SINGAPORE - The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) made surprise changes to its line-up, with several candidates turning up at nomination centres for constituencies other than the ones where they conducted walkabouts.
The party's expected Marsiling-Yew Tee team saw two last-minute additions.
Former civil servant Benjamin Pwee, who has been conducting walkabouts in the single seat ward of Yuhua, turned up at the nomination centre for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC instead.
The business development strategist, 52, was with the SDP team in Marsiling-Yew Tee on the morning of Nomination Day.
When asked, Mr Pwee stopped short of confirming his plans but said residents will see much more of him over the next few days.
Mr Khung Wai Yeen, a 38-year-old account manager who contested Bukit Panjang SMC in 2015, was also added to the team this morning.
Other SDP candidates for Marsiling-Yew Tee present at the nomination centre at Chongfu School are: Mr Bryan Lim, 43, an assistant director at a local hospital and Mr Damanhuri Abas, 49, an education consultant.
Meanwhile, over in Yuhua, fellow SDP member Robin Low, who was expected to be part of the SDP's Holland-Bukit Timah GRC team, was nominated in Mr Pwee's place. The 44-year-old entrepreneur was spotted having breakfast at a coffee shop near Nan Hua High School nomination centre. When asked if he would be fielded in Yuhua SMC, he smiled and nodded.
In 2015, the SDP team in Marsiling-Yew Tee featuring Mr Bryan Lim and Mr Damanhuri was defeated by the PAP team led by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong and Madam Halimah Yacob, who has since become President. The SDP team got 31.27 per cent of the vote.
The slew of changes to the SDP slate is said to have been triggered by the addition of former presidential hopeful Tan Jee Say, who rejoined the party recently after dissolving his own Singaporeans First (SingFirst) party. Mr Tan turned up with the SDP's Holland-Bukit Timah GRC team at the nomination centre for the constituency.
SDP chairman Paul Tambyah, thought to be leading the party's "A" team in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, was nominated in Bukit Panjang SMC.
