For the first time in 14 years, there is an uncontested seat in a general election:
The People’s Action Party (PAP) team for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights Group Representation Constituency (GRC) has been elected after the Workers’ Party (WP), to many people’s surprise, chose not to file nomination papers.
PAP Team Wins Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC Unopposed as Workers’ Party Withdraws from Contest
The walkover came as a surprise. The Workers’ Party had contested Marine Parade GRC in both 2015 and 2020, losing to PAP each time. In 2020, PAP won with 57.76 per cent of the vote, down from 64.07 per cent in 2015. On Nomination Day, several WP supporters and party member Jeraldine Phneah were seen in the area, but no WP candidates submitted nomination papers.
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WP chief Pritam Singh later clarified that though it was a tough decision for the party, they ultimately decided to give up on Marine Parade-Braddell Heights to pursue the best possible chance of electoral success. Rather than a large number of constituencies, they are prioritising a select number instead.
He did, however, add that there are plans for the party to restart its approach towards Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC after GE2025.
The five-member PAP team that was elected consists of Seah Kian Peng, Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Tin Pei Ling, Diana Pang, and Goh Pei Ming.
Seah and Tin are incumbent Members of Parliament. Faishal Ibrahim served as Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development before the election. Diana Pang and Goh Pei Ming are new faces in Parliament.
New Constituency
Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC is a new constituency created for the 2025 election. It absorbed the whole of MacPherson Single Member Constituency (SMC), parts of Potong Pasir SMC, and a polling district from Mountbatten SMC. The Chai Chee and Siglap estates, previously part of Marine Parade GRC, were moved to East Coast GRC. The new GRC has an electorate of 131,493.
The PAP team saw a last-minute change. Former Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, who had led the team before Parliament was dissolved, was replaced by Goh Pei Ming, a former army general. Dr Tan was later spotted at the nomination centre for Choa Chu Kang GRC.
Tan Chuan-Jin, who led the PAP team to victory in Marine Parade GRC in 2020, resigned in 2023 after an extramarital affair. He had previously served as Speaker of Parliament and Minister for Social and Family Development.
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The last walkover in a general election occurred in 2011, when the PAP team led by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew won Tanjong Pagar GRC unopposed. The 2025 walkover at Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC marks the end of a 14-year streak without uncontested seats in Singapore’s general elections.
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