GE2025: Jurong Central SMC contest set between PAP’s Xie Yao Quan and RDU’s Kala Manickam

SINGAPORE: A straight contest is set in Jurong Central Single Member Constituency (SMC), with both the People’s Action Party (PAP) and Red Dot United (RDU) confirming their candidates following the close of nominations on Wednesday (23 April).

PAP is fielding 40-year-old Xie Yao Quan, who previously served as the Member of Parliament for the Jurong Central division under Jurong GRC.

Elected in 2020, Xie has also chaired the Jurong-Clementi Town Council for the past five years.

Challenging him is 52-year-old Kala Manickam from RDU, a single mother with a background in continuing education and training.

She previously contested in Nee Soon GRC under the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) during the 2020 General Election, but her membership was revoked in December that same year.

She subsequently filed a lawsuit against the party in 2021.

Manickam had initially been expected to stand in Jalan Kayu SMC.

On 21 March 2025, RDU Secretary-General Ravi Philemon announced her appointment as the party’s groundwork leader for that ward during a walkabout in Fernvale—an area now part of the newly formed Jalan Kayu SMC, previously under Ang Mo Kio GRC.

However, on Nomination Day, she arrived with the RDU team for Jurong East-Bukit Batok, confirming her candidacy in Jurong Central instead.

In her speech, Manickam raised issues such as housing affordability and job security, declaring, “We must feel like first-class citizens in our own country. It's the only hope we have.”

Addressing her switch in constituencies, she explained that opposition parties were coordinating to avoid three-cornered fights.

“The principle is we – all opposition – are working together, and in no way we want to go and fight with each other.”

Despite having done one-and-a-half months of groundwork in Jalan Kayu, she added, “Our groundwork will go to the Workers' Party.”

Meanwhile, Xie reflected on his tenure in Jurong Central, calling it “the greatest honour” of his life.

He appealed to voters, saying, “I ask for your support to let me serve you again for the next five years. Together, let's make Jurong Central better and better.”

Jurong Central SMC, home to 29,620 voters, is one of six new single-seat constituencies created in the latest review of Singapore’s electoral boundaries.

It was carved out from parts of Jurong GRC and Yuhua SMC, as part of a broader effort to ensure a consistent MP-to-voter ratio.