By: Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss/
DITCHED. Copious promises were made by the People’s Action Party (PAP) to Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC (MPBH) constituents that Cabinet Minister Tan See Leng would lead their GRC team for GE 2025.
On Nomination Day, 23 April 2025, upon realising that the Workers Party (WP) would not be contesting at MPBH, the PAP made an on-the-spot decision to pull Dr Tan out of the MPBH team and to insert him into their team for Chua Chu Kang GRC (CCK). The PAP replaced Dr Tan’s seat in MPBH with Goh Pei Ming, a new face who only joined the PAP in April 2025.
That morning, Dr Tan was at Kong Hwa School, the nomination centre for MPBH, when he received the PAP’s directive to leave the MPBH team and to join the CCK team to replace DPM Gan Kim Yong as leader.
Dr Tan unceremoniously decamped and rushed himself to the nomination centre for CCK, Jurong Pioneer Junior College, 23 km away. During the 30 minute car ride, Dr Tan hurriedly read up on DPM Gan Kim Yong’s track record during his 14 years as a member of parliament at CCK. DPM Gan Kim Yong was deployed to defend Punggol GRC, contested by WP.
Following the sudden switch, MPBH ceased to have a Cabinet Minister to helm the GRC team, joining the ranks of Aljunied GRC and Sengkang GRC. The PAP team for each and every GRC is led by a Cabinet Minister, except for Aljunied GRC and Sengkang GRC, and now MPBH.
Why does PAP ensure that each PAP GRC team is helmed by a Cabinet Minister?
From pictures and messages, residents are given the impression that by electing the PAP GRC team comprising a Cabinet Minister, they will have the auspices and services of a high ranking official to look after their needs and to hear their citizenry concerns.
If provision of service and benefit to residents are the primary motives for fielding a Cabinet Minister to lead the GRC team, then it would not matter whether or not WP contests the GRC.
Or does PAP inserts a Cabinet Minister to block the entry of opposition members into Parliament? If so, then it makes sense that if WP decided not to contest at MPBH, it was no longer essential for MPBH to have a Cabinet Minister. Hence, Dr Tan was summarily taken out and deployed to shore up their defences elsewhere.
The PAP’s decision to pull Dr Tan, the anchor of their team for MPBH, upon realising that WP would not to contest at MPBH, shows that PAP’s priority is to serve their political dominance, even at the cost of reneging on their ardent promises of service and allegiance to MPBH constituents.
Under the ingenious GRC system, one Cabinet Minister can secure up to 5 (and previously, 6) parliamentary seats for the PAP at one go. PAP political newbies can hitch an easy ride on the coattails of a heavy-weight Cabinet Minister to enter Parliament.
Back in the day, opposition parties were too weak to muster the resources required to mount a plausible challenge for a GRC.
Once upon a time, GRCs were considered impregnable political fortresses, but no longer. As shown by the PAP loss of Aljunied GRC in GE 2011 and Sengkang GRC in GE 2020, the GRC system can operate to enable up to 5 opposition members to enter Parliament at one go.
The PAP’s decision to pull Dr Tan out of the MPBH was made last-minute, and made in reaction to WP’s move to give MPBH a miss.
Any sudden and reactionary decision is liable to risks and costs, and consequences and implications.
The PAP took that decision because they feared the greater grief of losing another GRC to the WP.
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Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss is a prominent lawyer, socio-political commentator and former opposition politician. She contested Mountbatten SMC in the 2011 and 2015 general elections. This opinion piece was first published on her Facebook page.