PAP Lists Ministers Siow, Lau as Recommended Candidates

First-term ministers Jeffrey Siow and Jasmin Lau join Zaqy Mohamad on a recommended candidate list for the People’s Action Party Central Executive Committee. More than 2,000 party cadres gather at the Singapore Expo on October 25, 2026, to vote for the top leadership body.

The People’s Action Party has published its list of 19 recommended candidates for the Central Executive Committee ahead of the party’s biennial conference at the Singapore Expo on October 25, 2026. More than 2,000 inner-circle cadres are casting votes to shape the party’s leadership for the next two years.

First-Term Ministers Enter the CEC Candidate Roster

Fresh faces have broken into the ruling party’s top leadership recommendations. Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow and Acting Manpower Minister Jasmin Lau have secured spots on the 19-member candidate slate. Both figures entered Parliament as first-term MPs following the 2025 general election and received cabinet promotions during a ministerial reshuffle in July.

PAP Lists Ministers Siow, Lau as Recommended Candidates — Photo: Straitstimes

They are joined by Zaqy Mohamad. While Mr Zaqy was co-opted into the CEC earlier, he was absent from the candidate list during the previous party vote in 2024. Observers point out that Mr Zaqy may succeed Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli as party vice-chairman, potentially creating room for newer Malay-Muslim leaders to build their profiles.

Core Leadership and Cadre Voting Mechanics

Cadres are encouraged to support a core group of seven established figures on the ballot: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Lee Hsien Loong, Desmond Lee, Chan Chun Sing, Masagos Zulkifli, K. Shanmugam, and Grace Fu. The remaining candidate slots feature Alex Yam, Chee Hong Tat, Edwin Tong, Indranee Rajah, Josephine Teo, Ong Ye Kung, Sim Ann, Tan See Leng, and Vivian Balakrishnan.

Following the ballot, the top 12 vote-getters secure seats on the governing committee. By custom, the newly formed body will co-opt the next two highest vote-getters alongside another four members, bringing the committee to its maximum capacity of 18 before assigning internal roles such as chairman and treasurer.

Co-Opting Non-MPs to Maintain Ties

In a social media video message released on October 24, the party secretary-general framed the gathering as a vital moment for organizational renewal.

I look forward to working with a team that brings experience as well as fresh perspectives as we prepare the party for our work ahead.

Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister and PAP Secretary-General

Analysts also expect the party to continue its practice of co-opting non-MPs into the top leadership to maintain ties with voters in constituencies where the party does not hold elected seats. Historical examples include Mr Ng Chee Meng and Mr Victor Lye following the 2020 General Election, and Mr Alex Yeo in 2022, all of whom subsequently won parliamentary seats.