SINGAPORE – One of the PAP’s touted new faces, Ms Valerie Lee Nai Yi, was spotted at a job fair at Downtown East on March 22, fuelling speculation that she could be on the ruling party’s electoral slate in the new Pasir Ris-Changi GRC.
Mr Desmond Tan, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, who heads the Pasir Ris Central ward, told the press at the inaugural Pasir Ris-Punggol Career Marketplace that Ms Lee was there at the invitation of the team.
While Mr Tan said the ultimate composition of the team would depend on Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, he added: “You can do the calculations. There are three of us now in the (new Pasir Ris-Changi GRC), and it’s going to be a four-man GRC. Naturally we’ll have one new face, a new candidate, join us.
“Likewise for Punggol GRC. From time to time, we invite different people.”
Ms Lee, Sembcorp’s head of corporate affairs for Singapore and South-east Asia, has previously been seen in both West Coast GRC and East Coast GRC.
On March 22, she was actively introduced to residents by the sitting MPs and was frequently seen posing for photos next to Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean.
She declined to comment on queries, and would only say: “I am happy to be here.”
The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee on March 11 decided to split the former Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC into two, forming Punggol GRC and Pasir Ris-Changi GRC.
This leaves the wards of SM Teo, Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Tan in the new four-man Pasir Ris-Changi GRC.
The wards of the other sitting MPs – Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and Ms Yeo Wan Ling – fall under the new Punggol GRC, which will also include Minister of State Sun Xueling’s Punggol West SMC.
Mr Tan, SM Teo, Mr Sharael, Ms Yeo and Ms Sun were also at the job fair on March 22.
It remains unclear how the PAP incumbents will be deployed to the new constituencies, each of which will have four representatives.
Punggol GRC, especially, is expected to see a tight showdown between the People’s Action Party and the Workers’ Party.
In the last election, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC saw a three-way contest between the PAP, the Singapore Democratic Alliance and People’s Voice (PV). The PAP prevailed with 64.15 per cent of the votes, while PV lost its deposit.
At the event on March 22, where more than 20 employers were hiring for over 1,200 jobs, it was announced that residents in North-East Singapore will soon find interactive kiosks with artificial intelligence (AI) interviewers and resume builders at their community clubs. This is part of a fresh grassroots initiative to help job seekers.
The Pasir Ris-Punggol group constituency office under the People’s Association launched the initiative in a “first-of-its-kind” collaboration with NTUC, non-profit organisation Project Success and the North East Community Development Council.
There will also be on-site job advisers at community centres and other high footfall areas, as well as two-hour workshops on topics such as the use of generative AI tools to improve personal and business productivity.
No date has been set for the roll-out, and the People’s Association is still confirming the exact sites.
Mr Tan said there has been an increase in professionals, managers, executives and technicians seeking help for mid-career switches in recent years.
“Whether you’re a fresh graduate entering a tech-driven workplace, a professional adapting to digital tools or someone curious about how tech is transforming your industry – you’re here because you recognise that embracing tech is no longer optional; it’s essential,” he said.
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