GE2025: Cheryl Chan to retire from politics after two terms as PAP MP

People’s Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament Cheryl Chan has announced her retirement from politics after two terms in Parliament.

The 48-year-old made the announcement in a Facebook post on the morning of 21 April, 2025, stating her decision came after considerable thought.

“This decision was difficult for me and was made after careful consideration. It had been challenging since my father was ill in 2022. After his passing a year ago, I decided to give time to my family,” Chan wrote.

Currently serving in the five-member East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Chan did not indicate who would be succeeding her in the upcoming general election.

Outside politics, she holds the position of group chief strategy and sustainability officer at ST Engineering.

Chan entered politics in 2015 when she was fielded as a new face in the newly-formed single-member constituency (SMC) of Fengshan.

Her deployment surprised political observers, as it is uncommon for the PAP to introduce a new candidate in a seat it already holds.

She went on to win the seat with 57.5 per cent of the vote, defeating Workers’ Party (WP) candidate Dennis Tan, who later won Hougang SMC in the 2020 election.

In 2020, Fengshan was absorbed back into East Coast GRC. The PAP team, led by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, garnered 53.39 per cent of the vote, narrowly beating the WP team.

In her farewell note, Chan reflected on her personal and political journey, sharing how she had moved to Fengshan 26 years ago with her family.

“I liked it so much that a few years later I decided to help out at the community,” she wrote.

She recalled an evening after house visits when the then MP for Fengshan, Raymond Lim, asked if she would consider standing for election.

“I was stunned. I had never thought about entering politics. It was a huge honour for me that I would even be considered,” she said, adding that her parents had instilled in her the value of giving back.

Chan described her political journey as meaningful and enriching.

“It had been a meaningful journey, one that not only allowed me to give to others but also taught me life lessons that have made me an even better person today.”

She expressed gratitude to the residents of her constituency and others who supported her over the years.

“Fengshan will always be home to me and have that special place in my heart,” she concluded.

With Chan’s departure, East Coast GRC is poised for a tight electoral contest.

The WP is expected to return for a rematch, although both parties have yet to confirm their full line-ups.

On the PAP front, Hazlina Abdul Halim has been confirmed to replace Maliki Osman in the Siglap ward.

It is also expected that Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, will move from Marine Parade GRC to East Coast.

Uncertainty remains around whether Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat will stay on or also step down.

New face and former brigadier-general Goh Pei Ming has also been seen accompanying PAP MPs, suggesting a possible candidacy.

Meanwhile, the WP has not revealed its full team.

Kenneth Foo, a deputy director at the Singapore Cancer Society who contested in East Coast in 2020, was seen canvassing in Bedok South with lawyer Ang Boon Yaw.

Another past candidate, Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim, has also been active in the area.

The general election is expected to bring significant change, with around 20 PAP MPs retiring.

Among the notable exits is Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

Other MPs who have announced their retirement include Senior Minister of State Amy Khor, and backbenchers Chong Kee Hiong and Gan Thiam Poh.

First-term MPs Ng Ling Ling and Don Wee have also stated they will not be contesting.