GE2025: Maliki Osman to be replaced by former news presenter Hazlina Abdul Halim in East Coast GRC

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Maliki Osman has announced that he will not be standing in East Coast GRC for the upcoming General Election.

His spot in the People's Action Party (PAP) team will be taken by new face Hazlina Abdul Halim, the former chief executive of Make-A-Wish Singapore and a former news presenter.

Dr Maliki, who spoke to reporters on the sidelines of a walkabout at Bedok 85 Market today (April 12), did not say whether he'll retire from politics or be redeployed to another ward.

"I want to pave the way and show my support for Hazlina Abdul Halim to be the new member of the East Coast GRC team to stand for the next election," said the 59-year-old.

He added that he has known her to be someone of integrity, empathy, and purpose - qualities that will serve her well in public life.

Addressing the media on Saturday, Hazlina, 40, said she hopes to be able to better connect with East Coast residents and "to better understand how East Coast residents envision they want to live their lives given that…the east side has been home to generations of families in Singapore". 

Another new face, former Singapore Armed Forces chief of staff Goh Pei Ming, was also spotted at the walkabout. 

Goh, who was previously seen in Punggol earlier this month, is the vice-chairman for the Kampong Chai Chee Community Club management committee, which is in East Coast GRC.

The 42-year-old said that while he's a "newcomer to politics", he's definitely not a newcomer to East Coast due to his work at Kampong Chai Chee. 

"Many of my fondest childhood memories were all forged here. I still remember at the playground playing catching, right behind Fengshan Primary or going to the then Princess cinema with my mom," he added on Saturday.

"I really love the beautiful memories I forged here."

The five-seat constituency is helmed by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, 63, along with Dr Maliki, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information and National Development Tan Kiat How, 47, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jessica Tan, 58, and Cheryl Chan, 49.

All five current East Coast MPs, as well as Joo Chiat MP Edwin Tong, were at the Saturday walkabout.

East Coast saw one of the fiercest fights in GE2020, which PAP eventually won with 53.41 per cent of the votes against a Workers' Party (WP) slate.

The PAP team received 61,009 votes.

WP's Nicole Seah, Kenneth Foo, Terence Tan, Dylan Ng and Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim received 53,228 votes (46.59 per cent).

This was one of PAP's slimmest victories and WP's narrowest GRC loss in GE2020.

Additional reporting by Ella Chou.

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