The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), on 6 April 2025, introduced its five-member slate for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), marking the party’s renewed effort to contest in the northern Singapore ward.
This announcement follows SDP’s declared “northern strategy” for the 2025 General Election, aimed at contesting multiple seats in Singapore’s north.
The Sembawang GRC team includes party vice-chairman Bryan Lim, treasurer Surayah Akbar, deputy head of policy James Gomez, and members Alfred Tan and Damanhuri Abas.
The line-up was introduced by SDP chairman Professor Paul Tambyah during a walkabout at Kampung Admiralty in Woodlands Drive.
During the event, the SDP team engaged with residents and distributed flyers.
SDP last contested Sembawang GRC in the 2011 General Election, where it garnered 36.1 per cent of the vote against the People’s Action Party (PAP).
Prior to that, in 2006, SDP fielded a team in the same constituency and received 23.3 per cent of the votes.
The party did not contest the GRC in 2015 and 2020, when the National Solidarity Party stepped in but lost both times.
In the 2020 General Election, the PAP team led by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung secured 67.29 per cent of the votes, defeating the NSP.
Currently, Sembawang GRC is held by a five-member PAP team comprising Ong Ye Kung, Vikram Nair, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, Mariam Jaafar, and Poh Li San.
On 29 March 2025, Ong introduced two new faces expected to join the PAP slate in Sembawang GRC — Mr Ng Shi Xuan, director at Powermark Battery & Hardware, and Mr Gabriel Lam, COO of Shalom International Movers.
Sembawang GRC has an electorate of 133,919 for the upcoming General Election.
The newly formed Sembawang West Single Member Constituency (SMC), carved out from Sembawang GRC, will also be contested by the SDP.
SDP Secretary-General Dr Chee Soon Juan has confirmed that he will stand in Sembawang West SMC, which is among six new single-seat wards created for GE2025.
Professor Tambyah will be contesting in Bukit Panjang SMC once again, while the party also plans to compete in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.
Marsiling-Yew Tee is currently helmed by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, adding strategic importance to SDP’s decision to contest the constituency.
With this announcement, SDP becomes the first opposition party to declare a full slate of candidates for Sembawang GRC in GE2025.
A team from the National Solidarity Party (NSP) was also present at Kampung Admiralty during the SDP’s walkabout.
Speaking to The Online Citizen (TOC), NSP confirmed its intention to contest Sembawang GRC, raising the likelihood of a three-cornered fight in the upcoming General Election.
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