SINGAPORE - The People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR) has introduced two new faces as its candidates for the upcoming general election on May 3.
They are Ms Sarina Abu Hassan, 54, a nurse at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, and Mr Nadarajan Selvamani, 59, the director of a private school.
PAR’s secretary-general Lim Tean introduced the candidates to the media during a walkabout at the Jalan Batu Market and Food Centre off Mountbatten Road on April 20.
“I will not tell you where they will be standing, because that is pending finalisation,” he said.
Ms Sarina has been in the nursing profession for 35 years. She said she joined PSP about five years ago and left to join PAR recently, as she is aligned with PAR’s values.
She hopes to campaign for a better healthcare system and free food for school-going children.
“I hope I can impart my knowledge and skills I have gathered over the years with other political parties,” she added.
Mr Selvamani, who prefers to be called Mani, has been volunteering with Peoples Voice (PV) since its inception in 2018.
He had previously played a supporting role at polling stations and helping out with election campaigning.
“They had enough candidates at the time. Now, I want to give it a shot, to enhance or help (PAR),” he said.
He wants to push for better housing policies and free education in Singapore.
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Mr Lim also introduced businessman Kumar Appavoo, 56, and commercial banker Prabu Ramachandran, 36, as candidates.
Mr Kumar first contested West Coast GRC in the 2011 General Election as a candidate for the Reform Party (RP).
He was formerly RP’s treasurer, and a member of Singapore People’s Party’s central executive committee before joining PAR.
Mr Prabu joined RP in 2011, then joined PV in 2018.
He contested Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC in the 2020 General Election.
PAR is an alliance of three parties – PV, RP and the Democratic Progressive Party. The People’s Power Party had withdrawn in February over irreconcilable strategic differences.
Mr Lim had said on April 18 they planned to field 14 candidates in the upcoming election.
Nine are expected to stand in Jalan Besar GRC and Tanjong Pagar GRC, with five to contest the single seats of Potong Pasir, Mountbatten, Radin Mas, Queenstown and Yio Chu Kang.
While Mr Lim declined to confirm where the candidates he introduced on April 20 will be standing, The Straits Times understands Ms Sarina could be fielded in Mountbatten SMC.
The PAP is fielding new face Gho Sze Kee, 46, in the single-member constituency.
She will replace four-term MP Lim Biow Chuan.
Mr Lim Tean said Ms Gho, a maritime lawyer, was an unknown quantity.
He said: “She has been parachuted into Mountbatten very late in the day, and I don’t think she really knows the ground.”
Mr Jeremy Tan, 34, who claims to be Singapore’s first “bitcoin candidate”, has said he intends to contest Mountbatten SMC as an independent candidate.
Asked about Mr Tan, Mr Lim said independent candidates do not stand a chance of being elected.
“If Jeremy Tan is serious, I think he should join a political party, and he should contest under the banner of a political party.”
Correction note: The spelling of Mr Nadarajan Selvamani’s name has been updated in this version of the story.
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