Two new women candidates from the People's Action Party (PAP) are set to be fielded in Sembawang GRC for the general election on July 10.
They are Ms Poh Li San, Changi Airport Group's vice-president for Terminal 5 Planning, and Ms Mariam Jaafar, Singapore managing director and partner at the Boston Consulting Group.
Education Minister Ong Ye Kung unveiled the PAP's Sembawang team in a video posted on Saturday night, which paid tribute to Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
Mr Khaw is retiring from politics after anchoring the PAP team in Sembawang GRC for 14 years.
In his post, Mr Ong said the Sembawang GRC slate was a five-man team when he joined in 2015.
"When the team was introduced publicly, Mr Khaw Boon Wan described it as the 'boy band'. Our lead singer has retired, and we have inducted two new lady candidates. We now look more like ABBA...+1," he said, referring to the Swedish pop group, which has two men and two women.
"We share the belief that Sembawang can be a very special place in Singapore, and must build upon the achievements of our predecessors," he wrote.
Ms Poh, 44, a former helicopter pilot with the Republic of Singapore Air Force, replaces Mr Khaw in his Sembawang ward.
Ms Mariam, 43, takes over from Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health Amrin Amin in his Woodlands ward.
Mr Amrin is expected to move to the new Sengkang GRC.
Mr Ong will helm the PAP's five-member slate in Sembawang, which also comprises lawyer Vikram Nair and ophthalmologist Lim Wee Kiak.
They are set to face off against the National Solidarity Party (NSP), which contested the constituency in the 2015 election.
NSP secretary-general Spencer Ng will be leading the party's Sembawang team in the upcoming polls. The Straits Times understands the NSP line-up also includes businessman Ivan Yeo Tiong Boon, consultancy firm managing director Sebastian Teo, business development director Yadzeth Hairis and business owner Sathin Ravindran.
Mr Ng, a business consultant, and Mr Yadzeth ran in Sembawang GRC in 2015.
That year, the PAP team won 72.28 per cent of the vote, against the NSP.
Ms Poh and Ms Mariam were officially introduced by the party last week. Ms Poh is vice-chairman of the Sembawang Citizens' Consultative Committee and Ms Mariam is vice-chairman of the Woodlands Community Club management committee.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr Khaw said that Mr Ong has "worked tirelessly to get to know residents, plug into the local networks, gained their trust and expanded it" over the last few years.
He called on Sembawang residents to support Mr Ong's team. "With GE2020, the opportunity is there for the new team led by Ye Kung, to take Sembawang to even greater heights."
