SINGAPORE: People’s Action Party (PAP) new face Melissa Tan continues to make appearances at East Coast GRC grassroots events, fuelling speculation about her potential candidacy in the upcoming general election. Last weekend, she participated in a Chingay event alongside Members of Parliament (MPs) from East Coast GRC.
East Coast GRC is presently represented in Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jessica Tan Soon Neo and constituency chair Cheryl Chan Wei Ling.
Ms Tan was with the MPs throughout the event. She boarded the Chingay float with the MPs and waved to the public. She also squatted in a prominent position next to Mr Heng when taking photos with the decorations at the event.
Ms Tan, 46, is the CEO of a high-tech waste management and recycling company, Wah & Hua Pte Ltd. Her prominence in the sector has even earned her the nickname “Singapore’s garbage queen” in some media reports.
Ms Tan is being touted as one of the new faces that could be fielded at East Coast GRC in the upcoming general election this year, after she was spotted shadowing Mr Heng in several outreach events. Last December, she took part in a walkabout with Mr Heng. A month later, she was seen in photos on social media donning a T-shirt with the PAP logo and East Coast GRC logo as she visited residents with another East Coast GRC MP.
Channel 8 reported that patrons at Fengshan Market and Food Centre in East Coast GRC had taken notice of Ms Tan’s frequent visits in recent weeks, with some residents saying they had regularly encountered her in the ward.
With the general election on the horizon, Ms Tan’s growing visibility suggests she may appear on polling ballots. However, the final candidate lineup will only be confirmed on Nomination Day.