In comparison to their predecessors in the 2011 General Election (GE), the latest batch of People’s Action Party (PAP) new faces are more diverse in terms of their backgrounds, and this suggests that the ruling party has taken a deliberate attempt to draw candidates from sources apart from their usual hunting ground, political analysts said yesterday.

The median age of the new candidates this time round is also higher, and the analysts felt that the PAP was mindful of not trotting out candidates who are too young, and could be deemed as too rough around the edges.

Over a period of slightly more than two weeks — between August 12 and last Friday — the PAP formally introduced its total slate of 89 candidates, including 21 who will be taking part in their maiden elections.

… Associate Professor Alan Chong of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies felt that, in general, the profiles of the new candidates fit those in the sandwich class, and would allow the PAP to “articulate its own views on how Singaporeans should cope with a global economy”. The new faces could also serve as role models that voters in that age range can relate to, he said.