SINGAPORE: The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) on Saturday (Apr 19) named its slate for Chua Chu Kang GRC, with newcomer Lawrence Pek alongside three potential returning candidates.

The team comprises the party’s second vice-chairperson A’bas Kasmani, women’s wing head Wendy Low, treasurer S Nallakaruppan and Mr Pek, a former secretary-general of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation. 

Mr A’bas, a safety practitioner, and Ms Low, a lawyer, contested under PSP’s banner in Tanjong Pagar GRC in the previous election. Mr Nallakaruppan, a stockbroker, was part of the PSP team for Nee Soon GRC in 2020. 

They are expected to face a PAP team led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, along with former MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and newcomers Jeffrey Siow, a former civil servant, and Choo Pei Ling, an assistant professor at the Singapore Institute of Technology. 

Chua Chu Kang GRC, which has 93,368 voters, underwent boundary changes in the latest electoral boundaries review. It now includes parts of Hong Kah North – including Tengah estates – and areas from Holland-Bukit Timah. 

A new Bukit Gombak SMC was also carved out of the GRC. Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling, who was previously part of the PAP’s Chua Chu Kang slate, will contest the SMC.

In the 2020 election, the PAP slate comprised Mr Gan, Ms Low, Mr Zhulkarnain and Mr Don Wee, who has since announced he will not be running in this election. The team won with 58.64 per cent of the vote.

The PSP in 2020 fielded former Republic of Singapore Air Force lieutenant colonel Francis Yuen, former Institute of Policy Studies research fellow Dr Tan Meng Wah, Mr Choo Shaun Ming, a law undergraduate at the time, and Mr Abdul Rahman Mohamad, who was a fire safety engineer.

Tensions between the two parties surfaced earlier this year when their volunteers accused each other of harassment during walkabouts, prompting statements from party leaders, including Mr Gan, Ms Low and PSP chairman Tan Cheng Bock.

LAWRENCE PEK

Mr Pek, 55, was the secretary-general of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation from 2020 to 2023. During his tenure, he raised industry concerns on business costs and manpower needs with government agencies, PSP said.

He previously worked for 14 years at Sony Electronics before launching a surveillance and video conferencing camera manufacturing factory in China in 2008.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he is currently the CEO of Shenzhen Guard Technology, which produces radar sensors and Internet of Things routers, and the general manager of camera technology firm Bolin Technology.