GE2025: WP's Dennis Tan to defend Hougang SMC against PAP's Marshall Lim
Singapore
The single-seat ward has been an opposition stronghold since the Workers' Party won it in 1991. 23 Apr 2025 02:35PM (Updated: 23 Apr 2025 02:40PM)
SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party (WP) incumbent Dennis Tan will defend his Hougang SMC seat against People's Action Party's (PAP) Marshall Lim in the May 3 election.
The candidates for the single-seat ward were confirmed on Wednesday (Apr 23) during Nomination Day after both candidates submitted their nomination documents at Poi Ching School in Tampines.
Mr Tan, 54, a consultant and shipping lawyer at firm DennisMathiew Shipping Lawyers, is WP's organising secretary. He became MP for Hougang SMC following the last election, where he beat PAP's Lee Hong Chuang after garnering 61.21 per cent of the votes.
Addressing supporters from the balcony, Mr Tan said he would continue to serve in Hougang, to raucous cheers and honks from supporters.
"Thank you for your support, please let me and WP serve you in Hougang. Please vote for the WP," he said in Mandarin.
This General Election, the PAP is putting newcomer Mr Lim, 38, a criminal lawyer up against Mr Tan.
Mr Lim, who is a partner in private law firm Martin & Partners, replaced Mr Jackson Lam as the party's Hougang branch chairperson in February.
Mr Lim, who also spoke in Teochew and Mandarin, thanked supporters for coming and asked constituents to vote for him. He called for support so that he could "speak up for you and your families" for causes that mattered.
Hougang SMC has been held by WP since GE1991, when then-party assistant secretary-general Low Thia Khiang beat his PAP opponent with 52.8 per cent of the votes.
Mr Low ceded the seat to successor Yaw Shin Leong in GE2011 to contest in Aljunied GRC. That year Mr Yaw also triumphed against PAP's Desmond Choo with 64.80 per cent of the votes.
Mr Yaw was dismissed from WP in 2012 and a by-election held the same year. In the by-election PAP again put up Mr Choo to contest but WP's candidate Png Eng Huat emerged victorious.
Mr Png was re-elected in GE2015, followed by current incumbent Mr Tan in GE2020.
Despite recent boundary changes to other constituencies following the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report, Hougang SMC has maintained the status quo.
A total of 29,433 voters from this constituency - the same number as the last election - will head to the polls on May 3.
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