Four parties will be contesting in five-member Tampines GRC during the upcoming General Election.

The People's Action Party (PAP) team, led by Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, 62, will be defending against Workers' Party (WP), National Solidarity Party (NSP) and People's Power Party (PPP). 

Candidates from all four parties successfully filed their nomination papers at Poi Ching School on Wednesday (April 23).

The PAP team defending Tampines GRC includes Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon, 53, and three-term Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng, 54, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Sustainability and the Environment.

They are joined by newcomers Assistant Professor Charlene Chen, 43, and former Chief of Army David Neo, 47.

Said Masagos: "I'm very proud to have five of us here working together."

The election is not only about theoretical democracy, he said, but it's about the residents' needs and dreams.

When asked about PAP feels about WP contesting in Tampines, Masagos said: "We will build on the promises we delivered, why WP is in Tampines is for them to answer."

Dr Koh said after election, the PAP build on their plans.

"We pushed for the eco-town that was probably the first in Asia. People want to see their lives get better when we debate issues in Parliament."

Asst Prof Chen said the PAP slate is a very united team.

She said: I feel very looked after by my mentors here. We work with the residents, because we want to improve the lives of residents in Tampines. We will do both, work on the ground, listen to them and raise the issues in Parliament."

The WP team will be headed by party vice-chair Faisal Manap, 49; 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, 33; and Mr Michael Thng, 37, co-founder of technology start-up Showdrop.

NSP is fielding party president Reno Fong, 56; vice-president Mohd Ridzwan Mohammad, 63; assistant secretary-general Eugene Yeo, 49; financial planner Zee Phay, 32; and Mr Thamilselvan Karuppaya, 57, who is self-employed.

The PPP's Tampines team includes party chief Goh Meng Seng, party chairman Derrick Sim, landscaping executive Vere Nathan, green tech firm founder Peter Soh and entrepreneur Arbaah Haroun.

Goh said he is happy about the four-corner fight in Tampines since it's a sign of mature democracy, but he got emotional when speaking about WP "abandoning" Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC

"It is very ironic that WP's slogan is 'Working for Singapore' when they have let down 130,000 voters in Marine Parade."

"Voters' rights have been sacrificed."

Under the new electoral boundaries announced by Electoral Boundaries Review Committee last month, the Tampines Changkat ward of Tampines GRC was carved out to form a SMC, while small parts of Aljunied GRC were absorbed into Tampines GRC.

During the 2020 General Election, the PAP secured Tampines GRC with 66.41 per cent of the votes over NSP's 33.59 per cent.

The constituency will have 147,904 voters in the upcoming election.

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