GE2025: WP introduces another 4 new faces, including IMH psychologist Ong Lue Ping
Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh and chairman Sylvia Lim (seated in centre) with new candidates (from left) Jimmy Tan, Alexis Dang, Andre Low and Ong Lue Ping at the party's Geylang headquarters on April 18. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
SINGAPORE – The WP on April 18 unveiled another four new candidates it plans to field in the general election, without disclosing where they will be deployed.
The four candidates set to make their electoral debut on May 3 are:
- Dr Ong Lue Ping, 48, a senior principal clinical psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH);
- Mr Andre Low Wu Yang, 34, a staff project manager at a global fintech company;
- Ms Alexis Dang Pei Yuan, 39, a senior director at global advertising tech firm Teads;
- Mr Jimmy Tan, 53, co-founder of an industrial equipment supplying firm.
Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh and party chair Sylvia Lim introduced the four candidates at a press conference.
The Straits Times expects WP to contest about 31 out of 97 parliamentary seats this election, based on party sources and where potential candidates have been active.
The opposition party is expected to field 17 first-time candidates in 2025 – a record for WP. Eight have been confirmed so far in the last two days at WP’s headquarters in Geylang.
The party is expected to introduce more candidates over the next few days.
The four candidates set to make their electoral debut on May 3 are (clockwise from top left) Mr Jimmy Tan, Ms Alexis Dang Pei Yuan, Dr Ong Lue Ping and Mr Andre Low. PHOTOS: WORKERS’ PARTY
1. Dr Ong Lue Ping, 48
Dr Ong Lue Ping has been touted as one of the opposition’s “star catches”. He was previously IMH’s director of allied health from 2022 to 2024 – among 10 of its most senior leaders – and is now its senior principal clinical psychologist, having worked there for 22 years.
In February, he was seen walking the ground in the newly created Punggol GRC alongside three-time WP candidate and former Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong. He has volunteered as a case writer for incumbent Hougang SMC MP Dennis Tan since 2023.
A father of three teenagers, aged between 14 and 19, Dr Ong said he had given up his leadership position at IMH to join WP as he came to feel that “only the privileged in society get to sail in calm waters while most ordinary Singaporeans sail in bumboats”.
He called for more socially just and equitable policies. “Every day, my colleagues and I fight tooth and nail to help our patients overcome their emotional struggles, but we often feel helpless in the face of systemic challenges affecting the mental health of our patients.
“This is why I think it is time for me to step up to also address the structural challenges which affect the mental health of our Singaporeans in Parliament.”
Dr Ong is advocating for an optional 10-year through-train programme that would exempt students from having to sit the PSLE, which would leave more time for “joyful learning and creative thinking”. The policy was proposed in WP’s manifesto, which was released on April 17.
Ms Lim, who is a lawyer, said a personal highlight for her was also Dr Ong’s role between 2020 and 2023 as panel adviser of the youth court relating to children and young persons.
2. Mr Andre Low, 34
Mr Andre Low is a lawyer-turned-tech professional and now strategy consultant at Boston Consulting Group. He has had ample experience in consumer start-ups, and has also worked at Amazon as a technical programme manager.
He joined WP in 2020, and was appointed secretarial assistant to Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua immediately after the election, despite having joined the party for just a month then. Mr Low called it a “trial by fire”.
The only child of two teachers, he said his parents had taught him never to take the status quo for granted. He himself will soon become a father, which he said has spurred him to take on a more active role in building a “better Singapore for our future generations”.
Working for the party has given him the opportunity to interact with those who are less privileged, including single parents who struggle with juggling work and childcare duties, and elderly Singaporeans who cannot navigate the complex healthcare system.
“For every resident that we’ve managed to help, there’s another that we cannot do much for. Every one of these left me feeling a little bit trapped. I’ve seen first-hand how policies can impact real people and real lives,” Mr Low said.
3. Ms Alexis Dang, 39
Ms Alexis Dang started her career in banking, then switched to the technology industry in 2017, leading partnerships with media owners and helping them attract traffic at global advertising tech firm Teads.
Before that, she was a relationship manager in wealth management and private banking for 6½ years.
Ms Dang, who was born in Singapore and spent her childhood in Taiwan, said she cares most about education, especially bilingual education. She helps the WP translate its parliamentary speeches from English to Mandarin, and also hosts and plans its annual Chinese New Year dinners.
She said she decided to join the WP because she believes Singapore has “reached a stage of civic maturity”.
“It’s time for more diverse, more ground-up voices to be heard in Parliament. Volunteering with the party, I’ve been inspired by its dedication, commitment and courage to serve.”
4. Mr Jimmy Tan, 53
Mr Jimmy Tan joined WP as a volunteer in 2018 and became secretarial assistant to Mr Singh in 2023. He helped to oversee weekly Meet-The-People Sessions and organised estatewide events, before becoming a legislative assistant at the start of 2025.
He is co-founder of Immanuel Engineering, a family-run business that supplies industrial equipment. There has been speculation that he will be
fielded in Tampines GRC, where he will be part of a team challenging for five seats against a PAP team led by Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli.
Mr Tan, a father of two daughters, said his political awakening came in 2016 when the Government passed a constitutional amendment that raised the eligibility criteria for candidates contesting the presidential election. “No political party has the monopoly on wisdom,” he said.
The one-time winner of Chinese singing competition Golden Age Talentime in 2023 added that the main concerns he has received from residents are those of high housing, university and healthcare costs.
