Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on 12 April 2025 that the People’s Action Party (PAP) will contest the Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) with the same team of four incumbents, marking a rare instance of electoral continuity amid a broader renewal of the party’s ranks.
Speaking at the PAP’s Limbang branch, Wong confirmed that he would lead the same team comprising himself, Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, North West District Mayor Alex Yam, and MP Hany Soh.
This continuity comes as the PAP prepares to unveil over 30 new candidates across the country in what Wong described as the party’s “largest slate of new faces in recent history”.
At the 2020 General Election, the PAP fielded 27 new candidates. The two elections prior saw 24 new faces each, according to data cited by Wong.
Wong has represented Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC since its formation in 2015. This will be his first general election leading the PAP as Secretary-General and Prime Minister, after succeeding Lee Hsien Loong in May 2024.
The announcement signals both stability and transformation within the PAP. While Wong affirmed his commitment to his longstanding ward, he underscored a broader strategy of leadership renewal across the party.
“We have an excellent team of MPs today,” he told media representatives, “but to serve Singaporeans better, I need to renew and refresh the PAP team, to bring in new blood, new ideas and new energy.”
While Wong declined to confirm the date of the next election, the rollout of candidate introductions and recent developments have led to widespread belief that the polls will be held in May 2025.
The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee released its report in March—a move that traditionally precedes a general election. The PAP began introducing candidates on 12 April, a timeline consistent with previous elections held in May.
Wong acknowledged this when he said, “The fact that we are starting to introduce our candidates means the General Election is approaching.”
The unchanged line-up in Marsiling-Yew Tee coincides with the electoral boundaries report, which did not alter the constituency’s borders.
Wong affirmed his decision to remain in the GRC, stating, “Where I stand, I think really doesn’t matter… But I’ve decided to stand here and remain here.”
He elaborated on the need for timely leadership renewal, noting that many Cabinet ministers are aged 60 and above. “Within my Cabinet, I’m one of the younger ones already, and we are the minority,” said Wong, 52.
He warned that delaying the introduction of new talent would create difficulties in the future: “Each time I fail to do so, it’s another five years… It will be slower to refresh and renew the team.”
Wong reaffirmed that senior leaders such as Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong will remain in Cabinet, while efforts are underway to refresh the party’s backbench and nurture future office holders.
In Marsiling-Yew Tee, two members of the current team – Wong and Yam – have served since the GRC’s inception. Zaqy, originally from Chua Chu Kang GRC, joined the team in 2020 after acting as a grassroots adviser from 2017. Soh also joined in 2020.
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), which contested the ward in 2020 and secured 36.82 per cent of the vote, has again declared its intent to stand in Marsiling-Yew Tee.
Wong recently launched the Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Five-Year Masterplan (2025–2030), citing long-term infrastructure projects such as new Downtown Line MRT stations, redevelopment of the Kranji racecourse, and enhancements to Woodlands Checkpoint as evidence of sustained local investment.
Candidate introductions will proceed “constituency by constituency”, a format Wong said proved effective in the 2015 General Election. “I quite liked that format… so we decided to try it this way this round,” he said.
While the next general election must legally be held by 23 November 2025, the pace and structure of recent announcements have strongly indicated that it will likely take place within the next few weeks.
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