Reform Party (RP) and People’s Action Party (PAP) will go head-to-head again for the Radin Mas single member seat as it did in the 2015 General Elections (GE).
Previous RP candidate in GE 2015, oil and gas company director Kumar Appavoo, will be running against a new candidate from the PAP, National Trades Union Congress assistant secretary-general Melvin Yong, who used to be from Tanjong Pagar group representation constituency (GRC) in the GE 2015.
Sam Tan from PAP was the previous incumbent member of parliament (MP) for Radin Mas single-member constituency (SMC), where he won 77.3 per cent of the votes in 2015. He stepped down on 29 June to allow “younger persons to take over with fresh ideas to serve Singapore and Singaporeans,” he said.
RP will recontest in Ang Mo Kio GRC, led by secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam, and will be joined by party chairman Andy Zhu Lai Cheng, Charles Yeo Yao Hui, Soh Guan Soon and Noraini Yunus.
They will go up against PAP again, which will be headed by the party’s secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong, alongside Darryl David, Gan Thiam Poh, and two new candidates, Nadia Samdin and Ng Ling Ling.
During their Nomination Speech at Deyi Secondary School for Ang Mo Kio GRC on Tuesday afternoon (30 June), the Reform Party members stated that they ask for “accountability and transparency” in the government.
“The Reform Party had always stood for democratic accountability. We will forever oppose the values that PAP stands for ….. and cruelty to one’s fellow men and those who are below each other,” Charles Yeo said.
RP has previously announced its intention to contest in Yio Chu Kang SMC as well, but has pulled out on 30 June to give way to Progress Singapore Party (PSP), which will contest against PAP, so as to avoid a three-cornered fight. RP had also withdrawn from West Coast GRC last week so that PSP could contest against PAP as the only alternative party.