Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has introduced Gabriel Lam and Ng Shi Xuan as potential new candidates in Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) for the upcoming General Election, expected by early May 2025.
Both men were presented at a community event on 29 March, 2025, during the launch of OCBC’s SeniorCare programme at Bukit Canberra.
The integrated sports and community hub served as the backdrop for their first public appearance in the constituency.
Ong, who is the anchor minister for Sembawang GRC, referred to the pair as “dynamic, enterprising and very good people to join the volunteer force and contribute to the community.”
He explained to residents, many of whom were seniors, that the duo are seasoned professionals who understand business demands and the importance of community service.
Speaking in Mandarin, he likened them to “Guan Yu” and “Zhang Fei”, legendary generals from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, indicating trust in their loyalty and strength.
Gabriel Lam, 42, is the Chief Operating Officer of Shalom International Movers.
He acknowledged that while he does not currently reside in Sembawang, his family moved there in 1988 when the GRC was formed. He also attended Huamin Primary School as part of its first intake.
He addressed the crowd, saying, “People know me as the mover of things […] but here in Sembawang, I want to move lives.” Lam also shared his plans to spend more time engaging with residents in the coming weeks to better understand their needs.
Ng Shi Xuan, 35, is the director of Powermark Battery and Hardware Trading. He lives outside Sembawang as well but has been active in community service as a grassroots volunteer in MacPherson for the past decade.
He currently serves as the vice-chairperson of the MacPherson Youth Network and was previously a public servant. Ng is married to a preschool principal, and they have three children aged between one and six.
“In these 10 years, some of the skills I picked up include listening to residents’ concerns and acting on their various causes that they are passionate about, especially for young families and youths,” he said.
Ong noted last Sunday that he expects more than one new face to join the five-member Sembawang GRC team, in line with the People’s Action Party (PAP)’s renewal process during each election cycle.
The current MPs in Sembawang GRC include Ong, Lim Wee Kiak, Mariam Jaafar, Poh Li San and Vikram Nair.
However, the configuration of the constituency will soon change. The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee has announced that Sembawang West will be carved out as a Single Member Constituency (SMC), reducing the size of the GRC.
The remaining five divisions are Woodlands, Admiralty, Canberra, Sembawang Central, and Sembawang West — with the latter shifting to its new SMC status for the upcoming election.
Opposition parties are also preparing to contest in the region.
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Solidarity Party (NSP) have both expressed interest in running in Sembawang GRC and the new Sembawang West SMC.
In the 2020 General Election, the PAP won Sembawang GRC with 67.29 per cent of the vote. The NSP, its challenger, secured 32.71 per cent.
Saturday’s event also featured the launch of OCBC Bank’s three-year SeniorCare programme aimed at supporting over 180,000 seniors across Singapore.
OCBC has pledged S$2 million (US$1.49 million) towards the initiative. This includes funding for home-based counselling for seniors from underprivileged backgrounds and workshops promoting digital banking literacy among the elderly.
According to the bank, the initiative is intended to empower seniors to age well in place, especially within integrated communities like Bukit Canberra.
The event drew close to 1,000 attendees, offering the new PAP hopefuls a platform to connect with the public for the first time in a potential political capacity.
Both Lam and Ng stated that while they do not currently reside in Sembawang, they are committed to building relationships with residents and contributing meaningfully to the community.
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