WP’s Lee Li Lian banks on experience as party activist

SINGAPORE: She’s a familiar face to residents of Punggol East, having stood as a candidate in the ward in the 2011 General Election.

After days of speculation, 34—year—old Lee Li Lian emerged as the opposition Workers’ Party’s (WP) choice for the by—election.

Under the Workers’ Party ticket, she took home about 41 per cent of valid votes in a three—cornered fight with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) in the 2011 General Election.

Like her PAP opponent, she too projected herself as a humble heartlander when she was introduced as a candidate for this by—election. "I grew up in a three—room HDB flat on Lorong Lew Lian, I’m happily married to a telecommunications consultant."

Since the last election, Ms Lee has been helping Aljunied MP Pritam Singh during his Meet—the—People (MPS) session as his legislative assistant.

Ms Lee said: "Very disciplined and proper time management is one thing that I’ve learnt because Grassroots work is not just organising outreach, (but) also executing MPS, getting letters ready, and that experience at MPS, really opened up my eyes even bigger to be able to see the different types of hardships, the different types of problems and what are some of the common problems Singaporeans are facing."

She’s been with the Workers’ Party for six years, having served in its Youth Wing and is now its deputy treasurer.

Despite focusing much of her energy in Aljunied since the last election, Ms Lee said she still keeps in touch with Punggol residents.

She said: "Actually from time to time, I do visit Punggol East and some of the residents there, we still keep in contact, some of them actually in fact they became our volunteers, and we work closely with them, maybe like twice a year, when we have like the Hari Raya Open House and things like that, they would invite me along."

If elected, she said she would raise the concerns of young couples, single parents and elderly folks.

— CNA/ck