PAP party leadership renewal rests on co-option next, with four spots to fill on top committee

First-term Singapore ministers Jeffrey Siow and Jasmin Lau have been included in the list of recommended candidates for the People's Action Party's (PAP) top leadership body during the upcoming party election on October 25. Siow, who serves as the Transport Minister, and Lau, serving as the Acting Minister for Manpower, are among the 19 candidates suggested for the central executive committee (CEC). The other candidate is Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Zaqy Mohamad.

Siow and Lau were promoted in a recent Cabinet reshuffle in July, with Zaqy being appointed as acting minister just prior to that. While Zaqy was co-opted into the CEC for the previous vote in 2024, he is now on the list of candidates for the upcoming vote. The list also includes seven core members - Lawrence Wong, Lee Hsien Loong, Desmond Lee, Chan Chun Sing, Masagos Zulkifli, K. Shanmugam, and Grace Fu - whom cadres are encouraged to vote for.

A total of over 2,000 cadres, forming the party's inner circle, will cast their votes at the party's biennial conference held at the Singapore Expo on October 25. The top 12 vote-getters will form the top leadership body for the next two years, with the next two highest vote-getters being co-opted as per custom. The top leadership body will also distribute roles such as chairman and treasurer among its members, and usually co-opts another four members to reach its maximum size of 18.

This follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's statement on October 24, where he emphasized the importance of the PAP conference for party leadership renewal. In a video message, Wong said he looks forward to working with a team that brings both experience and fresh perspectives as the party prepares for its future work.