The WP on April 18 unveiled another four new candidates it plans to field in the general election, without disclosing where they will be deployed.
The four candidates set to make their electoral debut on May 3 are:
- Dr Ong Lue Ping, 48, a senior principal clinical psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH);
- Mr Andre Low Wu Yang, 34, a staff project manager at a global fintech company;
- Ms Alexis Dang Pei Yuan, 39, a senior director at global advertising tech firm Teads;
- Mr Jimmy Tan, 53, co-founder of an industrial equipment supplying firm.
Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh and party chairwoman Sylvia Lim introduced the four candidates at a press conference.
Asked if new faces like Dr Ong would be leading any of the WP's teams in the election, Mr Singh said some would be fielded in single seats and others in teams contesting group representation constituencies.
"As for the composition, the leadership, that will be made known to you soon," he added.
The Straits Times expects WP to contest 31 out of 97 parliamentary seats this election, based on party sources and where potential candidates have been active.
The opposition party is expected to field 17 first-time candidates in 2025 - a record for WP. Eight have been confirmed so far in the last two days at WP's headquarters in Geylang.
The party is expected to introduce more candidates over the next few days.
1. Ong Lue Ping, 48
Dr Ong has been touted as one of the opposition's "star catches". He was previously IMH's director of allied health from 2022 to 2024 - among 10 of its most senior leaders - and is now its senior principal clinical psychologist, having worked there for 22 years.
He said he decided to step down from his leadership post at IMH when he joined opposition politics because of the possibility of a perceived conflict of interest.
"But it is a decision that I don't regret because, basically, I am just serving Singapore in another way," he added.
In February, Dr Ong was seen walking the ground in the newly created Punggol GRC alongside three-time WP candidate and former Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong. He has been volunteering as a case writer for incumbent Hougang SMC MP Dennis Tan since 2023.
A father of three teenagers, aged between 14 and 19, Dr Ong said he decided to join WP as he came to feel that "only the privileged in society get to sail in cruise ships, while most ordinary Singaporeans sail in bumboats".
He called for more socially just and equitable policies. "Every day, my colleagues and I fight tooth and nail to help our patients overcome their emotional struggles, but we often feel helpless in the face of systemic challenges affecting the mental health of our patients.
"This is why I think it is time for me to step up to also address the structural challenges which affect the mental health of our Singaporeans in Parliament."
Dr Ong is advocating for an optional 10-year through-train programme that would exempt pupils from having to sit the PSLE, which would leave more time for "joyful learning and creative thinking". The policy was proposed in WP's manifesto, which was released on April 17.
Ms Lim, who is a lawyer, said a personal highlight for her was also Dr Ong's role between 2020 and 2023 as panel adviser of the youth court relating to children and young persons.
2. Andre Low Wu Yang, 34
Mr Low started out as a disputes lawyer before venturing into the start-up space, building products in legaltech, urban mobility and healthtech.
He worked at Amazon Web Services as a technical programme manager before joining Boston Consulting Group as a management consultant. He is now with a global fintech company.
Mr Low joined WP in 2020 and was appointed secretarial assistant to Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua immediately after the election, despite having joined the party for just a month then. Mr Low called it a "trial by fire".
The only child of two teachers, he said his parents had taught him never to take the status quo for granted.
He himself will soon become a father, which he said has spurred him to take on a more active role in building a "better Singapore for our future generations".
Working for the party has given him the opportunity to interact with those who are less privileged, including single parents who struggle with juggling work and childcare duties, and elderly Singaporeans who cannot navigate the complex healthcare system.
"For every resident that we have managed to help, there is another that we cannot do much for. Every one of these left me feeling a little bit trapped. I have seen first-hand how policies can impact real people and real lives," Mr Low said.
3. Alexis Dang Pei Yuan, 39
Ms Dang started her career in banking, then switched to the technology industry in 2017, leading partnerships with media owners and helping them attract traffic at global advertising tech firm Teads.
Before that, she was a relationship manager in wealth management and private banking for 6½ years.
Ms Dang, who was born in Singapore and spent her childhood in Taiwan, said she cares most about education, especially bilingual education.
She has been involved with WP for five years, since the last general election.
Among other things, she helps the WP translate its parliamentary speeches from English to Mandarin, and also hosts and plans its annual Chinese New Year dinners.
She said she decided to join WP because she believes Singapore has "reached a stage of civic maturity".
"It is time for more diverse, more ground-up voices to be heard in Parliament. Volunteering with the party, I've been inspired by its dedication, commitment and courage to serve."
4. Jimmy Tan, 53
Mr Tan joined WP as a volunteer in 2018 and became secretarial assistant to Mr Singh in 2023. He helped to oversee weekly Meet-The-People Sessions and organised estatewide events, before becoming a legislative assistant at the start of 2025.
He is co-founder of Immanuel Engineering, a family-run business that supplies industrial equipment.
There has been speculation he will be fielded in five-member Tampines GRC, where he will be part of a team challenging a PAP team led by Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli.
Mr Tan, a father of two daughters, said his political awakening came after the Government passed a constitutional amendment that raised the eligibility criteria for candidates contesting the presidential election in 2016.
He said he envisions Singapore having a more balanced political system with opposition representation, as "no political party has the monopoly on wisdom".
The one-time winner of Chinese singing competition Golden Age Talentime in 2023 added that the main concerns which residents have shared with him are high housing, university and healthcare costs.
