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| NG How Yue |
They include the first Malay-Muslim candidate and the youngest PAP candidate among the total of nine introduced so far. The trio introduced on Monday afternoon are Mr Zainal Sapari, 46, an educator; Ms Tin Pei Ling, 27, a business consultant; and Mr Gan Thiam Poh, 48, a banker with DBS.
PAP chairman Lim Boon Heng, who introduced the candidates at the PAP headquarters, said the most important quality the party looked for in new candidates was their commitment to serve the public.
He added that in the search for new candidates, the party had adopted a 'broad-based' approach to encourage 'robustness of debate' within the party.
Ms Tin, a senior associate with Ernst & Young, and Mr Gan, a senior vice-president with DBS' Institutional Banking Group, were selected in part for their many years of service to the public, Mr Lim said. Their names were among the list of potential members which the party considered from its various branches. Both began their grassroots work as members of the party's Youth Wing.
Mr Sapari, currently an NTUC Director (Special Duty, Industrial Relations), was chosen for his record as an educator in primary education for nearly 20 years. He was a superintendent and currently also serves on the Joint Madrasah Education Panel.
All three candidates are married and - except Ms Tin - have young children. Both Mr Gan and Mr Sapari said they grew up in low-income families and pointed to helping the needy as a major component of their political agenda. Ms Tin said she would focus on youth and elderly issues.
At the news conference, Mr Lim also thanked outgoing party members and said they would be thanked individually and collectively at the right time.
Third batch of PAP candidates:
Youngest candidate, banker and an educator
Ms Tin Pei Ling, 27
* A senior associate associate with Ernst & Young Advisory, she will be one of the youngest People's Action Party (PAP) candidates to contest in the coming polls. Before her, the youngest fielded by PAP in 1976, was former Speaker Tan Soon Khoon, also at age 27 years.
* Married to covil servant Ng How Yue, she has been deeply involved in grassroots and community work for seven years since she was 21.
* Chaired the organising committee of the National Youth Forum 2006 and was a member of the 5th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Youth 2007 Youth Organising Committee and YOG Youth Engagement Committee.
* An active volunteer in the Ulu Pandan grassroots, where she now serves as the chairperson of the Ulu Pandan Youth executive committee and a member of the community development welfare fund committee.
* Educated in Hwa Chong Junior College and Crescent Girls' School, and later the National University of Singapore with an honours degree in Social Sciences.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh, 48
* Currently senior vice-president of the Institutional Banking Group, DBS Bank.
* Active in grassroots activities since 1996, when he first started volunteering at the Potong Pasir Community Club.
* At Potong Pasir, he is the vice-chairman of both the Citizens' Consultative Committee and the Community Club Management Committee. He was also the Branch Secretary of PAP Potong Pasir Branch.
* A council member of the South East Community Development Council where he serves as a member of its Finance Committee. He is also a committee member of Cedar Primary School's Advisory Committee.
* Graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, Mathematics, Computer Programme and Applications in 1988. He attended Mee Toh Primary School, Hwi Yoh Secondary School and Outram Secondary School.
Mr Zainal Sapari, 46
* Former Ministry of Education (MOE) superintendent, 46, and now an NTUC Director (Special Duty), Industrial Relations.
* Father of six, ranging from four to 18 years, and married for 18 years. Born to a family of seven of a humble background, he studied at St Andrew's Secondary School and Temasek Junior College, and was the only one in his family to go to university on a government teaching bursary.
* After he graduated from the National University of Singapore with Second Class Honours, he taught in Tampines Secondary School for 10 years from 1991, before being posted to East Spring Primary School as vice-principal for two years. In December 2003, after completing the National Institute of Education's Leaders-in-Education Programme, he became principal of Mayflower Primary School until December 2009.
* Obtained a Master of Arts in Educational Management in July 2010 at the Nanyang Technological University where he enrolled in a part-time course.
* Was appointed an Ministry of Education superintendent in 2010 to oversee a cluster of 12 schools, mostly in the Pasir Ris area, prior to joining NTUC in March this year.
* Currently serving on the Joint Madrasah Education Panel.
Sources: http://www.straitstimes.com
