GE2025: WP’s Sengkang team on going from new faces to first-term MPs

Published Apr 30, 2025, 6:00 AM

The Straits Times Podcasts

Synopsis: Almost every weekday, our ALL-IN-ONE channel showcases discussions on Singapore youth perspectives and social issues, geopolitics through an…

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Newcomer Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik joins his experienced teammates on the couch.

Synopsis: The Usual Place now moves to a half-hour daily livestream at noon from April 24 till May 1 - a day before Cooling-off Day - with Singapore's general election on May 3.

Host and ST correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah invites candidates, analysts and hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.

Joining her on the couch are Ms He Ting Ru, 41; Associate Professor Jamus Lim, 49; and Mr Louis Chua, 37, who are contesting Sengkang GRC again – this time with newcomer Abdul Muhaimin, 36.

As first-term MPs, they had to navigate both constituency work and team dynamics after winning Sengkang GRC in GE2020 with 52.13 per cent of the vote – the biggest upset of the election then. The WP took 60,136 votes, while the PAP got 55,214 votes.

Since then, have there been any growing pains, and how has their working relationship evolved? How do they split roles in the team?

Natasha asks them how they feel about winning Sengkang in the last election, and what they’re learning so far during campaigning for GE2025.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:59 One theme from the ground that needs to be examined beyond GE2025

6:33 Being yourself - new candidate Mr Muhaimin on advice he gets from his teammates during campaigning

12:20 How they react to party leaders’ statements on WP fielding its strongest slate in many years

13:40 Ms He on women in politics

19:20 The quartet on valuable advice coming from senior WP leaders that they still hold dear today

24:15 Prof Lim on advice given to new candidate Michael Thng for the recent national TV roundtable discussion?

33:34 “Such language was not used in volunteer chat groups or with residents”: Mr Chua on Mr Andre Low’s leaked Telegram messages from a private chat among his business school classmates

41:01 Game Time! What are some apps they wish they would use less on the phone

Host: Natasha Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this episode: https://str.sg/8Wav

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

ST Podcast producers: Teo Tong Kai & Eden Soh

Shorts edited by: ST Video

Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong

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