Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Hamid Razak and lawyer Cassandra Lee will join the PAP team contesting the newly formed West Coast-Jurong West GRC in the coming general election.
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee will lead the five-member team contesting the GRC, together with Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Education Shawn Huang, 42, three-term MP Ang Wei Neng, 58, and the two new faces.
Labour MP Patrick Tay will stand again in Pioneer SMC, which he won in 2020.
Introducing the refreshed PAP slate at a press conference held on April 15 at the party’s West Coast branch, Mr Lee, 48, said the team comprises a mix of incumbents and new candidates to “bring in new thinking, new ways of doing things” to refresh the team serving on the ground.
“We would like to seek residents’ support so that we can implement our plans and continue to roll out the existing programmes that we have initiated over the past few years.”
Three-term MP Foo Mee Har, who entered politics in 2011 and represented the Ayer Rajah-Gek Poh ward, and first-term MP Rachel Ong who oversaw the Telok Blangah division, will not be part of the team. Mr Lee thanked them for their contributions.
Hamid Razak believes in the power of ‘for the community, by the community’
Dr Hamid, 39, is a dedicated medical professional, community leader, and advocate for social equity. He has lived in Jurong West for close to 30 years, and volunteered in the community for more than 15 years.
Through Meet-the-People sessions, Dr Hamid initiated the “Chit Chat with Dr PAP” booths, offering free health screenings and essential advice to residents. He is also proud to have championed the Happy Kids Programme, a literacy initiative aimed at helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds start on equal footing.
“I’m always believed in the power of ‘for the community, by the community’. It is also my mantra at the community to give from what we have, from where we are, as long as it’s coming from the heart.”
When asked why he wants to join politics, Dr Hamid, a father of three, described his decision to stand as one not stepping away from a busy surgical career, but “stepping forward with the same calling to serve”.
“Politics is a powerful vehicle that allows me not just to connect with residents on the ground, but to bring their concerns to Parliament, to debate, discuss policies and bring about effective change that affects not just the individual, but large groups of people.”
If elected, he will focus on strengthening ground up health literacy initiatives, creating meaningful pathways for low-income families and providing opportunities for our youths.
“What I bring to the table is essentially the values that ground me as a surgeon. When patients come to me, I understand their problems, listen with empathy, and come up with solutions for their issues,” he continued.
“And I bring these same values to the community, listening to our residents, their issues, with that same empathy, with the same style of communication and journeying with them to find meaningful and sustainable solutions.”
Cassandra Lee wants to help bridge national policies with what is happening on the ground
Ms Lee, a 33-year-old lawyer at professional services company EY, has been an active community volunteer in Yuhua for over a decade. Her mother is also a long-time party volunteer.
“As a young girl, I would follow my mother around as she volunteered in the community,” she said. “As a teenager, later on, I started volunteering in Yuhua. In the flash of an eye, it has been 16 years.”
Ms Lee said that her experiences as a volunteer taught her that an MP plays an important role in bridging national policies with what is happening on the ground, and she hopes to be able to serve in that capacity.
“I hope to ensure that national policies reach residents in the right way, to address their day-to-day needs and to build a strong community,” she said.
As a mother to a young child, she understands the challenges that young parents face.
“I’m committed to advocating for better support for young working families, including a stronger workplace culture for flexible work, especially for fathers, and a community that truly supports working parents.”
In Yuhua, she has championed initiatives to improve barrier-free accessibility for the elderly. She also wants to enable seniors to remain socially engaged.
“Caring for my cancer-stricken father, who passed when I was 23, impressed upon me the importance of supporting our elderly residents to age in place with dignity, respect and quality care,” she said.
Before joining EY, Ms Lee was in the Singapore Legal Service where she worked as state counsel and deputy public prosecutor in the civil division of the Attorney-General’s Chambers. She started her career in Enterprise Singapore, where she was part of Singapore’s negotiation team for multilateral and bilateral free trade agreements and represented Singapore at ASEAN and APEC.
Labour unionist Patrick Tay to defend his Pioneer seat for the PAP
Mr Tay, who is the assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress and the incumbent MP for Pioneer SMC, highlighted the active involvement of community volunteers in improving Pioneer.
They have rolled out programmes like Legal & Employment/Employability @ Pioneer (LEaP) that benefit fellow residents, he noted.
“The most gratifying thing is having seen them in their homes, but now coming out of their homes to serve in the community… This ‘for residents, by residence’ kind of motto lives on, and this ‘Pioneer Together’ spirit has been very, very edifying, very satisfying.”
“I hope to support our residents, to journey with you together in the next five years…so that we can see through some of these plans that we’ve done and build on those things that we have done in the last five years in the areas of care, connect and create, so that we create an even better environment for all of us to live and play in,” he added.
