GE Newbies Watch: Former TV host, ex-NMP among fresh faces seen on the ground
Potential candidates who recently stepped down from their official posts were spotted at community events over the Hari Raya weekend.
New faces spotted on the ground ahead of GE2025: (Top row left to right) Dinesh Vasu Dash, Syed Harun Alhabsyi, Elmie Nekmat (all seen at PAP events); (Second row left to right) PAP's Hazlina Abdul Halim, WP's Jimmy Tan, PSP's Lawrence Pek. (Photos: LinkedIn, Â鶹, PAP, Facebook)
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SINGAPORE: Over the Hari Raya weekend, more fresh faces with potential political aspirations were seen engaging with residents across Singapore – a sign that preparations for the upcoming General Election are gaining pace.Â
The Elections Department announced last Thursday (Mar 27) that the election expense limit has been raised from S$4 to S$5 per voter. It also confirmed the designation of Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) where candidates from Malay, Indian or other minority communities are required.
In this fifth instalment of Â鶹's ongoing series on potential candidates, we spotlight several individuals who were seen engaging with voters across the island.
Dinesh Vasu Dash (PAP)
Just days after stepping down as CEO of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash was seen at a mosque visit on Monday (Mar 31) with People's Action Party (PAP) ministers and MPs.
He joined Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong at Al-Ansar Mosque in Chai Chee, according to the Straits Times.
AIC said that during his tenure, Mr Dinesh drove major initiatives such as the Healthier SG and Age Well SG programmes, and oversaw the integration of the Council for Third Age into AIC.
Prior to that, he was a group director at the Ministry of Health (MOH). The 50-year-old former civil servant received the Public Service Star (COVID-19) for leading Singapore's vaccination push during the pandemic.
Before joining MOH, Mr Dinesh was in the Singapore Armed Forces for more than 20 years.
Syed Harun Alhabsyi (PAP)
Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi, a psychiatrist and former Nominated Member of Parliament, has been increasingly visible in Nee Soon GRC, often appearing alongside Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam.
He was present with Nee Soon MPs when Mr Shanmugam gave media interviews last Thursday and on Monday. The minister told reporters that Dr Harun has been "walking the ground very actively".
Dr Harun said: “In recent weeks, I have been at Nee Soon to be able to see some of the challenges, as well as learn from minister, (Minister of State) Faishal as well as the other MPs on some of the issues in the community."
The 39-year-old is the medical director of The Starfish Clinic of Psychiatry & Mental Wellness. He stepped down from his NMP role in February, amid speculation about his candidacy under the PAP banner.
Elmie Nekmat (PAP)
Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, 42, was out and about in Sengkang GRC on Sunday to distribute teddy bears to residents at Rivervale Shores.
The branch chair for Sengkang Central is an associate professor of communications and new media in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the National University of Singapore.
He has been a PAP activist since 2016 and sits on a number of boards and councils, including the Singapore Sports Council, the National Library and the Media Literacy Council.
He is also an adviser to the Young PAP and assistant secretary in the PAP's Malay Affairs Bureau.
Dr Elmie and his Sengkang teammates have been walking the ground in the ward since 2022, and are seeking to regain the GRC from the Workers' Party.
Hazlina Abdul Halim (PAP)
Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim, 40, was recently seen in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC with Manpower Minister Tan See Leng and other MPs. She was also spotted on Monday with PAP ministers and MPs during a mosque visit in Chai Chee.
She has been helping out MP Tin Pei Ling in MacPherson SMC, a ward which has been subsumed into Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC after recent electoral boundary changes.
Mdm Hazlina, who spent 15 years in media and journalism, was a radio and TV presenter and news editor at Â鶹.Â
The former chief executive of Make-A-Wish Singapore was also the president of Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura (PPIS) or Singapore Muslim Women's Association from 2020 to 2024.
Jimmy Tan (WP)
Mr Tan is currently the legislative assistant of WP chief Pritam Singh.Â
He previously supported former WP candidates Nathaniel Koh and Fadli Fawzi in their outreach activities in Marine Parade GRC. Both Mr Koh and Mr Fadli were part of WP’s slate contesting the GRC at the last General Election.
The 53-year-old has been seen at several of the party’s walkabouts over the past year.Â
He has been spotted at WP's Hammer newsletter outreach activities in Tampines, alongside potential new faces such as Andre Low, amid speculation that the party will contest the constituency this election.Â
Based on his LinkedIn profile, Mr Tan is a sales manager at industrial equipment provider Immanuel Engineering.
Lawrence Pek (PSP)
Mr Pek, a business executive and former secretary-general of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation, has been actively engaging with residents under the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) banner.
On Mar 23, he was seen walking with PSP founder Dr Tan Cheng Bock at 505 Jurong West Market and Food Centre – an area now part of the new West Coast-Jurong West GRC.
He was also photographed handing out flyers at Plantation Plaza in Tengah, which is part of Choa Chu Kang GRC, on Mar 29. Mr Pek has said on his social media account that PSP has maintained a steady ground presence in Tengah for over a year.
On LinkedIn, he is listed as the CEO of Shenzhen Guard Technology, which produces radar sensors and Internet of Things routers, and the general manager of camera technology firm Bolin Technology.
