SINGAPORE, June 25 — The opposition Workers’ Party announced today that it would contest in four Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and two Single-Member Constituencies (SMCs). These are:

* Aljunied GRC

* Marine Parade GRC

* East Coast GRC

* Sengkang GRC

* Hougang SMC

* Punggol West SMC

It will field 21 candidates across these wards in the July 10 polls.

This is fewer than its last outing at the polls in 2015, when the party contested five GRCs and five SMCs and fielded 28 candidates.

In the 2015 General Election (GE), WP had also contested MacPherson SMC, Jalan Besar GRC and Nee Soon GRC.

Some of the wards that the WP had contested in that year — Punggol East SMC, Sengkang West SMC and Fengshan SMC — have since been absorbed into surrounding GRCs.

In the last polls, the WP retained Aljunied GRC with 50.96 per cent of the vote and Hougang SMC with 57.66 per cent.

It has held Aljunied GRC since 2011 and the Hougang seat since 1991.

The party made these announcements during an online press conference this afternoon.

On why WP is contesting fewer seats in the coming GE, WP secretary-general Pritam Singh said: "We have put the best candidates that we can find forward and we wanted to represent Singapore and represent them well.

“If we can find more candidates who are better, of course we can consider fielding more seats.”

In the press conference today, WP also introduced its first slate of four candidates, including marketing firm associate director Nicole Seah, who gained prominence as a National Solidarity Party candidate in 2011.

This GE is party chief Pritam Singh’s first as secretary-general after he took over the top post from veteran politician Low Thia Khiang in 2018.

Low, along with fellow outgoing Members of Parliament Chen Show Mao and Png Eng Huat, will not be contesting in the coming polls, Singh announced today.

Asked how WP will approach this election differently, given he is at the helm for the first time, Singh said that he has taken part in two GEs and two by-elections in various capacities.

At every election, the party fights hard to persuade Singaporeans to cast their vote for WP.

“That is because we want to serve as a credible opposition in Parliament. And that means bringing a rational and responsible debate into Parliament so as to represent the interests of all Singaporeans,” he said.

He acknowledged that it would be a tough fight at the polls, and the party would have to campaign very hard.

“But I am looking forward to it, like the rest of the Workers’ Party.” — TODAY