GE2025: Singapore Democratic Party to contest in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) will contest in Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the upcoming General Election, party chief Chee Soon Juan confirmed on Sunday (Mar 30).

When asked by CNA if the party intends to contest the GRC, Dr Chee nodded and said yes. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is currently the anchor Member of Parliament (MP) for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.

Surayah Akbar, the party's treasurer, has been seen on social media actively engaging with residents in the constituency.

When asked if she would be fielded in the constituency, Dr Chee said: "We'll announce that."

SDP had contested the GRC in the 2015 and 2020 General Elections but lost both times to the People's Action Party (PAP), getting 31.27 per cent of the votes and 36.82 per cent respectively.

The constituency will have 119,352 voters in the upcoming election.

Last week, Dr Chee announced that he would contest in the new Sembawang West Single Member Constituency (SMC) for the upcoming General Election. Sembawang West is among six new SMCs that have been carved out, and it will have 24,153 voters.

He said previously that the party would embark on a "northern strategy" for the 2025 General Election, and aimed to contest Sembawang GRC as well.

Party chairman Professor Paul Tambyah said: "You heard about our northern strategy that we talked about last week, and that is going to be the cornerstone. As you know, a cornerstone is surrounded by other stones."

Prof Tambyah added that the priority is to send the "best team" to Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.

OPPOSITION TALKS

When asked if SDP will contest in the other constituencies that it had contested in the last General Election, such as Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Prof Tambyah said it would depend on the party's resources, its "reading of the ground", as well as its interaction with residents and other political parties. 

"What we want to do is ensure that Singaporeans are given a choice, that they are given a choice to choose the best and most credible alternative candidates so that we don't give the PAP a blank cheque essentially," he said. 

Besides Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and Marsiling Yew-Tee GRC, SDP had also contested Bukit Batok SMC, Bukit Panjang SMC and Yuhua SMC.

Yuhua and Bukit Batok have been absorbed into the new Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, while SDP has said Prof Tambyah will compete again in Bukit Panjang.

Dr Chee said on Sunday that the party is still currently talking to other parties to "see what works out". 

"Our interest is always to make sure opposition as a whole optimises our chances in terms of gettin successful votes," he said.