YOUNG NTUC executive secretary Steve Tan, has dropped out of the
race. The 37-year-old, who was expected to be fielded in Tampines
GRC to take over from outgoing MP Ong Kian Min, said on Wednesday:
'It's a personal decision, and a hard one.'
The Nanyang Technological University business graduate joined
NTUC in a marketing position in 2001. When introduced as a
candidate last month, he had said that he sees being an 'ordinary
guy' as a strength.
'When I'm doing my union work, this is one aspect I love: I hang
out at the same places and do the same things as my workers... we
eat roti prata at Jalan Kayu together,' he said. 'It will make it
easier for me to relate to voters.'
He had also said he will be able to connect most with Mandarin-
and dialect-speaking residents due to his 'bilingual and bicultural
background'. He has been involved in xinyao, Singapore's Chinese
folk-pop music scene, since his secondary school days.
