38-year-old criminal lawyer Marshall Lim has been officially introduced as the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate for Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC) in the coming General Election.
Hougang has been held by the opposition Workers’ Party (WP) for more than 30 years, but Mr Lim says he’s ready to serve with sincerity and focus on what residents really care about.
Who is Marshall Lim?
Mr Lim is a criminal lawyer and used to be a Deputy Public Prosecutor at the Attorney-General’s Chambers. He also worked as an assistant chief public defender, helping people who couldn’t afford legal help.
Now, he is a partner at the law firm Martin & Partners. His background in both prosecution and defence gives him a balanced view of justice and fairness, which he says he wants to bring into politics.
He took over as PAP’s Hougang branch chairman in February this year, replacing Jackson Lam.
Why he joined politics
At a press conference at the PAP Hougang branch office, Mr Lim said politics felt like a “natural choice” because of his passion for public service. He said:
“I am a fighter, and I want to take that ethos of public service, what I’ve learnt doing years of advocacy in the courtroom, I want to bring that with me into my political journey.”
He added that he believes people can change for the better and that everyone deserves to be heard.
What he wants to focus on
Mr Lim said he is aware that Hougang has a strong opposition history, but he doesn’t feel held back by it.
Instead, he wants to connect with residents sincerely and focus on solving real issues on the ground. For example, some residents told him they are unhappy about the cleanliness of the estate.
He said he is working on practical solutions and will share more plans soon.
Part of a bigger plan
Mr Lim is one of more than 30 new faces the PAP is expected to field in GE2025. This will be one of the biggest batches of new candidates the party has introduced in recent years, according to Prime Minister and PAP Secretary-General Lawrence Wong.
So yes, all eyes will be on Hougang this GE. Will Marshall Lim be able to turn the tide for PAP after three decades? Let’s see.
