Potential PAP candidate Melissa Tan is CEO of local recycling firm Wah & Hua
Online sleuths have identified potential People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate Melissa Tan as the CEO of the company that occupied the site of the massive Kranji fire earlier this week.
A Redditor on the r/singapore thread voiced their observation earlier today (22 Feb).
Source: Wah & Hua Pte Ltd on Facebook
On Wednesday (19 Feb) morning, a massive blaze engulfed a warehouse along Kranji Crescent.
Ms Tan’s company, Wah & Hua, was found to be located at the space.
This is the fourth fire that has happened at the facility in the past seven years. The warehouse was also given seven notices for safety non-compliance between 2018 and 2024.
Spotted making rounds in East Coast GRC since late 2024
According to media reports, Ms Tan is a long-term volunteer with the PAP and was previously active in Hong Kah North SMC.
However, she has been spotted making rounds in East Coast GRC since last November, most notably in Fengshan.
Source: Cheryl Chan on Facebook
Ms Tan was most recently seen with East Coast GRC Members of Parliament (MPs) during a Chingay event in February.
Source: Cheryl Chan on Facebook
Speaking to The Straits Times, Ms Tan shared that she had been volunteering with the PAP for 20 years and was “getting to know volunteers and residents” during a distribution event with Fengshan MP Cheryl Chan.
However, she was coy when asked if she was a potential PAP candidate for the upcoming General Election.
CEO of company that occupied site of massive Kranji fire
Besides volunteering with PAP, Ms Tan is also the CEO of the recycling and waste management firm Wah & Hua.
The company occupies the space in Kranji where a massive fire broke out on Wednesday (19 Feb).
Image courtesy of Syafix Ameer.
Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers spent at least eight hours extinguishing and controlling the fire.
Responding to MS News‘ queries, a spokesman from the National Environment Agency (NEA) said that this was the fourth fire at the location in the past few years.
An SCDF spokesperson confirmed that it responded to three fires at the location on 22 March 2018, 20 June 2023, and 28 March 2024.
Investigations showed that the past three fires were accidental, reportedly due to smouldering embers or spontaneous ignition of waste materials.
The SCDF also conducted 10 inspections at the premises during this time.
It had issued four Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHAN) for violations such as:
- Faulty exit signs
- Obstructions to exit doors, hose reels, and fire extinguishers.
Additionally, it issued three Notices of Offence (NOO) for severe violations, including “unauthorised fire safety works” that involved the installation of a steel platform.
The NEA spokesman said the agency and SCDF will investigate the recent incident. “Whether or not action will be taken will depend on the outcome of the investigation.”
NEA will also engage the operators of recycling facilities to further reinforce the message of fire safety and best practices to minimise fire risks, the spokesman added.
Took over recycling & waste management company from father
Ms Tan joined Wah & Hua — founded by her father in 1978 — in 2000, shortly after her graduation.
Even though the company started as a waste collection company, Wah & Hua is also involved in recycling and power generation today.
Over the two-and-a-half decades with the company, Ms Tan oversaw Wah & Hua’s acquisition by waste management firm Blue Planet Environmental Solutions, which fueled the firm’s expansion.
In 2022, she won EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year for environmental solutions.
Source: Wah & Hua Pte Ltd on Facebook
Besides leading Wah & Hua, Ms Tan is also the chairwoman of the Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore.
Also read: Massive fire breaks out at Kranji Crescent warehouse, SCDF urges public to avoid area
Featured image adapted from Cheryl Chan on Facebook and courtesy of Syafix Ameer.
