SINGAPORE: The People's Alliance for Reform (PAR) on Sunday (Apr 20) introduced four more prospective candidates for the upcoming General Election, including two new faces.

Ms Sarina Abu Hassan, a nurse at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Mr Nadarajan Selvamani, who runs a private school, are set to make their electoral debuts.

Speaking during a walkabout at Jalan Batu Market and Food Centre, which is in Mountbatten Single Member Constituency (SMC), PAR secretary-general Lim Tean said the two new faces "couldn't have chosen a better party to come to". 

Mr Lim also introduced veteran campaigners Mr Kumar Appavoo and Mr Prabu Ramachandran as potential candidates. He added that he could not say where all four would be standing because it is "pending finalisation".

Nomination Day is on Wednesday, and Singaporeans will go to the polls on May 3.

SARINA ABU HASSAN

Mr Lim said Ms Sarina has been in the nursing profession for 35 years, and has done "political work" with other parties before.

According to a biography from PAR, she is currently pursuing a diploma in nursing and is a mother of four.

Ms Sarina, 54, said she hopes to "bring the message" about job security, sustainability and the "livelihood of Singaporeans". She also hopes to campaign on issues related to the healthcare system and free food for school children.

"I hope I can make a difference ... I hope that I can reach out and impart my knowledge and skills, with the knowledge that I have gathered along the years with other political parties."

She added that she did not want to "miss this opportunity to stand as a candidate".

NADARAJAN SELVAMANI

According to PAR, Mr Nadarajan has spent about 20 years in the education industry. He told reporters he spent eight years in the marine industry before that. 

The 59-year-old, who is also a musician, had been helping Peoples Voice for "quite a number of years" in a supportive role at polling stations and election campaigning.

"They had enough candidates at that time. So now I wanted to give it a shot, maybe to enhance or help them, further support them," said Mr Nadarajan.

"I've looked through their manifestos and what they are fighting for, and what we want to bring into the parliament, like simple cost of living issues and day-to-day social things that affect many Singaporeans," he said.

Mr Nadarajan wants to campaign for issues related to housing and free education in Singapore. He added that if elected, he would raise the issue of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hikes, and to "hopefully bring it down" to 5 per cent.

Commercial banker Mr Prabu, 37, was previously in the Reform Party (RP) before moving to the Peoples Voice (PV).

PAR consists of three parties - RP, PV and the Democratic Progressive Party.

Five years ago, Mr Prabu was part of the PV team that lost in a three-cornered fight in Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC), gaining 12.17 per cent of the votes.

The People's Action Party (PAP) team, led by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, won the constituency with 64.16 per cent of the votes. The Singapore Democratic Alliance took 23.67 per cent of the votes.

Mr Prabu said: "It is responsible to vote for a ... plurality of voices in parliament and our country structure is in such we could hold the government accountable during the campaign period, but if we are not elected into parliament, we can't hold them accountable ... throughout the five years."

Businessman Mr Kumar is also not new to elections.

Mr Kumar stood in West Coast GRC under RP's banner in 2011, and was RP's candidate in Radin Mas Single Member Constituency (SMC) in 2015. In 2020, he again stood in Radin Mas as a member of RP. He lost all three elections.

He said the cost of living should be reduced, and asked if the government could bring the GST down to 1 per cent.

PAR said on Friday that it would field 14 candidates in seven constituencies at the upcoming General Election.

These are Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar GRCs, and Mountbatten, Potong Pasir, Queenstown, Radin Mas and Yio Chu Kang SMCs.

The PAR will not run in Marymount, Jalan Kayu and Kebun Baru SMCs. This was "after careful deliberation and also taking into account the interest of the other parties and their movements", said Mr Lim. 

PAR has yet to release its manifesto. Mr Lim has said PAR will focus on five issues for GE2025: the cost of living, the affordability of public housing, job insecurity, "institutional reforms" and "taking back our Singapore identity and nation", which he linked to immigration.