The opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has contested Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in the last three elections, but it is unsure if it can assemble a four-member team to field in the constituency for the upcoming polls.
SDP chairman Paul Tambyah, speaking on the sidelines of a dialogue with Bukit Panjang residents on April 8 at Pang Sua Pond, said the party is still weighing its options.
He said: "We are exploring all possibilities and evaluating whether we have enough good candidates, and whether we would be able to give the residents of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC a good choice, or whether we should yield to another party that may be focused on that particular area or region."
The SDP is still interviewing potential candidates both within and outside the party, he added.
Professor Tambyah, a senior consultant in infectious diseases at the National University Hospital, said: "There are some very qualified people who are coming and talking to us, and we may not know them well, so we need to do quick chats and interviews."
He added that SDP has received calls from secretaries-general of two other political parties keen on contesting the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, and talks are still ongoing.
He said: "We need to try and understand who they're going to be putting forward. Ultimately, all the parties want what's best for the residents."
When asked why SDP is focusing its energies on Sembawang instead of Holland-Bukit Timah this time, Prof Tambyah said SDP has had a presence in the north of Singapore since 2006, when it first contested the constituency. The SDP lost, with 23.3 per cent of the vote.
Holland-Bukit Timah GRC is often called the "rich man's ward" because of the predominance of multimillion-dollar landed homes and high-end condominiums in the area.
In each of the last three electoral contests between the PAP and SDP in the constituency, the PAP came out on top. In 2020, PAP won 66.36 per cent of the vote and in 2015, it won 66.6 per cent. In 2011, the PAP got 60.08 per cent of votes.
Prof Tambyah in March declared his interest in contesting the Bukit Panjang single seat held by Mr Liang Eng Hwa, who entered Parliament in the 2006 polls.
Prof Tambyah faced off against Mr Liang at the 2020 polls in a closely watched contest, which the PAP candidate won with 53.74 per cent of the vote.
The PAP and the SDP have faced off four times since the Bukit Panjang single seat was carved out of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in 2006, with the PAP winning every time.
With 33,566 voters, Bukit Panjang is the largest single-member constituency in this year's polls.
Prof Tambyah said residents have raised issues such as lift upgrading, transport connectivity and crows in the constituency.
When asked how confident he is about his chances, he said: "Even though the odds are stacked against us, we will definitely try our very best."
For the coming polls, the SDP has staked a claim for Sembawang GRC and Sembawang West SMC, both of which could see a three-cornered fight, since the National Solidarity Party (NSP) has also indicated its interest in Sembawang.
Prof Tambyah said SDP chief Chee Soon Juan and the Sembawang team will be meeting the NSP some time this week for discussions, but SDP is "extremely unlikely" to pull out of the two constituencies.
