New face for PAP's Sengkang East branch
The People’s Action Party (PAP) has appointed Mrs Bernadette Giam, 38, as the new chairperson of its Sengkang East branch to replace Mr Marcus Loh.
The food and beverage (F&B) entrepreneur took over on Jan 23. Mr Loh had been the branch’s chairman since Nov 1, 2023.
Mrs Giam and her sister, Ms Bonnie Wong, run Creative Eateries, a local small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), which owns brands such as Suki-ya, Bangkok Jam and Barossa Steak & Grill. They are the daughters of Mr Anthony Wong, founder of Hot Stones Steak and Seafood Restaurant.
Mrs Giam is a director of the F&B SME, where she works in corporate planning, managing strategic initiatives and business development.
She joins PAP’s Sengkang slate, which is helmed by Dr Lam Pin Min, branch chairman of Sengkang West. Two new faces, Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat and Ms Theodora Lai, are also part of the team.
The party said in a statement that Mrs Giam has been involved in community volunteer work, including with its Women’s Wing, for more than a decade.
She served on the Women’s Register of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations from 2016 to 2022, where she connected young women with female industry leaders.
She is currently an executive committee member of the Singapore Business Federation’s Young Business Leaders Network.
In a Facebook post on Jan 23, Mr Loh said he had asked to step down.
“The role carries immense responsibilities, and I’ve made the difficult decision to step back to focus on keeping well for my family,” said Mr Loh, a director at digital transformation company Temus.
“I am thankful to Bernadette for stepping up and have every confidence in her leadership,” he added.
In its statement, the PAP thanked Mr Loh for his service, adding that he continues to serve elsewhere in the party.
Dr Lam said in a Facebook post that Mr Loh was an invaluable member of the team, “contributing significantly to our effort to engage and win back the hearts and minds of #SengkangGRC residents”.
“We acknowledge the time and commitment as branch chairs can be demanding and often place a significant toll on our lives and we understand and respect Marcus’ request to step down as branch chairman,” wrote Dr Lam.
“I am confident that Bernadette will be a fantastic addition to my team and I certainly look forward to her contributions to our mission of serving Sengkang GRC residents wholeheartedly,” he added.
Mrs Giam said on a newly created Facebook profile page that she was honoured to step into the role.
“Grateful for the solid groundwork laid by Marcus Loh and for the support from all the passionate activists and volunteers I’ve met so far,” she added.
This is not the first time the PAP’s slate in Sengkang, and particularly its Sengkang East branch, has changed. Mr Loh had taken over from lawyer Ling Weihong, who was branch chairman from March 2022 to November 2023.
The new Sengkang slate announcement comes a day after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee was formed, in the lead-up to the next general election, which must be held by November.
The PAP lost Sengkang GRC to the Workers’ Party (WP) in 2020, with WP taking 52.13 per cent of the vote.
The PAP team then comprised Mr Ng Chee Meng, Dr Lam, Mr Amrin Amin and Mr Raymond Lye.
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