SINGAPORE: Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli on Saturday evening (Apr 12) introduced former Chief of Army David Neo as a potential candidate for Tampines GRC, but did not confirm the line-up for the constituency for the upcoming general election.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Hari Raya concert at Our Tampines Hub, Mr Masagos was flanked by the current Tampines MPs and new faces Charlene Chen and Mr Neo.
The current MPs, other than Mr Masagos, are Senior Minister of State Dr Koh Poh Koon, Mayor of North East District Desmond Choo and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng.
Former Tampines MP Cheng Li Hui stepped down in 2023 over an extra-marital affair with fellow MP and former Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.
Mr Masagos had earlier introduced Ms Chen as a grassroots leader who would serve the residents of Ms Cheng’s Tampines East ward, and she has been walking the ground with the minister.
On Saturday, Mr Masagos said that he is happy that Mr Neo will be “joining our team”.
“We hope that the final confirmation of the team will be made soon. For now, David has been following us. We’ve been introducing him to various parts of Tampines, following us on house visits and joining us in many events around Tampines,” he said.
“We’re happy that he’s making his rounds and getting himself familiar with the residents.”
Mr Neo, 47, stepped down as Chief of Army in March, sparking speculation that he will contest in the 2025 General Election. He has been spotted in Tampines on walkabouts with Mr Baey.
