GE2025: People's Alliance for Reform will field 14 candidates in 7 constituencies, introduces new face in Queenstown SMC

SINGAPORE: The People's Alliance for Reform (PAR) will field 14 candidates in seven constituencies in the upcoming General Election, secretary-general Lim Tean said on Friday (Apr 18).

These are Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs), and Mountbatten, Potong Pasir, Queenstown, Radin Mas and Yio Chu Kang Single Member Constituencies (SMCs).

The PAR will not run in Marymount, Jalan Kayu and Kebun Baru SMCs, Mr Lim said. This was "after careful deliberation and also taking into account the interest of the other parties and their movements". 

Red Dot United (RDU) has announced plans to contest Jalan Kayu, while the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has said that it will contest Kebun Baru and Marymount.

Mr Lim also introduced the PAR's potential candidate for Queenstown SMC, and another prospective candidate in its slate of 14. Nomination Day is on Apr 23 and Polling Day is on May 3.

MAHABOOB BAATSHA

Mr Mahaboob Baatsha, 57, will make his electoral debut by running in Queenstown SMC. He is the treasurer of the Reform Party (RP), one of the three constituent parties in the PAR. The other two are Peoples Voice (PV) and the Democratic Progressive Party. 

Mr Baatsha is a director in an oil and gas firm who has lived in Queenstown for more than 30 years.

He spoke about the rental flats in the neighbourhood, saying that "a lot of people can't move to the next stage from the rental blocks" and that he hoped to help them find jobs if elected.

Mr Baatsha added that he has been walking in the area and distributing food to rental block residents, and is "very familiar" with Queenstown SMC.

Another of the PAR's prospective candidates, early childhood educator Vigneswari V Ramachandran, 43, was also introduced on Friday.

If nominated, this will be Ms Vigneswari's third election.

She was fielded with an RP team in Ang Mo Kio GRC in GE2011, losing with 30.67 per cent of the vote against the People's Action Party (PAP).

She ran again in GE2020 as part of PV's team in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, losing with 12.17 per cent of the vote in a three-way contest with the PAP and the Singapore Democratic Alliance.

Ms Vigneswari said that in 2020, she also walked the ground in Jalan Besar GRC and used to live in the constituency.

"I hope she will have the chance to run in Jalan Besar," said Mr Lim.

Ms Vigneswari is pursuing a master's degree in inclusive and special needs education, and said she would advocate for these issues if elected.

"The common argument is that we don't have funds to cater to special needs because they do not fall under the economies of scale or ... they don't have return on investment," she said.

The PAR's proposal for free education for all Singaporean children would benefit this group, she said. 

Ms Vigneswari also said she would leave her job and serve the public full-time if elected.

PAR'S MANIFESTO, TRUMP TARIFFS

Mr Lim said the PAR will focus on five issues for GE2025: The cost of living, the affordability of public housing, job insecurity, "institutional reforms" and "taking back our Singapore identity and nation", which he linked to immigration.

He added that the alliance would elaborate on these issues in its election manifesto, which will be released before Nomination Day.

The manifesto will also show how PAR intends to finance free education up to university, free school meals and free healthcare for every Singaporean child, Mr Lim said in response to CNA's question on how it will fund these proposals.

"The money is there, staring at us before our eyes," he added without elaborating.

Asked to comment on the PAP's manifesto, which was launched on Thursday, Mr Lim also said the ruling party had gone "barking mad" over the US' sweeping tariffs. 

Singapore is subject to a baseline 10 per cent rate, while higher "reciprocal tariffs" on dozens of America's trading partners have been temporarily paused, with the exception of China.

"Their whole campaign appears to be centred on the Trump tariffs, when that is not really the concerns of Singaporeans," he said, before again putting the five issues front and centre.

Mr Lim also claimed the country's baseline levy could be a "silver lining" and that "businessmen from other countries slapped with much higher tariffs will seek to relocate to Singapore to enjoy the low tariffs".

He was speaking before a walkabout at Pek Kio Market, which he described as being at the "confluence" of Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar GRCs.

The PAR was formed in 2023. Mr Lim, who is also the founder of PV, previously confirmed on Apr 13 that the PAR would run in Tanjong Pagar GRC and Jalan Besar GRC.

Both may see three-cornered fights. RDU has announced plans to run in Tanjong Pagar GRC, while the National Solidarity Party (NSP) has indicated it would run in Jalan Besar GRC.

At GE2020, Tanjong Pagar GRC saw a straight fight between the PAP and the PSP, which lost with 36.9 per cent of the vote.

Tanjong Pagar GRC, which has five seats, will have 139,688 voters in GE2025. Its boundaries have changed after absorbing areas in Dover and Telok Blangah from what was West Coast GRC, and carving out the new Queenstown SMC.

At GE2020, Jalan Besar GRC was contested by a PV team led by Mr Lim, which lost to the PAP after garnering 34.64 per cent of the vote.

Jalan Besar GRC has four seats and 106,102 voters in this year's election. Its electoral boundaries remain unchanged from 2020.

PAR member Dr Michael Fang announced last week that he would run in Yio Chu Kang SMC.