Workers’ Party Has 4 New Candidates, Includes An Ex-Undertaker Who Supported His Family

Workers’ Party Introduces Last 4 Candidates

The Workers’ Party (WP) introduced their final 4 candidates today (28 Jun), including 2 members who are running in Aljunied GRC.

Screenshot from Workers’ Party press conference

1 of them will be contesting in his first election, while the others are relative “veterans”, having contested in multiple elections since 2015.

Read on to find out about them.

1. Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim, 54

Mr Abdul was a researcher at the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA) before deciding to contest GE2020.

Image provided by Workers’ Party (WP)

Mr Abdul had a humble background and worked in various menial jobs to put himself through university before becoming a researcher, including the following:

• Undertaker
• Taxi driver
• Security guard

He had to leave his job to run for the GE as the job requires non-partisanship, but considers it a “small sacrifice”.

Mr Abdul argues that there needs to be humility and consciousness to help everyone, without making judgments.

2. Gerald Giam, 42, running in Aljunied GRC

This will be the 3rd GE for Mr Giam, who previously ran in East Coast GRC in 2011 and 2015. His performance in 2011 meant that he was nominated as a non-constituency MP (NCMP) for the 2011-2015 term of Parliament.

Image provided by WP

He is the Chief Technology Officer in a company he founded, and says this position allows him to devote more time to being an MP.

Mr Giam thinks that the number of people in Parliament is more important than the policies they advocate, saying numbers are what’s needed to gain bargaining power to get the Government to listen and be responsive to them.

3. He Ting Ru, 37

A lawyer by trade, she is a head of legal & communications for a listed multi-national company (MNC) and ran in her first GE at Marine Parade GRC in 2015. 

Image provided by WP

After becoming a mother of 2 children, Ms He shares that she’s devoted more time to her family, while realising that her children will enlist to pledge and serve Singapore like their father.

While her family is worried about her involvement in politics, she will explain to her children why she decided to do so in the future.

When asked about her biggest takeaway from GE2015, she replied that it was “working as a team” — that despite disagreements and arguments, everyone in the team wanted WP, and Singapore, to succeed.

Her biggest memory back then was when the team had a spontaneous group hug at the counting centre, but they won’t be allowed to do it this time.

4. Leon Perera, 49, running in Aljunied GRC

Also an NCMP previously, he ran in East Coast GRC in 2015.

Image provided by WP

Although Mr Perera failed back then, he quotes Batman Begins:

When we fall, we pick ourselves up

Immediately after his loss, he got back to work with the WP, specifically Ms Sylvia Lim at Aljunied GRC’s Serangoon ward, with the support of his wife.

He considers a healthy and united society one where there’s not only 1 political affiliation, and that “disagreement isn’t disrespect, debate is not division”.

All will be known on Nomination Day

While WP did not announce where both Mr Abdul and Ms He will run for GE2020, all will be known on Nomination Day.

We wish all candidates the best for the elections.

Featured image adapted from Workers’ Party.