Three senior PAP figures returned to the campaign trail on April 26 to rally support for the party’s East Coast GRC team, calling for voters to back anchor minister Edwin Tong and his slate of candidates.
At Bedok Stadium, former Cabinet minister Lim Swee Say, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, and outgoing Potong Pasir MP Sitoh Yih Pin lent their voices in support of the five-member team: Mr Tong, incumbents Tan Kiat How and Jessica Tan, and new faces Hazlina Abdul Halim and Dinesh Vasu Dash.
In Mandarin, Mr Lim said he had kept a low profile after retiring in 2020, but agreed without hesitation to return when Mr Tong asked for his support. Stressing the need for strong leadership amid global uncertainty, Mr Lim urged voters to “walk and run together” with the PAP’s fourth-generation leaders.
Former East Coast anchor minister Mr Sitoh praised Mr Tong’s tenacity, citing examples such as securing sponsorships for athlete Maximilian Maeder, Singapore’s first Olympic sailing gold medallist, and helping the Singapore Lions football team.
He ended his speech by likening Mr Tong to football superstar Lionel Messi: “Edwin Tong doesn’t play football like Messi, but he is as important to the team as Messi is to Argentina.”
DPM Heng, who led East Coast GRC in GE2020 before announcing his retirement from politics, rebutted opposition claims that PAP MPs are rigid or inflexible.
Citing examples from his time as Education Minister, he recalled how MPs like Denise Phua and Lim Biow Chuan pushed for changes that benefited special needs students and reduced stress in the education system. “As a result, I almost abolished the PSLE,” DPM Heng said to laughter and applause.
He also pointed out that initiatives like CDC vouchers, which help Singaporeans cope with rising costs, originated from PAP MPs’ ground feedback and advocacy.
Turning to the global situation, DPM Heng warned of worsening economic conditions, disrupted trade, and slower growth, referencing the IMF’s forecast cuts. He said Singapore’s experience managing crises gives it an edge, but the road ahead will be even tougher.
He criticised opposition parties for allegedly downplaying the challenges, saying: “Either they don’t understand, or they are lying to you. Either way, it’s bad, right?”
DPM Heng closed by stressing the importance of unity: “Singaporeans must come together, united, be prepared for a fight.”
