SINGAPORE: Dr Lam Pin Min is still on the ground at Sengkang, despite PAP’s loss during GE 2020. As the last of the ruling party’s original unelected representatives and branch chairmen in the ward, he often posts over social media about visits to Sengkang, amid speculation over the timing of the next election.
Observers expect Dr Lam to be among the PAP’s slate to wrest back Sengkang from the opposition, although it is unclear whether he will be joined by all of his 2020 general election teammates.
In one of his most recent Facebook posts, on Thursday (16 May), the politician subtly indicated his continued presence in the ward as he shared about his “favourite Bak Chor noodle at Huang Chao Noodle House at the new Buangkok Hawker Centre.”
“As a foodie and a lover of local hawker food, I would like to share some of the nice food stalls I visited in #SengkangGRC trying out my favourite hawker food… The thin noodle was served al dente soaked in vinegar and chilli sauce! Yummy,” wrote Dr Lam.
Earlier that day, he posted a video of having officially opened the NTUC FairPrice supermarket at Anchorvale Village with Group CEO Vipul Chawla.
@vpmlam Official opening of NTUC Fairprice supermarket at Anchorvake Village ! #TeamSengkang #SengkangGRC #forwardsingapore #StrongerTogether #TogetherWeCan
Dr Lam served as Senior Minister of State for Health from 2014 to 2017 and Senior Minister of State for Transport from 2017 to 2020 and was a Member of Parliament for 14 years, first at Ang Mo Kio GRC then Sengkang West SMC.
In 2020, along with Ng Chee Meng, the Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress; Amrin Amin, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health as well as Home Affairs; and Raymond Lye, a newcomer to politics, he was fielded at the then-newly created Sengkang GRC after the Sengkang West ward was absorbed into the group constituency.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) team was pitted against a relatively unknown Workers’ Party team, which, surprisingly bested the heavyweight ruling party team with a winning 52.12 per cent of the vote.
Perhaps the second time around will be the charm for Dr Lam. However, he and the PAP team may not find it an easy victory, as the WP team at Sengkang— He Ting Ru, Jamus Lim, and Louis Chua—appear to continue to enjoy popularity at the ward, despite the controversy that involved former MP Raeesah Khan, who stepped down in late 2021.
On March 27, Chan Chun Sing, who chairs the PAP HQ Executive Committee, issued a statement announcing that Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, Ms Theodora Lai, and Mr Ling Weihong would replace Mr Ng, Mr Amrin and Mr Lye to lead the party’s branches in Sengkang, leading to speculation that they would form the new PAP slate in the ward.
Dr Lam was also announced as the head of the PAP team at the ward, with Mr Ng staying on as adviser.
Last month, after an appearance at Bukit Batok together with PAP MP Murali Pillai, rumours circulated that the NTUC chief would contest at Jurong GRC at the next election. After all, a sizable gap was created after longtime Jurong MP Tharman Shanmugaratnam stepped down last year prior to mount a successful presidential bid.
Mr Ng brushed the rumours aside, telling The Straits Times, “I suggest that you don’t have to read too much into it at the moment.” /TISG
Read also: Jamus Lim indirectly calls out Lam Pin Min for giving out bursaries in his ward