founder and executive director of Daughters of Tomorrow (DOT), Carrie Tan Huimin, 38, graduated from Raffles Girls’ School and later Raffles Junior College. She went on to major in History at the National University of Singapore. She is the younger of two daughters of a taxi driver-turned-contractor and a housewife. Tan had worked in the private sector before setting up DOT, a social enterprise that enables sustained livelihoods for underprivileged women in Singapore.
5. Gan Siow Huang 颜晓芳
Gan Siow Huang, 46, is the Deputy Chief Executive of e2i at National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). She was a former commander of the biggest formation in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). A Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) scholar, she was also the first woman general in the army. A believer in making a positive difference, Gan has been volunteering since she was a student.
6. Mariam Jaafar
43-year-old Mariam Jaafar, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), has the community at heart. She believes that the best investment for a country is its people. She leads the Telecommunications, Media and Technology Practice and the Financial Institutions Practice, guiding and strategising the overall business direction and driving transformation for clients. The Stanford alumnus also heads Women@BCG – the initiative which aims to increase the numbers, success and satisfaction of women at the firm across Southeast-Asia. She hopes to build stronger communities and make a difference to the health and welfare of fellow Singaporeans.
7. Huang Wei Zhong Shawn黄伟中
A director for enterprise development at Temasek Holdings, Huang Wei Zhong Shawn, 38, served in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) for 19 years as a F-16 fighter pilot and later as the Commanding Officer of an F-16 squadron. He was the Parade Commander for National Day Parade in 2018 and President Halimah Yacob’s swearing-in ceremony in 2017. In 2014, Huang and his friends and founded Tasek Jurong, a non-profit organisation that works with partners to uplift families. Its beneficiaries are mostly ex-inmates, youth at risk, single parent families, the needy and disabled. He believes in the Chinese saying, 先有国，后有家, and hopes to contribute more and help others by joining politics.
8. Chan Hui Yuh 陈惠意
Chan Hui Yuh, 44, started serving in Siglap since 2000, helping then-Member of Parliament Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, and subsequently Dr Maliki Osman. She had taken on various community and Young PAP leadership roles. She was elected as the Southeast Region Chairman for the Young PAP (YP) and was the Assistant Organising Secretary of YP Executive Committee. Hui Yuh was later the Chairman of the Siglap Citizens’ Consultative Committee. She subsequently assumed her role as Adviser to the Aljunied Grassroots Organisations in 2015, taking on the role to look after the welfare and needs of residents in Serangoon.
