In a strategic gamble ahead of the next general election, the People’s Action Party (PAP) will field four political newcomers in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), a ward held by the opposition Workers’ Party (WP) since 2011.
Of the five-member slate introduced on 13 April 2025, only Chan Hui Yuh, 48, chair of PAP’s Serangoon branch, was part of the 2020 team.
The remaining candidates—Jagathishwaran Rajo, 37; Daniel Liu, 40; Adrian Ang, 41; and Faisal Abdul Aziz, 37—are all standing for election for the first time.
Aljunied GRC has long been regarded as a stronghold of the WP. The party secured 59.95 percent of the vote in the 2020 election, its largest GRC margin to date, and has held the constituency for 14 consecutive years.
PAP’s announcement signals both a generational refresh and a calculated effort to reconnect with voters in a ward where the party has not won since the 2011 electoral upset.
Ms Chan said the team will prioritise senior citizens’ issues and their broader social impact, while also calling for “change” after more than a decade without a PAP voice in the constituency.
The new team was introduced by Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, who serves as the party’s assistant secretary-general, at a Sunday launch event attended by former Cabinet minister Lim Boon Heng.
Mr Chan framed the PAP’s presence in opposition-held wards as offering voters “a proposition of policies,” rather than simply contesting for the sake of competition.
He also emphasised the need for elected representatives who can serve residents locally, manage national governance, and represent Singapore globally.
Despite those assertions, the decision to field an almost entirely fresh team in Aljunied GRC raises questions about continuity and electoral strategy, especially in a constituency where name recognition and ground familiarity are often seen as critical.
Jagathishwaran Rajo took over as Eunos branch chairman in August 2024, after years of grassroots work in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and a stint at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Daniel Liu, who now chairs the Paya Lebar branch, heads urban planning firms Morrow Architects and Morrow Intelligence. He was previously active in Nee Soon GRC.
Adrian Ang leads the Bedok Reservoir-Punggol branch and runs a facilities management firm. He previously served in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC under Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat.
Faisal Abdul Aziz, a dental surgeon and clinical director at Nuffield Holdings, has been active in Kaki Bukit since 2015 and involved in party youth and Malay affairs initiatives.
All four new candidates stepped into branch leadership roles only recently, following a round of leadership changes in February 2025.
Their bid to unseat the WP comes at a time of consolidation for the opposition party, which is seeking a fifth member to fill the vacancy left by Leon Perera’s departure from Parliament.
Aljunied GRC was redrawn for the first time since 2011 during the latest electoral boundary review, with three polling districts—nearly 4,000 voters—moved to Tampines GRC.
Observers note that while the changes are relatively limited, they introduce new variables to an already competitive landscape.
The Workers’ Party (WP) first captured Aljunied GRC in the 2011 general election, securing 54.72 percent of the vote. Led by then-party chief Low Thia Khiang, the winning team included current party leader Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim, Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, and Chen Show Mao.
They defeated a high-profile PAP team that featured then-Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo and current Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
The WP’s victory marked the first time an opposition party had won a Group Representation Constituency since the scheme was introduced in 1988.
Since then, the WP has retained the ward across three successive general elections. In 2020, it increased its vote share to 59.95 percent—its strongest GRC performance to date—further cementing Aljunied’s status as a party stronghold.
How a largely unfamiliar slate from the PAP will fare against this backdrop remains to be seen, particularly in a constituency with a well-established opposition presence and long-standing voter loyalty.
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