New grassroots leader emerges in West Coast GRC as election speculation grows

SINGAPORE: A new figure in West Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Valerie Lee, has drawn attention following her involvement in grassroots activities.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, Lee appeared alongside National Development Minister Desmond Lee and MP Foo Mee Har during a visit to the constituency and has expressed an open attitude toward standing in the next General Election.

Lee, 38, is currently Head of Corporate Affairs for Singapore and Southeast Asia at Sembcorp Industries, a company in which the majority stake is owned by Temasek.

She was previously active in Pioneer constituency before transitioning about a year ago to Foo Mee Har’s division in Ayer Rajah-Yuhua within West Coast GRC.

Her recent activities include assisting residents with appeals and co-leading a team organising free legal seminars.

During an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Lee remarked that she is open to serving the community in any capacity, saying, “I will serve in any way needed, even moving chairs.”

While this hints at her potential as a candidate, Lee stated she is one of several volunteers involved in constituency activities.

Foo Mee Har praised Lee’s contributions but noted that candidacies are decided by the People’s Action Party (PAP).

“We have over 50 volunteers serving residents,” Foo said, adding that rotation allows volunteers to learn best practices from one another.

Lee’s active involvement in community service dates back five years.

Previously, she was the Chairperson of the Pioneer Community Club Management Committee, for which she received the Public Service Medal in 2023.

She now serves as Vice-Chairperson of the same committee and holds leadership roles within the Ayer Rajah-Yuhua Citizens’ Consultative Committee and West Coast Town Council. She is also a member of the PAP Women’s Wing Executive Committee.

Her professional background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan (2008) and a Master’s in Engineering Management from Duke University.

She has primarily worked in the energy sector.

Another Potential Candidate

The next General Election must be held by November 2025.

West Coast GRC currently has a vacancy following the resignation of former Transport Minister S Iswaran in January 2024 due to corruption charges.

It has also been reported that Ms Chua Wei-Shan, Organising Secretary of the Young PAP, has maintained an active public presence alongside Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development, during the party’s walkabouts in West Coast.

Ms Chua, a PAP member of the West Coast division, was featured at the November 2023 PAP Convention.

New faces who speak at PAP conventions often go on to become potential candidates for the ruling party in the General Election.

According to Ms Chua’s LinkedIn profile, she is the Executive Director at BX Creatives, a company specializing in product design, manufacturing, and sourcing.

PAP Retains West Coast GRC with Narrow Win in GE 2020

During the last election in 2020, the PAP narrowly retained the five-member GRC with 51.69% of the vote against the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).

This slim margin led to PSP securing two Non-Constituency Member of Parliament seats, filled by Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa.

The GRC’s racial representation requirements mandate at least one minority candidate, but no new minority individuals have been introduced for the area.

Uncertainty remains over whether the GRC will be redrawn or whether a current member will step down, but Lee’s growing presence signals potential change as the PAP prepares for the upcoming election.