GE2025: PAR introduces two new faces among four more potential candidates

SINGAPORE: The People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR) introduced four additional prospective candidates on 20 April 2025 for the upcoming General Election, including two who will be making their electoral debut. The new faces are Sarina Abu Hassan, a nurse at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, and Nadarajan Selvamani, who runs a private school. They were presented during a walkabout at Jalan Batu Market and Food Centre, located in Mountbatten Single Member Constituency (SMC). PAR secretary-general Lim Tean welcomed them into the fold, saying the two candidates “couldn’t have chosen a better party to come to”. Also introduced were veteran campaigners Kumar Appavoo and Prabu Ramachandran, although Lim noted that the final line-up of constituencies is still pending confirmation. Singaporeans will head to the polls on 3 May, with Nomination Day set for Wednesday.

Sarina Abu Hassan: Veteran Nurse with a Focus on Livelihood and Healthcare

Sarina, 54, has been in the nursing profession for 35 years and has previously done political work with other parties. According to her biography provided by PAR, she is currently pursuing a diploma in nursing and is a mother of four. She said she intends to focus her campaign on job security, sustainability, and the livelihood of Singaporeans, particularly in relation to the healthcare system and initiatives such as free food for schoolchildren. “I hope I can make a difference,” she said. “I hope that I can reach out and impart my knowledge and skills, with the experience I’ve gathered over the years with other political parties.” She added that she did not want to “miss this opportunity to stand as a candidate”.

Nadarajan Selvamani: Educator and Musician Championing Housing and Education

Nadarajan, 59, brings over two decades of experience in the education industry, having previously worked in the marine sector for eight years. He is also a musician and has supported the Peoples Voice (PV) party in the past, assisting at polling stations and during election campaigns. “They had enough candidates at that time. So now I wanted to give it a shot—maybe to enhance or help them, further support them,” he told reporters. Nadarajan said he was drawn to PAR’s causes and wants to focus on housing issues and the push for free education. If elected, he said he hopes to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to 5 per cent.

Returning Candidates: Prabu Ramachandran and Kumar Appavoo

Prabu, 37, a commercial banker, previously contested under the Reform Party (RP) and later with the Peoples Voice. In the 2020 General Election, he was part of the PV team that contested in Pasir Ris–Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and garnered 12.17 per cent of the vote in a three-cornered fight. The People’s Action Party (PAP), led by then-Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, won the ward with 64.16 per cent of the vote, while the Singapore Democratic Alliance took 23.67 per cent. Prabu emphasised the importance of having alternative voices in Parliament. “It is responsible to vote for a plurality of voices in Parliament. Our country’s structure allows us to hold the government accountable during the campaign period, but if we are not elected, we cannot do so throughout the next five years.” Businessman Kumar Appavoo is also no stranger to elections. He previously contested in West Coast GRC under RP in 2011, and in Radin Mas SMC in both 2015 and 2020 under RP’s banner, losing all three attempts. He advocates for a reduction in the cost of living and questioned whether the GST could be reduced to as low as 1 per cent.

PAR to Contest 7 Constituencies in GE2025

On Friday, PAR announced it will field 14 candidates across seven constituencies: Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar GRCs, and Mountbatten, Potong Pasir, Queenstown, Radin Mas, and Yio Chu Kang SMCs. It will not contest Marymount, Jalan Kayu, and Kebun Baru SMCs. Lim said this decision was made “after careful deliberation and also taking into account the interest of the other parties and their movements”. PAR, a coalition of RP, PV, and the Democratic Progressive Party, has not yet released its full manifesto. However, Lim said the alliance would focus on five key issues for GE2025: the cost of living, affordability of public housing, job insecurity, institutional reforms, and “taking back our Singapore identity and nation”, a point he linked to immigration concerns.