Long-time community leader and business development director Diana Pang Li Yen will join the PAP team contesting the new Marine Parade- Braddell Heights GRC led by Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng at the upcoming general election.
The five-member team includes Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) and Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson SMC), Dr Tan said at a press conference on April 20. Changes to the term include Mr Fahmi Aliman, who will not be contesting the next GE as a member of the PAP team for Marine Parade.
Gho Sze Kee, a 46-year-old shipping lawyer and long-time party activist, will contest in Mountbatten SMC, taking over from much beloved MP Lim Biow Chuan, who has served the constituency for four terms.
Diana Pang: Leadership is about heart and action
A community leader for over two decades, with a passion for service, Ms Pang, 51, has served at the PAP’s Fengshan branch, working alongside families, women, and caregivers. Her focus lies in addressing issues related to health, mental wellness, and women’s development, driven by her deep-rooted values of trust, kindness, and mutual support.
“I learnt this: in my journey that when we care deeply, and walk together, anything is possible.” she said at the press briefing.
She currently chairs the People’s Association Women’s Integration Network Council and the Fengshan Women’s Executive Committee, and sits on the board of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations.
Professionally, she is a director of a local small- and medium-sized enterprise who has more than 19 years of experience in audit, tax and business advisory.
“I believe leadership is not about making speeches, but about giving your heart. It is more about action,” she said. “I hope to be a voice, not just to listen, but I also will act on it,” she said.
Ms Pang shared two examples of residents she encountered, stating her intention to follow up on these cases.
One involved a recently divorced man caring for two young children and a bedridden 57-year-old mother, Ms Pang described him as someone who had fallen through the cracks.
The other case was a 92-year-old woman living alone with her 70-year-old daughter who has special needs.
“Regardless of where I go, I’m very glad that people open up to me, and I’ll do my best to care for them and do what I can to make sure their lives are a little bit easier.”
Faishal Ibrahim: The PAP government makes sure that at the heart of the matter is our people
Assoc Prof Faishal, 56, has been an MP for Nee Soon GRC since 2011. He entered politics alongside Mr Seah in 2006 and served in Marine Parade GRC in his first term in Parliament.
He said that it has been a “pleasant experience” walking the ground in Marine Parade and that he had been touched by experiences where he met residents who still remembered him.
Assoc Prof Faishal said that even though he has been an MP for Nee Soon for the past three terms, he had continued to be on the ground in Marine Parade. This includes being the lead adviser to Wisma Geylang Serai, the cultural heritage integrated hub within Marine Parade GRC.
He also highlighted his experience in six ministries that allowed him to work with stakeholders in Marine Parade. He has also engaged the Malay/Muslim community on the ground, including as Minister of State for Home Affairs, where he has had to work with the community “on some very sensitive issues”.
“The PAP government is a government that takes action, a government that really looks at the affairs of the people together and makes sure that at the heart of the matter is our people, including the Malay/Muslim community,” he said.
Dr Tan asks for strong mandate from residents
At the press briefing, Dr Tan, 60, who is contesting his second election, elaborated on the initiatives that the team has rolled out for the ward over the past five years.
“We continue to want to improve the infrastructure, the intergenerational connectivity. Therefore, I seek a strong mandate from all of the residents.”
On what a strong mandate would look like, Dr Tan said that the team would have to look at it from the national numbers post-GE.
“If we can at least be on par with the national numbers, and maybe do slightly better, I think that would be a good mandate,” he said, referring to the PAP’s share of the popular vote.
However, Dr Tan said his team is “not presumptuous”.
“All of us here have this singular focus in wanting to serve our country, our residents, well, especially during these uncertain times,” he added.
Gho Sze Kee: MPs play a critical role in providing “that last mile of coverage”
Ms Gho, 46, has been a party activist and community leader for the past 13 years, serving Singaporeans as the Branch Secretary of PAP Bukit Timah division and Vice-Chair of the Bukit Timah Citizens’ Consultative Committee.
A keen advocate for the disadvantaged, she has served as a member of the Medifund Committee at a local hospital, responsible for approving and dispensing public financial aid to patients in need.
With a background as a maritime lawyer, Ms Gho brings her experience in handling complex maritime and international arbitration cases to her community activism. She has led her branch in providing pro bono legal advice and resolving neighborhood disputes, addressing intra-community friction.
She said she is stepping up as a candidate because of a personal conviction to give back to Singapore, and because she feels a sense of mission, as a mother, to safeguard the future for the next generation.
“Our policies have served as well, but not every situation fits policy. Some people generally just need a leg up or maybe a personalised approach in solving their problems.” she said. “
MPs play a critical role in providing that last mile of coverage… bridging the gap between policy and people.”
Ms Gho also paid tribute to Mr Lim, whom she has understudied for the past 10 months,
saying that she has “big shoes” to fill.
She acknowledged Mr Lim’s “stellar” results in previous elections and said he taught her the importance of being dedicated to service and amplifying residents’ voices in parliament.
“He wants every one of us to do more than just that,” she said, recounting how Mr Lim had urged her to think about what she could do more for Mountbatten residents.
“I talked about the last-mile coverage and reviving the kampung spirit,” she said, adding that she would like to bring her “personal touch, motherly touch” as a mother of two teenage children.
“And what I hope to achieve is that when residents find themselves in a difficult or stressful situation, and if the first person they do think of is me, I will be very, very happy, and I’d be most grateful for that chance.”
Mr Lim, 61, who entered politics in 2006, was actively involved in municipal affairs. He served as Marine Parade Town Council’s chairman from 2010 until April 2025. Additionally, he was a member of the PAP’s Government Parliamentary Committees for National Development and Transport, and previously chaired the GPC for Education. He also served as Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 2016 to 2020.
