GE2020: PAP's Poh Li San is an ex-helicopter pilot who flew supplies to tsunami victims

PAP's newcomer Poh Li San is certainly a high flyer — both literally and figuratively.

Poh, the vice-president of Changi Airport Group, has had several unconventional jobs. But the coolest, by far, is her stint as a search and rescue helicopter pilot with the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

The 45-year-old, who was unveiled as a People's Action Party candidate at a virtual press conference today (June 25), said that out of all the missions she had completed, the relief efforts in the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami remained one of the most memorable.

As a search and rescue helicopter pilot, she made daily trips to villages in Indonesia's Aceh province, delivering necessities such as food and medical supplies.

With its proximity to the earthquake and resulting tsunami, Aceh was one of the worst-hit regions.

Banda Aceh, the province's capital, saw a death toll of over 168,000 and widespread devastation.

"That experience left me with a deep understanding of the meaningfulness of disaster relief operations," Poh said in Mandarin. "What we brought to them was a new lease of life and new hope."

Another distinctive entry in Poh's resume is her role as aide-de-camp to former President of Singapore, the late S R Nathan.

The first woman to serve in the role full-time, she oversaw and coordinated daily meetings and events for President Nathan from 2006 to 2010.

In her time on the job, she gleaned many life lessons from the president.

'What I admired most about him was his indomitable spirit and selfless contributions," Poh recounted. "At the time, he was in his eighties. But he still tried his best to attend every single President's Challenge event, year after year, rain or shine, in order to raise funds for the needy."

And it seems that she's putting those lessons to good use.

Since 2018, Poh has been volunteering in grassroots activities and Meet-the-People sessions at Sembawang GRC.

She also spearheaded an initiative to distribute "rescued" fruits and vegetables to rental flat residents and started the annual Women Festival with Sembawang GRC's Women Executive Committees, an event aiming to celebrate, equip and inspire women.

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In response to speculation that she would be fielded in Sembawang, she said that "nothing is confirmed until the Nomination Day".

"I hope to be able to serve in Sembawang because I spent a fair amount of time there," she added.

It's really a place where I'm very familiar with and [have] a strong connection. But at the end of the day, the party will decide."

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kimberlylim@asiaone.com