The Workers’ Party (WP) is expected to field its largest-ever pool of first-time candidates in the upcoming General Election, which is expected to be held in May 2025.
Political observers suggest the WP may field over 30 candidates in the upcoming election, including seven incumbent MPs. This would mark a significant increase from the 21 candidates in the previous election, with at least 17 new faces, surpassing the record of 16 newcomers in 2011 and 2015, and nearly doubling the nine fielded in 2020.
Among the 14 potential debutants reported by media and featured on social media so far are experienced professionals from diverse sectors, including mental health, law, technology, and finance. They include:
- Ong Lue Ping, 47
- Michael Thng, 37
- Jimmy Tan, 53
- Jasper Kuan, 46
- Andre Low, 33
- Jackson Au, 35
- Kenneth Tiong, 36
- Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik, 35
- Afifah Khalid,42
- Harpreet Singh, 59
- Ang Boon Yaw, 42
- Tan Kong Soon, 48
- Daniel Lee, 47
- Jeraldine Phneah, 34
Ong Lue Ping and Michael Thng touted as key additions to WP’s roster for GE2025
Ong is a senior principal clinical psychologist formerly with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), and Thng, a Harvard Kennedy School graduate and start-up co-founder. Both have been widely touted as “star catches” for WP.
According to a report by The Straits Times (ST), Ong was first seen on the ground in the newly carved Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in February. He was accompanied by three-time WP candidate and former Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong.
Though Ong initially wore a plain light-blue polo shirt without party insignia, a strong indication of his candidacy came on 29 March, when he appeared at WP’s Geylang Road headquarters for a photo session involving prospective candidates.
ST reported that Ong has been quietly volunteering with WP in recent months, including as a case writer for Hougang MP Dennis Tan.
According to Ong’s LinkedIn profile, he was previously director of allied health at IMH from 2022 to 2024 and held the position of head of psychology for six years prior.
Ong also served as a member of COMPASS, a national advisory council under the Ministry of Education, until December 2024.
Ong’s background reflects WP’s strategy of fielding candidates with both professional experience and civic involvement.
Separately, Thng was reportedly seen outside WP headquarters on 28 March with potential team members for Tampines GRC.
These include industrial equipment manager Jimmy Tan; payments specialist Jasper Kuan; and former Boston Consulting Group (BCG) consultant Andre Low.
Thng is expected to stand in the five-member Tampines GRC, which WP is contesting for the first time. His candidacy follows a thorough vetting process, as reported by ST.
A graduate of New York University in economics and international business, Thng went on to complete a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School.
He co-founded Showdrop, a product sampling start-up, and served as editor-in-chief of the Singapore Policy Journal during his time at Harvard.
Candidate slate signals WP’s focus on blending technocratic expertise with grassroots engagement
Other potential new candidates include Low, who started his career in law at Drew & Napier before joining BCG.
He left the consultancy in February and now works as a product manager in a global fintech firm. Low is part of WP’s media team and an aide to MP Louis Chua.
Tiong is expected to stand in Aljunied GRC and has been coordinating Meet-the-People Sessions in the Serangoon ward since 2024.
Tiong, formerly a head quantitative developer at Brahman Capital, now directs tech start-up Sensemake AI.
In a Facebook post on 26 March, he expressed his intention to take a more active role in shaping Singapore’s political conversation.
Muhaimin, currently a senior property manager at Aljunied-Hougang Town Council, has been participating in Sengkang GRC events.
He is expected to stand in Compassvale ward, previously held by former MP Raeesah Khan.
Afifah Khalid, an associate director in the financial services industry, is expected to contest Tampines GRC, adding gender diversity to WP’s line-up.
She and Andre Low were featured in a group photo with WP veteran Low Thia Khiang during a walkabout in Tampines in November 2024.
Speculation on WP fielding female candidate in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights
Also in the running is Harpreet Singh, 59, a senior counsel and managing partner of Audent Chambers. Singh was first seen in Marine Parade GRC in 2023.
While he has been walking the ground with other WP members in the renamed Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, party insiders suggest he may be fielded elsewhere.
Singh has been joined on the ground by IT professional Nathaniel Koh, 41, and lawyer Fadli Fawzi, 44. Both are expected to make their second electoral attempt in the constituency.
Separately, an earlier report on Jeraldine Phneah, an account director at the market intelligence platform AlphaSense, highlighted her high-profile presence in the ward, fueling speculation about her potential candidacy alongside Singh, Koh, and Fawzi.
Jackson Au, also expected to stand in MP-Braddell Heights, works as a senior corporate affairs manager with the London Stock Exchange Group.
He has been volunteering with WP since 2022 and previously served as legislative assistant to former MP Leon Perera.
Potential WP candidates in East Coast GRC and Punggol GRC
Another legally trained candidate is Ang Boon Yaw from Yeo Marini Law Corporation.
Ang has been active in East Coast GRC alongside two-time candidate Kenneth Foo and researcher Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim.
He has been volunteering with WP since 2022 and previously served as legislative assistant to former MP Leon Perera.
The Punggol team is likely to include Daniel Lee, a self-employed corporate trainer, who was seen canvassing alongside Ong earlier this year.
Veteran party member Tan Kong Soon is another expected first-time candidate. Currently the deputy organising secretary of WP, Tan has been with the party since 2007.
He formerly served as legislative assistant to Low Thia Khiang and has been observed working the ground in Punggol GRC.
WP’s “Eastfront” strategy aims to consolidate eastern strongholds and counter electoral boundary shifts
WP is expected to contest at least eight constituencies in the upcoming GE, including Aljunied, Sengkang, East Coast, MP-Braddell Heights, Tampines, Punggol GRCs, and the single seats of Hougang and Tampines Changkat.
This expanded presence in Tampines GRC is part of WP’s “Eastfront” strategy to strengthen its position in eastern Singapore.
By contesting neighbouring wards, the party aims to minimise the impact of electoral boundary changes and maintain regional influence.
Although the final candidate line-up will be confirmed on Nomination Day, these developments signal a strategic shift as the opposition party seeks to broaden its national presence.
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