GE2025: PAP’s Hougang candidate Marshall Lim told party leadership he wanted to contest opposition ward (2025)

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SINGAPORE - For PAP candidate Marshall Lim, contesting an opposition-held seat was a challenge he relished.

He told the party leadership that he was prepared and willing to take up that challenge, and they supported his decision.

Despite knowing the odds stacked against him, Mr Lim is determined to show Hougang residents he is sincere about serving them.

The 38-year-old is contesting Hougang SMC, a WP stronghold that is the longest-held opposition constituency in Singapore’s electoral history.

It has been in WP hands since former party chief Low Thia Khiang won it in 1991.

The incumbent MP, shipping lawyer Dennis Tan, 54, secured 61.21 per cent of the vote in the 2020 election – higher than his predecessor, Mr Png Eng Huat, who scored 57.66 per cent in 2015.

On April 24, Mr Lim greeted residents at a bus stop along Hougang Avenue 3 from 7.30am to about 9am during a walkabout.

Speaking to The Straits Times later, he said: “When I was exploring the possibility of stepping into politics, the one thing I told myself was my commitment to politics must include the commitment to stand in an opposition ward.

“And I told (party) leadership very clearly that I was prepared and willing because I don’t discriminate when it comes to service.”

Before joining the PAP, Mr Lim was a criminal lawyer with experience in both public and private practice.

From 2023 to 2025, he served as the assistant chief public defender in the Public Defender’s Office (PDO).

The PDO, launched in 2022, provides government-funded defence counsel to low-income Singaporeans and permanent residents accused of non-capital offences.

Mr Lim, who is a partner at local law firm Martin & Partners, said: “My practice as a criminal lawyer has always been about serving people. I chose criminal law because I wanted to touch the lives of ordinary Singaporeans in a very direct way.”

He is passionate about ensuring people with invisible disabilities, such as mental illnesses and special needs, have access to justice.

He felt that joining the PAP would allow him to serve more Singaporeans.

He was appointed chairman of the PAP’s Hougang branch in February, replacing business owner Jackson Lam, who is now one of the party’s candidates contesting Nee Soon GRC.

Since then, Mr Lim has been engaging Hougang residents at events and house visits, and intends to continue doing so throughout the campaign period.

While on his walkabout, he asked residents to follow him on social media – his main channel of communication.

For elderly residents who are less technologically savvy, Mr Lim said he listens to their concerns during his walkabouts and house visits.

He said: “Campaigning is not single-faceted. I want to hear everyone, so I have to use different mechanisms to reach them.

“For the elderly, they are usually at home in the evenings, so that is when I connect with them. It is more direct and more personal.”

When asked about his chances against Mr Tan, Mr Lim replied: “The incumbent will be judged based on what he has done over the past five years, and for new candidates like myself, the assessment will be based on my sincerity.”

• Claudia Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times covering the crime and court beat.

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