SINGAPORE — The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) unveiled two fresh faces on Sunday (Aug 4), as its secretary-general Chee Soon Juan said the opposition party is “seriously considering” fielding younger candidates for the next General Election.

They are 32-year-old community associate Fadly Azad and 34-year-old Min Cheong, a marketing and communications professional.

Both were introduced to the media during an SDP walkabout at Yuhua Village Market and Food Centre in Jurong East on Sunday.

Also spotted at the walkabout was civil rights activist Jolovan Wham, 39, who told TODAY he had become more active in the party after stepping down as executive director of migrant worker welfare group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics.

Mr Wham said he is now part of the party’s Young Democrats arm, which currently has about 40 participants, as well.

On his potential involvement as a candidate in the upcoming elections, Mr Wham would only say: “Nothing is certain but death and taxes.”

Mr Fadly and Ms Cheong said they stepped up their participation as they both felt the “compassionate” policies put forward by the party resonated with them.

For instance, earlier this year the party announced its plans to tackle cost-of-living issues, which include a proposal to cut ministerial pay to fund assistance schemes for the poor, and raising the income tax for the richest 1 per cent of the population, among other ideas.

Mr Fadly has been volunteering with the party since 2016 and started actively serving in the party’s Young Democrats a few months ago. Ms Cheong who started volunteering in 2011 joined the party’s women’s wing earlier this year.

Dr Chee said that the SDP is “seriously considering” fielding young faces in the next General Election since a “very able” group of young members have stepped up, although he stopped short of announcing Mr Fadly and Ms Cheong as candidates.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the walkabout, he said that the SDP’s young members are “going to make a big difference” in the next GE — which must be held by April 2021.

Dr Chee said: “They are going to be the dynamo. They are going to be energetic. They are going to be really passionate about what they do.”

He believes that the next GE could be called anytime between late this year and early next year.

SDP central executive committee member Damanhuri Abas also said that the involvement of more youths in the SDP is “an indication of the change that is happening on the ground”.

“(The young) are no longer afraid. They want to be heard,” the 50-year-old said, adding that this is a good sign for the future of Singapore.

The media engagement came two days after the SDP announced that it will target the same five constituencies it contested in the 2015 GE — in which it failed to win any seats, garnering 31.23 per cent of the vote.

They are Holland-Bukit Timah and Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituencies and single wards Bukit Batok, Yuhua and Bukit Panjang.