GE2025: Faishal Ibrahim to helm Kembangan area of Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC for PAP

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Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng mingling with residents at the family carnival organised by Eunos Residents’ Network on April 12.

Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim (left) and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng mingling with residents at a carnival organised by Eunos Village Residents’ Network on April 12.

ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

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SINGAPORE – Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim will helm the Kembangan area of the Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC for the PAP at the upcoming election, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng.

Dr Tan, who is anchor minister for Marine Parade GRC, was speaking to the media at a community brunch event at Koon Seng Park on April 12, where he told residents about plans to upgrade a private estate in Joo Chiat.

The Kembangan area is part of the current Kembangan-Chai Chee ward of Marine Parade GRC, which was helmed by former Speaker of Parliament and then Marine Parade GRC MP Tan Chuan-Jin. The Housing Board estates in Chai Chee will be carved out and absorbed into East Coast GRC, based on the latest electoral boundaries.

Mr Tan resigned in July 2023 over an extramarital affair with then Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui.

Associate Professor Faishal announced on April 11 that he will leave Nee Soon GRC to

join the PAP team in the newly renamed Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC

in the upcoming polls.

Prof Faishal said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had asked him to make the move, and he has agreed.

Dr Tan said on April 12: “Prof Faishal is homecoming. We really welcome him home, back to Marine Parade GRC itself.

“And I think it’s an excellent and a very welcoming sort of return for him to help us with Kembangan itself, and anchoring Kembangan.”

Prof Faishal, 56, entered politics in 2006 as part of the team for Marine Parade GRC, before he joined Nee Soon GRC in 2011.

He said on April 12: “It’s been a pleasant homecoming, and I’ve been walking the ground in Kembangan as well as Ubi. Many residents recognised me and shared with me their first experience when they met me in 2006 and how things have changed.”

He was speaking to the media at a carnival organised by Eunos Village Residents’ Network held at Eunos Court. He took questions alongside Dr Tan, South East District Mayor and Marine Parade GRC MP Fahmi Aliman, and PAP new face Diana Pang.

About 1,000 residents attended the carnival, which featured food and games.

Prof Faishal said having been in politics for some time and having worked in six ministries, “people recognise you and know what you do, not (just) in Parliament, but also in the different aspects of developing Singapore”.

Asked if he had expected to move from Nee Soon GRC to Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, Prof Faishal said he did not. But when he was asked to return, it was easy as he has been working with Dr Tan, Mr Fahmi and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong.

He said: “So it helps me to settle in easily with the team.”

Prof Faishal is the lead adviser to Wisma Geylang Serai, the cultural heritage integrated hub that falls within Marine Parade GRC.

Dr Tan was also asked at Koon Seng Park earlier in the day what Prof Faishal moving into the GRC would mean for Mr Fahmi, with two minority candidates on the team.

At least one candidate in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC

must be from the Malay community.

“As far as the line-up of the other candidates (goes), I think you will see in the ensuing days,” he said.

Dr Tan added that the rest of the PAP’s Marine Parade-Braddell Heights slate is not confirmed, adding that new faces such as Ms Pang are being given exposure to different areas.

On whether he will contest in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC in the upcoming election, Mr Fahmi said it was up to PM Wong.

Meanwhile, Ms Pang said she hopes to support young families and “sandwiched” caregivers who look after children, their parents and other relatives.

“As a young mother myself and a working mum, I understand the issues that young families are having,” she said.

Ms Pang, who was

first introduced to The Straits Times during a walkabout on March 30

, is a business development director with 19 years of experience in audit, tax and business advisory.

Ms Pang, 51, chairs the Fengshan Women’s Executive Committee and the People’s Association Women’s Integration Network (WIN) Council. She leads initiatives such as the WIN Caregivers Network.

Dr Tan said: “Today, it is really about the exposure. In time to come, when the slate of candidates is firmly lined up, we will, of course, announce it to you at the first port of call, the first available opportunity.”

A lot will depend on what happens in the run-up to the election, he said.

“Right up to the final lap… we are still trying to look and see the contributions and also the chemistry, the building of the bonds with all of our residents,” he added.

The group representation constituency’s incumbent MPs are Dr Tan (Marine Parade), Mr Fahmi (Geylang Serai), Mr Tong (Joo Chiat), and Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng (Braddell Heights).

South East District Mayor Mohd Fahmi Aliman (right), MP for Marine Parade GRC, and PAP new face Diana Pang mingling with residents at a carnival organised by Eunos Village Residents’ Network on April 12.

ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

With the electoral boundaries redrawn for the polls, the Joo Chiat ward will be carved out and absorbed into East Coast GRC, while the MacPherson single seat will move into Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.

When asked at a separate April 12 event if she will be running in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling said: “I would want to fight for the chance to continue to be with the people of MacPherson, to represent them, to be their voice, and to be here to walk that journey with them.”

  • Additional reporting by Esther Loi

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