GE2025: Edwin Tong to lead PAP team against WP in East Coast GRC

East Coast GRC, touted as one of the hot spots of the 2025 General Election, will see a rematch between the incumbent People’s Action Party and Workers’ Party. 

Leading the PAP team is Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong, whose Joo Chiat ward was absorbed into East Coast GRC. 

Incumbents Jessica Tan, 58, and Tan Kiat How, 47, as well as newcomers Dinesh Vasu Dash, 50, and Hazlina Abdul Halim, 40, complete the team. 

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Sweet Keat, who helmed the PAP East Coast GRC slate in the 2020 General Election, arrived to the nomination centre at Yusof Ishak Secondary School to great fanfare. 

But after his name was left out of the nomination papers, the 64-year-old later wrote on Facebook that he is retiring from politics, saying: "Now is the right time to make way for a new team of capable individuals who are well-placed to serve Singapore."

Meanwhile, the WP team comprises of former NCMP Yee Jenn Jong, General Election 2020 candidate Nathaniel Koh, and fresh faces Jasper Kuan, Sufyan Mikhail Putra and Paris V Parameswari. 

'A good opponent'

Speaking to reporters following the confirmation of his team's candidacy, Tong described WP veteran Yee as a "good opponent" and someone that his team will be taking seriously.

The pair previously contested against each other in the 2015 and 2020 elections for Marine Parade GRC.

"He's been active in East Coast for a while and a resident at Joo Chiat. We will look at this election where nothing is taken for granted," he said.

On Heng's retirement from politics, Tong said that the team had known about the decision for some time.

"It's been something that's been on his mind," he added.

Meanwhile, Yee declared that the Workers' Party "are back" in East Coast GRC.

"We have never left. Today, we a dedicated team of volunteers and past candidates who have worked here tirelessly for the last 20 years," he said, shortly after the WP's nomination was confirmed. 

Results of GE2020

In the 2020 general election, the People's Action Party (PAP) won East Coast GRC with 53.41 per cent of the votes over the WP team, which received 46.59 per cent of the votes.

The PAP team then consisted Heng, Second Minister for Education and Foreign Affairs Dr Maliki Osman, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information and National Development Tan Kiat How, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jessica Tan and Cheryl Chan.

WP's candidates were Nicole Seah, Kenneth Foo, Terence Tan, Dylan Ng and Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim.

For our GE2025 microsite, visit here.

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

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