SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong on Wednesday (Apr 23) made a surprise move to join a People's Action Party (PAP) team that will face the Workers’ Party (WP) in newly formed Punggol GRC, at Singapore’s May 3 General Election.

Candidates from both parties successfully filed their nomination papers at Yusof Ishak Secondary School on that day.

The PAP is fielding a four-member team with DPM Gan, Senior Ministers of State Janil Puthucheary and Sun Xueling, as well as Ms Yeo Wan Ling.

Mr Gan, who is also Trade and Industry Minister, was unveiled last week as anchor minister of the Chua Chu Kang GRC slate. But on Wednesday, about halfway through the one-hour nomination window from 11am to 12pm, he showed up at Yusof Ishak and subsequently filed his papers together with the Punggol team.

The WP team meanwhile is made up entirely of new faces Mr Harpreet Singh, Ms Alia Mattar, Ms Alexis Dang and Mr Jackson Au.

DPM GAN ON HIS DEPLOYMENT

Punggol, with 123,557 voters, is a new Group Representation Constituency made up of Punggol estates formerly in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and Punggol West SMC - both now defunct.

Mr Gan, in a speech after his confirmed candidacy, said: "My team and I will continue to work hard to earn your trust and confidence, to continue to serve you for the next five years and secure a better future."

He was later asked by reporters for the reasons behind his surprise move, and when the decision was made.

"Whenever we do deployment; it’s always consideration by party leadership and many factors. Residents are always within our factors," he said. "Plans are always made depending on availability of candidates; we always need to make the adjustments."

Mr Gan said he had left his residents in Chua Chu Kang, where he was an MP since 2011, in "very good hands"; and that he was happy to be in Punggol with a "capable" team which has been on the ground for many years.

Asked if he had any connection to Punggol, and what would be the difference with Chua Chu Kang's residents, he said: "They have different needs and aspirations. And we have to see how we can match their visions, their dreams."

He later said his move was "part and parcel of renewal".

"So we always have fresh direction. We are going into an era that we are not familiar with - so we need a strong team," said Mr Gan. "What is important is among our candidates we have a mix of experience and young ideas, and from different walks of life. I’m new to the area, but I promise you I’m a very fast learner. I’ll learn as fast as I can."

Mr Singh from the WP slate said in his speech that it was "the privilege of a lifetime" for his team to step up and run in this election.

"This, you know, is a solid, solid, solid team. We will work very, very hard. We will speak up for you. We will be there for you, always. So let's make history!"

His team did not speak with media after.

In 2020, a PAP team made up of Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, Dr Puthucheary, Mr Sharael Taha, Mr Desmond Tan and Ms Yeo won 64.16 per cent of the votes in a three-cornered fight in Pasir Ris-Punggol, against the Singapore Democratic Alliance and Peoples Voice.

For the upcoming polls, Mr Sharael and Mr Tan are contesting in another new GRC, Pasir Ris-Changi, in a team led by Ms Indranee Rajah.

Ms Sun was fielded in Punggol West SMC in the last General Election, where she beat WP’s Tan Chen Chen with 60.98 per cent of the votes.