PM Wong Says His Party To Field Indian Origin Candidates In Upcoming Singapore General Election

In the 2020 General Election, the PAP did not field any Indian candidates among its slate of 27 new faces, which had then sparked questions about the ethnic group’s representation in Parliament.

Speaking at a dialogue with youths from the Indian community, Wong said: “You may be a small community, but, certainly, your contributions to Singapore and the impact that you have on Singapore are not small at all.”

“In fact, I would say you already reflect that Singapore spirit. Your story is a story of Singapore – small and yet punching above your weight,” The Straits Times quoted Wong as saying. Indians in Singapore have made outsized contributions to the country in many areas, including in business, industry and the Government, Wong underscored.

Indians represented 7.6 per cent of Singapore’s citizens, while Malays and Chinese made up 15.1 percent and 75.6 percent of the population, respectively, in 2024, according to the Singapore daily report.

The 90-minute Vaanga Ippo Pesalaam Chat (Come, Let’s Chat in Tamil), or VIP Chat, was organised by newspaper Tamil Murasu. Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Janil Puthucheary, of Indian descent, also engaged with about 130 youths at the dialogue.

In his opening remarks, PM Wong said Singapore has benefited from many Indian civil servants, such as Dr Janil, who is also Senior Minister of State for Health. The Prime Minister said there will be new Indian candidates from the PAP for the upcoming election but did not give further details or names.

New faces who have been spotted with political leaders recently include former Agency for Integrated Care chief executive Dinesh Vasu Dash, managing partner at law firm Tito Isaac & Co, Kawal Pal Singh, Jagathishwaran Rajo, a trade unionist for 13 years, and Indian orthopaedic surgeon Hamid Razak, according to media reports.

A 59-year-old noted lawyer Harpreet Singh Nehal of Indian ethnic has also been seen among potential Indian candidates from the opposition Workers’ Party which won 10 seats in the 2020 election. In 2020, PAP won 83 seats in parliament.

The 2025 election is to be held this year, with speculation of it likely to be called in a month or so, given political parties naming potential candidates and undertaking grassroot level mingling with Singaporeans. These potential candidates have been doing “walk about” with sitting members of parliament in various community centres, the hubs of constituencies.