GE2015: National Solidarity Party to focus resources on Tampines GRC
By Kyle Malinda-White
The opposition National Solidarity Party (NSP) will be concentrating their resources on Tampines Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the lead-up to the next General Election.
NSP acting secretary-general Hazel Poa said this on the sidelines of a walkabout Saturday morning around the vicinity of Tampines East Community Centre.
“We have been receiving rather positive response here, so I think for us, this will definitely be an area we’ll be focusing our resources on,” said Poa.
However, she stopped short of announcing if the party will field its top candidates in Tampines GRC. When probed further by the media, Poa said that NSP’s candidates would only be revealed after the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has revealed its slate of candidates for wards the NSP is keen to contest.
“It’s always advantageous to know who you’ll be running against before we decide on our final line-up,” said Poa.
However, Poa said that NSP’s candidates would be revealed before the end of August.
PAP has announced that it will be revealing its full slate of candidates for the next General Election before the National Day Rally on 23 August.
The NSP has stated its intention to contest Sembawang and Tampines GRCs, as well as Pioneer Single Member Constituency (SMC). The party withdrew its bids to contest Marine Parade GRC and MacPherson SMC after recent all-hands talks by opposition parties.
The party said that all of its members were involved in walking the ground in all the constituencies it intends to contest in to get “an equal feel of the ground”. This means that potential candidates are not siphoned off to be at only one ward during the hustings.
Among members seen walking the ground were freelance project executive Nor Leela Mardiiiah, 41, who previously contested under the NSP banner in Chua Chu Kang GRC in the 2011 General Elections. If elected, she hopes to champion for issues in the Malay/Muslim community such as helping others understand the right to wear the hijab.
Another party member who was frequently introduced by party members to Tampines residents during the walkabout was legal consultant Lim Tean, 50, who graduated with a masters in law at the University of Cambridge. He was formerly a lawyer, practising for more than 15 years.
Yahoo Singapore understands NSP member Kevryn Lim is away on a business trip. The party declined to comment if she will be standing as a candidate in the upcoming General Elections.
