SINGAPORE – Two of the PAP’s reserve candidates from the May 2025 general election have hit the ground in Tampines and Punggol, less than a year on from the polls.
In-house lawyer Ahmad Firdaus Daud, who previously volunteered in Nee Soon GRC, is now vice-chair of the Punggol North PAP branch, while entrepreneur Mustaffa Kamal has been seen with the party’s Tampines Central branch. He had previously volunteered in Joo Chiat.
The two have regularly attended the party’s Meet-the-People sessions and have been pictured with the GRCs’ MPs at community events since at least late 2025.
Mr Firdaus Daud (first from the left), alongside Punggol GRC MPs Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, senior ministers of state Sun Xueling and Janil Puthucheary, and Ms Yeo Wan Ling at a community event celebrating the new year.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JANIL PUTHUCHEARY
Analysts said the two could have been deployed early to constituencies where the party saw close contests to sharpen their skills and build familiarity on the ground ahead of the next general election, which is due by 2030.
Their moves could also reflect a shift in the party’s strategy to get potential candidates out in the field earlier and a recognition of past criticism that candidates had been “parachuted in” right before elections, the analysts said.
This comes after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in July 2025 that the ruling party had begun searching for potential candidates, so that they can start walking the ground earlier.
Bringing candidates in earlier would allow them to gain experience and exposure on the ground while being assessed by the party and the public on whether they are truly ready to serve as MPs, said PM Wong, who is secretary-general of the PAP.
At GE2025, the party deployed several new faces early, but a number of them were introduced “quite late” in the process, he said then, adding that it will do better in this area.
Mr Firdaus, 42, and Mr Mustaffa, 41, were reserve candidates then, and were unveiled in a graphic alongside the PAP’s full slate of candidates when the party launched its manifesto on April 17, 2025, just over two weeks ahead of the polls.
They were two out of only three people featured in the graphic who did not eventually stand for election under the party banner.
The third person who was not fielded was unionist Natasha Choy. She has not been seen on the ground, but was pictured in January 2026 with Education Minister and PAP chairman Desmond Lee on a party trip to China.
Tampines and Punggol have remained politically sensitive since the election, and are likely to stay that way, said independent political observer Felix Tan.
The PAP narrowly won tough contests with the Workers’ Party in those areas, including the second-closest win in the election in Tampines, which sent WP’s Eileen Chong into Parliament as a Non-Constituency MP.
As the Opposition made significant inroads in these areas, the party may see value in having Mr Firdaus and Mr Mustaffa establishing themselves on the ground early, Dr Tan said.
“In a shifting political landscape, this helps build familiarity and resilience ahead of what could be a tough contest in the next election.”
Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan said it is clear that the PAP would, where possible, rather have prospective candidates on the ground sooner rather than later.
This enables the party to better assess these prospects’ suitability to be fielded in the next general election, rather than be rushed into making such decisions.
It also allows for prospects to acquire experience in walking the ground and engaging with residents, and to have a more substantive understanding of issues on the ground while also enabling residents to know them better, he said.
With more time spent on the ground, they can also decide if politics is their cup of tea and whether they can stay the course in the “rough and tumble of politics”, Associate Professor Tan said.
“In short, such early deployments are beneficial to the party, the prospects and the community,” he added.
Another potential PAP candidate for GE2025 who has changed constituencies is entrepreneur Chua Wei-Shan, who is in her late 30s. She, along with Ms Choy, Mr Firdaus and Mr Mustaffa, did not respond to queries.
Ms Chua Wei-Shan (centre) with Chua Chu Kang GRC MPs Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow and Dr Choo Pei Ling (second and first from right) on a visit to Parc Point in Tengah in December 2025.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHOO PEI LING
Before the general election, Ms Chua was the acting branch chair for West Coast ward in West Coast GRC and was often seen with MPs in the constituency. She was not fielded in May 2025.
Since the polls, she has been seen in Chua Chu Kang GRC’s Chua Chu Kang ward with Manpower Minister Tan See Leng.
Ms Chua and Mr Firdaus have also been designated second grassroots advisers in their wards.
Former PAP MP Inderjit Singh said it is common for the party to have some potential candidates it does not field, as its strategy has, in the past, been to have more candidates than there are seats in the House.
It seldom decides how many incumbent MPs will retire more than six months before a general election, he noted – in part to keep the Opposition guessing.
“Depending on who is retiring and where they are retiring from, the party then at the very end will decide who they will field,” he said.