S1E38: Partners in life and politics: PSP’s Hazel Poa and Tony Tan on GE2025

They touch on why young voters should speak up now at this stage in their lives.

Synopsis: The Usual Place host and ST correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people. 

In the lead-up to Singapore's next general election that will be held on May 3, 2025, Natasha looks at how MPs, and others involved, are preparing themselves.

Progress Singapore Party’s Hazel Poa and Tony Tan have quite a bit in common.

They were both government scholarship holders who graduated from the University of Cambridge. They were both public servants, and both got their starts in politics with opposition parties.

They also happen to be married to each other. The other similarity between them is that they are both standing in the upcoming general election.

Ms Poa, 54, is part of the opposition PSP team that will be fielded in the newly formed West Coast-Jurong West GRC, together with PSP chairman Tan Cheng Bock, 84, and party chief Leong Mun Wai, 65.

Former National Solidarity Party (NSP) member Tony Tan, 55, will be standing in Kebun Baru SMC under the PSP banner.

Ms Poa and Mr Tan drop by The Usual Place Podcast to chat with Natasha a day before Nomination Day (April 23).

They discuss their political motivations and PSP’s thinking behind a change in plans on where to be fielded for GE2025.

They also share how they are trying to attract younger candidates to join the party, and why the couple are choosing to be foster parents now.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:00 Ms Poa on the party strategy to be fielded in a GRC instead of being in an SMC

5:00 Mr Tan on previously contesting under the National Solidarity Party banner in GE2011 and now representing PSP for GE2025

8:40 Why education is close to both their hearts

13:50 Being a former Singapore Armed Forces scholar could have led him down a different political path, so why did Mr Tan join an opposition party?

17:10 Ms Poa on leadership experience and roles in an opposition party

18:10 On becoming foster parents during this busy period besides having adopted sons

25:00 On the challenge of drawing younger candidates to PSP, what could be a gamechanger? On younger voters

Host: Natasha Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

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Filmed by: ST Video (Joel Chng and Marc Justin De Souza)

Edited by ST Podcast producers: Teo Tong Kai & Eden Soh

Shorts edited by ST Video: Johnboy Iype John & Philip Cheong

ST Podcasts executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

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