Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was re-elected to Parliament uncontested today, despite the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) all set to face greater challenges from the opposition in the upcoming general election (GE).

According to the General Elections Department, one electoral division was uncontested when nominations for the 27 constituencies closed at 12.30pm on nomination day today.

The department said for the 26 contested electoral divisions, polling will be held on May 7.

azlan This GE will see straight fights in group representation constituencies (GRC) or (parliamentary seat), except for Tanjong Pagar GRC, which PAP won uncontested.

Lee, 87, and four other PAP members contesting the Tanjong Pagar GRC were declared the nly qualified candidates after an opposition party failed to beat the noon deadline for filing their nomination papers.

In a thank-you speech reported by the local television channel, Channel NewsAsia, Lee gave his assurance he would serve his Tanjong Pagar residents for the next five years.

Since 1991, Lee has not faced a contest. He said he would have welcomed a contest in Tanjong Pagar but the papers by the opposition team were not filed by noon.

The other four members in the Tanjong Pagar GRC are Indranee Rajah, Dr Lily Neo, new faces Maj-Gen (NS) Chan Chun Sing and Dr Chia Shi Lu.

NONE Ang Mo Kio GRC, headed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be challenged by a Reform Party slate.

There will be a three-way fight at Punggol East single-member constituencies (SMC) involving PAP candidate Michael Palmer, Workers’ Party's Lee Li Lian and the Singapore Democratic Alliance’s secretary-general Desmond Lim.

In Aljunied GRC, the Workers’ Party (WP) is fielding party leaders Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim, and members Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal and Pritam Singh.

Their opponents are PAP’s George Yeo, Lim Hwee Hua, Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Cynthia Phua and Ong Ye Kung.

Seven parties contesting

Among the parties contesting are PAP, National Solidarity Party (NSP), Reform Party (RP), Workers’ Party (WP), Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) and Singapore People’s Party (SPP).

Candidates fielded by party: PAP (87), NSP (24), WP (23), RP (11), SDP (11), SDA (seven), SPP (seven).

GRC contests - Ang Mo Kio (PAP verses RP), Aljunied (PAP vs WP), Bishan-Toa Payoh (PAP vs SPP), Chua Chu Kang (PAP vs NSP, East Coast (PAP vs Workers Party (WP), Holland-Bukit Timah (PAP vs SDP), Jurong (PAP vs NSP), Marine Parade (PAP vs NSP), Moulmein-Kallang (PAP vs WP), Nee Soon (PAP vs WP), Pasir Ris-Punggol (PAP vs SDA), Sembawang (PAP vs SDP), Tampines (PAP vs NSP), West Coast (PAP vs RP).

SMCs contests - Bukit Panjang (PAP vs SDP), Hong Kah North (PAP vs SPP), Hougang (PAP vs WP), Joo Chiat (PAP vs WP), Mountbatten (PAP vs NSP), Pioneer (PAP vs NSP), Potong Pasir (PAP vs SPP), Punggol East (PAP vs SDA vs WP), Radin  Mas (PAP vs NSP), Sengkang West (PAP vs WP), Whampoa (PAP vs NSP), Yuhua (PAP vs SDP).

- Bernama