SINGAPORE: After four days straight of introducing new candidates for The Workers’ Party (WP) for the May 3 polls, WP chair Sylvia Lim took a break and had lunch with her husband, former national footballer Quah Kim Song, at Kovan Market & Food Centre.
“Candidate intro press conferences done. Catching up with my designated driver over kway chap. #Kovan209,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
Ms Lim, 60, was still in her WP colors, wearing a light blue blouse over black pants, while Mr Quah, 72, was dressed somewhat more casually. Both were wearing big smiles, however.
The couple have been together for over a decade and tied the knot on Jan 4 at the Church of St Mary of the Angels, surrounded by around 40 family members. They went for a short honeymoon in Taiwan last month after the Budget debates wrapped up.
From Apr 17 to 20, the WP introduced 14 first-timer candidates in four press conferences: Abdul Muhaimin, Alexis Dang, Alia Mattar, Andre Low, Eileen Chong, Harpreet Singh, Jackson Au, Jasper Kuan, Jimmy Tan, Kenneth Tiong, Michael Thng, Ong Lue Ping, Paris V, and Sufyan Mikhail Putra.
The online response to the candidates has been positive, with many Singaporeans saying they are impressed with their credentials. Among the standouts are Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh, former diplomat Eileen Chong, ex-Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) legal counsel Alia Mattar, former Institute of Mental Health (IMH) director Ong Lue Ping, and Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government graduate Michael Thng.
The new candidates have also walked the ground with seasoned WP Members of Parliament (MPs) and members, who have also posted about their personal experiences with the newbies.
He Ting Ru (Sengkang Group Representation Constituency [GRC]) wrote about Mr Tiong in a social media post over the weekend, saying she was “proud” to see him as part of the WP Aljunied team.
“Over the years, Kenneth and I have worked together on a number of projects. A thoughtful, energetic member of our party, Kenneth is a young father who has had a career in finance and technology. He joins the Aljunied slate with big ideas for the direction of Singapore’s economy, but just as importantly, he listens hard and cares deeply about the community he serves in,” she noted.
On the first day the candidates were introduced, she had this to say about Mr Muhaimin, “I first got to know Min well while he was volunteering with us during the GE2020 campaign, and he impressed us with his maturity, technical knowledge, and reliability. He has been involved in various ground activities through the years, and has been the team lead for #Compassvale division since 2023.”
Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) wrote about Mr Au, saying that he had hoped to post a photo of them together, but could not find one.
“Not surprising though, as he has always been one who diligently works in the background, preferring to be the one taking the photo than be in the photo, for example!”
Mr Chua also called Mr Au “a key pillar of The WP Media Team. Especially during the period when I was the acting Media Head, it was Jackson who #Step(ped)Up and did much of the heavy lifting, given his expertise in strategic communications. Excited for you my friend!”
As for Ms Sylvia Lim, a number of Instagram users commented on the picture she put up of herself with her “driver,” whom they recalled as their idol many years ago.
“Damn cool u two!” wrote one, while another noted, “You have a cool driver! Wishing you all the best in the GE!” /TISG
Read also: Pritam Singh calls Sylvia Lim’s husband, Quah Kim Song, ‘a Singapore legend’