Is Abdul Muhaimin taking the Raeesah Khan slot in Sengkang?

SINGAPORE: In the run-up to the next General Election, which must be held before Nov 23, speculation abounds about the likely new candidates, especially of the People’s Action Party (PAP), the Workers’ Party (WP) and the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).

So-called “new faces” have graced various news reports, including a Feb 21 (Friday) CNA piece about who will replace former WP MP Raeesah Khan.

The report said there is growing speculation that Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik “could fill the spot in Sengkang GRC left vacant since Ms Raeesah Khan resigned as MP in late 2021”.

Mr Abdul Muhaimin may be joining the current WP MPs He Ting Ru, Jamus Lim, and Louis Chua because at least one of the MPs representing a GRC needs to belong to a minority racial community. The candidate must be from either the Malay or other minority communities.

As mentioned by CNA, Mr Abdul Muhaimin has been seen together with Assoc Prof Lim and Mr Chua in WP activities recently. The piece added that he has also been present on the ground at Sengkang since 2023. However, his history with the WP dates back even further. According to his LinkedIn page, he has been with the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) for almost ten years, and at present, is a senior property manager for AHTC.

Earlier, he was a platoon commander with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Mr Abdul Muhaimin graduated from Nanyang Technological University, where he studied mechanical engineering.

On Facebook earlier this week, he shared a post from The Workers’ Party that appears to have become a rallying cry of sorts, “StepUP,” based on remarks from WP chief Pritam Singh.

The four-seater Sengkang GRC was created during the last general election. It comprises the former Punggol East SMC, Sengkang West SMC, and the Sengkang Central ward of the Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC.

In 2020, the Workers’ Party team of newbies pulled off an unexpected victory in Sengkang, defeating a formidable PAP slate that included the NTUC Secretary-General, a Senior Minister of State, and a Senior Parliamentary Secretary.

The Workers’ Party secured 52.12% of the vote in Sengkang, the second GRC it won. This contributed to Mr Singh’s appointment as Singapore’s first official Opposition leader after the WP won 11 seats. /TISG

Read also: New faces: Here’s who may be contesting from the WP, PSP & PAP for GE2025