Two new faces – former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Brigadier-General Goh Pei Ming and former Ministry of Transport (MOT) director Foo Cexiang – appeared at a grassroots event in Punggol on 6 April 2025, alongside incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
Their presence at the community carnival held at Oasis Terraces, organised by POSB, has fuelled speculation about their possible candidacies in the newly formed Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC).
A group photo shared by Desmond Tan, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, featured Goh and Foo standing with current MPs from Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC.
These include Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Digital Development and Information and Health Janil Puthucheary, Sharael Taha, Yeo Wan Ling; and Minister of State at the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Social and Family Development Sun Xueling, who currently represents Punggol West SMC.
Also appearing in the photo was Valerie Lee, Sembcorp Industries’ head of corporate affairs for Singapore and Southeast Asia, who has been seen on the ground in various constituencies since late 2024.
According to a report by CNA, Goh confirmed that he began volunteering in Punggol a week earlier.
He has had a longstanding involvement in community work, having started in Kampong Chai Chee in 2007. In 2019, he became vice-chairman of the Citizens’ Consultative Committee there, and in 2021, took on the role of chairman of its Community Club Management Committee.
“I’m in the process of coming over here to help with the grassroots work,” he told reporters.
He added that he has been following MP Janil Puthucheary to better understand the local community, and has also joined MPs Sun and Yeo on the ground.
“Overall deployment depends on the party leadership,” he said.
Foo, who was previously a director at the MOT overseeing private and future mobility, stepped down from the ministry on 1 April 2025.
He reportedly began grassroots work in the Pasir Ris–Punggol area shortly after.
He shared that he had been engaging with residents to learn more about their aspirations for the area.
“I’ve been having conversations with residents to find out what they love about the area and some improvements they hope to see there,” he said.
Valerie Lee, whose public Facebook activity has grown since October 2024, has participated in multiple PAP-linked events.
She has been seen in walkabouts with party ministers and featured prominently in event coverage, including past appearances in West Coast and East Coast GRCs.
PAP yet to confirm candidate slate as new faces begin grassroots engagement in Punggol
Speaking to the media at the event, Puthucheary clarified that the PAP had not yet finalised its line-up for the new four-member Punggol GRC.
The decision, he said, rests with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and the party’s central leadership.
“We haven’t had confirmation of who the fourth person is going to be joining our team, nor even, of course, if all three of us are confirmed,” he said, referring to himself, Yeo, and Sun.
He emphasised that despite this, the incumbent team has continued its work in Punggol town and is preparing for the upcoming General Election. “You’ll have seen a number of other new faces on the ground, and indeed there are several,” he said.
Puthucheary added that the new volunteers had started engaging with the community at the beginning of April through events such as block parties.
“Our new candidates are getting the experience that they need… allowing people to get a sense of who they are and how they respond; what they care about,” he explained.
Goh and Foo seen in grassroots activities days after stepping down from their roles
As early as 4 April, social media posts by Puthucheary featured both Foo and Goh in group photos at Northshore Cove’s Block 425A, indicating early involvement with PAP grassroots activities.
The presence of new figures comes after a major redrawing of electoral boundaries. In the March 2025 review, the former Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC was split to accommodate a growing voter base.
The Punggol estates, previously spread across multiple wards, were merged with Punggol West Single Member Constituency to form a new four-member Punggol GRC.
The remaining areas, including Loyang and Flora estates, were absorbed into the newly formed Pasir Ris–Changi GRC.
In the 2020 General Election, the PAP won 64.16 per cent of the vote in Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC in a three-way contest against Peoples Voice and the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA).
With electoral boundaries now adjusted and new faces stepping into the spotlight, attention is turning towards PAP’s final slate of candidates for the next election.
Last month, SDA confirmed it will contest the Pasir Ris–Changi GRC in the upcoming GE. SDA, a coalition comprising the Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS) and the Singapore Justice Party (SJP), has contested in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC since 2006.
PAP has not given a timeline for announcing its candidates, but preparations are visibly underway on the ground.
The post Recently resigned SAF’s Goh Pei Ming and ex-MOT director Foo Cexiang seen with Pasir Ris-Punggol MPs appeared first on The Online Citizen.
