PAP introduces 2 new leaders at Aljunied GRC ahead of next GE

SINGAPORE: On Monday (Aug 12), the People’s Action Party announced the appointment of two new Branch Chairpersons at Eunos and Paya Lebar in Aljunied GRC, Jagathishwaran Rajo and Kenny Sim. The two new leaders’ terms take effect today.

The PAP held Aljunied GRC from 1988, the year it was formed, until the General Election of 2011, when The Workers’ Party slate, led by then Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, won. The WP continued to win at Aljunied in 2015 and 2020.

Mr Rao takes the place of Chua Eng Leong, the son of former Cabinet Minister Chua Sian Chin, at Eunos, which happens to be the ward of Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh. Mr Singh is the current Secretary-General of the WP. 

Mr Chua was part of the PAP slate lost in the last two elections. Mr Sim, meanwhile, replaced Alex Yeo Sheng Chye at Paya Lebar, which is currently represented in Parliament by WP chair Sylvia Lim.

“Chua and Yeo will assist in seeing through the transition. The Party would like to thank them for their service in Eunos and Paya Lebar divisions, and we look forward to their future contributions in other capacities,” the PAP said in its announcement.

The three other PAP Branch Chairpersons at Aljunied GRC remain in their positions: Shamsul Kamar (Kaki Bukit), Victor Lye (Bedok Reservoir-Punggol), and Chan Hui Yuh (Serangoon).

Mr Rao, 37, is the executive secretary of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Staff Union (IRASSU) and the assistant director of the NTUC’s Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit (U FSE).

He has been a PAP activist since 2009 and served as Branch Secretary at Zhenghua Division (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) for eight years, and started to attend events at Eunos at the end of 2023.

He previously worked as a senior assistant director in the Future Economy Planning Office and was on a two-year secondment with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, CNA reported.

“I am honoured to take on the role as Branch Chair for PAP Eunos Branch (Aljunied GRC). My heartfelt thanks to Mr. Chua and the dedicated Team Eunos for their tireless commitment and efforts over the past 12 years,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Monday morning.

Mr Sim, 55, is the CEO and executive director of Serial Achieva, a computer and electronics manufacturing company and sits on the boards of Global Invacom Group Limited, Meta Health Limited and USP Group Limited.

Since 2015, he has been an activist at Woodlands and Bukit Timah and also served as Bukit Timah’s Branch Vice Chair for over six years. /TISG

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