GE2025: Faisal Manap’s move to Tampines GRC was one he always wanted, says WP chief Pritam Singh (2025)

SINGAPORE – The WP’s decision to move incumbent Aljunied GRC MP Faisal Manap to Tampines GRC was to fulfil his longstanding wish, and because the party felt it had a strong enough slate to contest the ward.

WP chief Pritam Singh said Mr Faisal, 49, “always wanted” to contest in Tampines GRC.

“He has been asking me to consider that proposal from him for quite a long time already.

“So, he succeeded.

“And Faisal Manap is in Tampines, and he is proud to lead the WP Tampines team,” said Mr Singh, who added that the party had planned to field a team in Tampines GRC in the 2020 General Election.

In the end, it was the National Solidarity Party (NSP) which contested in the constituency, which the PAP won with 66.41 per cent of the vote.

Mr Singh, who was speaking to reporters on April 23 after submitting nomination papers for the Aljunied GRC team, said: “The same consideration that has come to the fore now was prevalent then, which is, do we have enough good candidates to put a slate there?”

He felt the party had found the “best candidates who are prepared to stand for the Workers’ Party”.

Besides WP vice-chairmanFaisal, the five-member team comprises Mr Jimmy Tan, 53, co-founder of industrial equipment supply firm Immanuel Engineering; Institute of Mental Health senior principal clinical psychologist Ong Lue Ping, 48; former diplomat Eileen Chong, 32; and Mr Michael Thng, 37, co-founder of technology start-up Showdrop.

Tampines GRC will see a four-cornered fight with the WP, NSP and the People’s Power Party going up against the incumbent PAP team led by Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli.

Asked about the multi-party fight, Mr Singh said that in a democracy, anyone can contest an election, adding that he had respect for all political parties contesting inthe constituency.

“My pitch to voters in Tampines (is the) same pitch to Aljunied voters. We will represent you well in Parliament, and we will look after your estate, and we will do our best for you,” he said.

WP will field 26 candidates in the general election across eight constituencies.

Besides Tampines GRC, WP is contesting for the first time in Punggol GRC, as well as Jalan Kayu SMC and Tampines Changkat SMC – single seats carved out in the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report on March 11.

Mr Singh will lead the team defending Aljunied GRC, with incumbent MPs contesting inSengkang GRC and Hougang SMC. The party has again fielded a team to wrest control of East Coast GRC from the PAP.

Despite earlier indications, the WP will not contest in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC – a decision Mr Singh said was made after the party considered the redrawing of electoral boundaries and made other calculations.

He declined to give more details, but said the party will continue its work in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC after the general election and appealed for the understanding of residents in the constituency.

Mr Singh also acknowledged that WP new face Andre Low and Mr Kenneth Foo, who are both contesting in single-member constituencies, will have a tough fight ahead of them.

Mr Low, 33, will face National Trades Union Congress secretary-general Ng Chee Meng in Jalan Kayu SMC, while Mr Foo, 48, will go toe-to-toe with incumbent Tampines GRC MP Desmond Choo, who is an assistant secretary-general of NTUC and director of its policy division.

“Andre Low is a very capable man, and I look forward to him contributing in Parliament,” said Mr Singh.

The last-minute changes to the PAP’s slates in different constituencies also came as no surprise, he said, with the ruling party reserving its final line-up changes for the few locations that the WP would likely contest.

At the eleventh hour, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who was expected to lead the PAP team in Chua Chu Kang GRC, was brought on to lead the party’s team in Punggol GRC, where senior counsel Harpreet Singh Nehal is contesting under WP’s banner.

Replacing Mr Gan was Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, who moved from Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.

“I expected there to be a lot of shuffling on Nomination Day,” Mr Singh said.

“It is going to be a tough fight for the Workers’ Party, no matter who is on the PAP slate, and we have to respect our opponents. And the team will try its best.”

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