General Election 2025

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GE2025: More opposition voices in Parliament will not weaken the Government, says PSP​

Mr Tan Cheng Bock (centre), Mr Leong Mun Wai (left) and Ms Hazel Poa (background) at Taman Jurong Market on May 1.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

Chin Hui Shan
May 01, 2025,


SINGAPORE - The leaders of the opposition PSP spent the last day of campaigning assuring voters that more opposition voices in Parliament will not weaken the Government and that it will instead result in more robust debates that could ensure policies benefit Singaporeans.

Speaking on May 1 on the sidelines of a walkabout at Boon Lay Place Market - part of the West Coast-Jurong West GRC that PSP is contesting - PSP chairman Tan Cheng Bock said the ruling party’s claims of a weakened Government was “very old”.

With more opposition voices in the Parliament, Dr Tan said, there will be more diverse views and ideas.

The PSP’s NCMPs – party chief Leong Mun Wai and first vice-chair Hazel Poa – have demonstrated through their term in Parliament that they are able to robustly debate policies, he added, saying the PSP was a credible opposition party.

Singapore goes to the polls on May 3. May 2 is Cooling Off Day, and no campaigning is allowed then.

Saying that opposition parties, if voted in, represent the views of the people, Dr Tan added: “You don’t brush it off (and say) that ‘there are too many (opposition) and we’ll be weakened’.”

Mr Leong said that the PAP has lost ministers and GRCs before, but it did not seem to have weakened the Government.

“Would a weak Government be able to pass through or bulldoze the GST (increase) in 2022? It must be a strong Government, with all the power to amend constitutions… So the argument that the minister had about losing some minister or GRC will weaken the government is not quite accurate,” Mr Leong said.

Responding to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung’s comments that a strong opposition is unnecessary and could lead to gridlock in Parliament, Mr Leong said Mr Ong’s comments are “out of this world”. “I think most Singaporeans will agree that there’s a need for more opposition,” Mr Leong said.

When asked about Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s remarks on how opposition parties have been using personal attacks to bring down the PAP, Mr Leong said that PSP does not adopt such a strategy.

“I don’t think there are many comments that are just directed at a person. For one thing, PSP has not adopted such a strategy or said such things,” he said.

He said his comments about Minister for National Development Desmond Lee were “targeted at the fact that he has not responded concretely to some of the policy debates we are trying to have”, adding that they are “not a personal attack”.

PSP chairman Tan Cheng Bock (centre), with PSP candidates (from left) Leong Mun Wai, Sumarleki Amjah, Sani Ismail and Hazel Poa, at Boon Lay Place Market for a doorstop on May 1.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
On April 30, Mr Lee hit back against statements by Mr Leong that he had “been silent on national housing issues throughout the campaign”.

None of the PSP’s opponents in the constituencies the party is contesting have taken up the party’s challenge to debate policies, said PSP first vice-chair Hazel Poa. The PSP had while on the campaign trail issued invitations to the PAP to engage them in a debate on national policies.

In GE2025, PSP is contesting West Coast-Jurong West and Chua Chu Kang GRCs, as well as Pioneer, Marymount, Bukit Gombak and Kebun Baru SMCs.

“We do wish that there are more debates on policy matters in this election. But unfortunately, it is not just up to us,” she said.

Mr Leong added that the government should commit to implementing “concrete solutions” over the next five years.

“The government has so far always stuck to its script, made certain statements, but we can see that a lot of the problems remain,” said Mr Leong, citing issues like high prices of public housing and lease decay.

Responding to a question of how there has not been much talk by the incumbent on PSP, Dr Tan said: “I think the fact that there is not much confrontation between my party and the PAP is testament to the fact that we want to have a fair fight.”

“I think they find that the ground that we have built for the party is strong enough. (When) they take us, we can reply. Our rebuttals are there. We don’t have to resort to shouting,” he said.

“But generally, I think it’s important people will see PSP as a very responsible party coming to Parliament.”

“We are confident that residents of West Coast - Jurong West GRC will be able to see that PSP is a credible opposition party, and PSP MPs in Parliament will be able to contribute a lot to their lives and livelihood,” said Mr Leong.

Dr Tan, Mr Leong and Ms Poa are part of the five-member team contesting the West Coast-Jurong West GRC in upcoming polls. Joining them are new faces Sani Ismail and Sumarleki Amjah.

The constituency, under its old boundaries, saw the closest contest at the last election, with the PAP winning with 51.68 per cent of the vote against the PSP.

This result sent Mr Leong and Ms Hazel Poa into Parliament as NCMPs as they were the top losers of the polls.

Both teams have returned with renewed slates, setting up a rematch.

The PAP team is anchored by Mr Lee. Mr Ang Wei Neng returns, and the pair is joined by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Education Shawn Huang, and new faces Hamid Razak and Cassandra Lee.

 

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May Day Rally 2025: ‘The PAP will never step away from the labour movement’, PM Wong promises workers​

PM Lawrence Wong said the worker is always at the heart of what they do, and there is always a shared commitment to uplift every Singaporean.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Chin Soo Fang
May 01, 2025

SINGPORE - The PAP will work “shoulder to shoulder” with all workers to build a better Singapore, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on May 1.

As the country prepares to head to the polls on May 3, PM Wong pledged that the PAP will never step away from the labour movement, regardless of the outcome of the general election.

“This is my promise to all workers of Singapore,” he said in his May Day Rally speech, as he asked Singaporeans to judge him and his team fairly.

“Examine what we’ve done, how we have led. If you believe, in your heart of hearts, that we have stayed true to our promise, that we are the best team to take Singapore forward in these turbulent times, then give us your support.”

Addressing about 1,600 union leaders and tripartite partners at the rally in Downtown East, PM Wong said Singapore has achieved so much because the PAP Government, the labour movement and business leaders have worked together instead of being at odds with one another.

Holding up the country’s model of tripartism, he said said workers are at always “at the heart of what we do”.

“We do not agree all the time. In fact, we often disagree. I assure you there is no groupthink. If there is groupthink, Singapore will not be here today,” he said. “We do not fight with one another, but we fight together to secure better outcomes for every worker.”

The deep bonds of mutual trust and respect allow the different groups to find ways to accommodate one another and pick the best way forward, he said.

Unlike unions in other countries that “stand across the picket line protesting and agitating”, the unions in Singapore are partners in nation building and help shape policies, PM Wong said.

This unique partnership has kept unemployment low, kept real wages rising, and kept Singaporeans united and confident in the future, he added.

PM Wong noted that the world has changed, with trade barriers going up and rising tension between the major powers, especially the United States and China.

It will take experience and skill to navigate these pressures - individuals who have built up trust and close relations with their counterparts in China and the US, he said, adding that such relationships cannot be built up overnight.

“So in this election, when opposition parties treat so lightly the loss of key ministers, I say, please, please have a care for our country and for the well being and livelihoods of every Singaporean,” PM Wong said.

Using a football analogy, he said if three to four members of the starting 11 are unable to play, the team will not be able to function at the same level even though it has backups and reserves.

“It’s the same in any organisation, and it will be so in our next Cabinet if we end up with such a loss. And that means we cannot have as effective a team working for Singapore and Singaporeans,” he added.

PM Wong urged Singaporeans to consider these implications and consequences carefully, because “the challenges are real”.

He noted that the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has lowered its growth forecast for this year to zero to 2 per cent, and that a full-blown recession cannot be ruled out.

“This is not just a short-term blip,” he said, pointing to the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020 which some thought would come and go quickly, like the Sars epidemic in 2003.

PM Wong, who co-chaired the Covid-19 multi-ministry taskforce, had said the pandemic could last for a few years. Some did not believe it and said it was “scare tactic and fearmongering”, he noted.

In the end, there were recurring waves of outbreaks and the pandemic only ended in 2023.

Similarly, this new storm will be here for some time, PM Wong said, adding to existing challenges like cost-of-living pressures.

The PAP government has not stopped working even during this campaign period, he said, adding that he has been speaking with other world leaders to strengthen partnerships and secure new opportunities.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong has also spoken to his trade counterparts to keep Singapore’s economic ties strong, and working out new frameworks for trade and investments.

PM Wong said the PAP Government has always looked ahead to anticipate and tackle challenges.

In its last term, when it saw there were gaps in Singapore’s fiscal position, it decided on a series of tax changes. The moves may not be popular but were the responsible thing to do, he said.

As a result of those steps, Singapore is now in a healthy fiscal position and has the resources it needs to protect its workers and tackle the challenges ahead, he said.

Besides the comprehensive Budget 2025, the Government will monitor the situation closely and will be ready to do more if conditions worsen, he added.

The key minister in charge of this work is DPM Gan, who is heading the taskforce, together with other ministers, labour chief Ng Chee Meng, and tripartite partners.

The taskforce will announce more details when ready, PM Wong said.

He told union leaders that the PAP Government’s partnership with the National Trades Union Congress is one forged in crises and tested by time.

His relationship with the labour movement was forged battling Covid-19 together, he said.

PM Wong noted that exactly one year ago, then-prime minister Lee Hsien Loong announced at the May Day Rally the passing the baton of leadership to him.

The election on May 3 will mark the completion of this leadership transition, he said, as he called on Singaporeans to give the PAP their support.

“The road ahead will not be easy. The winds will be strong, the seas will be rough, but if we stay united, we will weather this storm,” he said.

 

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NTUC to push for more business transformation and workforce training: Ng Chee Meng in May Day Rally​

Labour chief Ng Chee Ming speaking at the May Day Rally 2025 at Downtown East on May 1.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Sharon Salim and Tay Hong Yi
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - Workers looking for jobs in the future can look forward to getting help from the labour movement’s virtual career coaches and a stronger hiring network.

These moves will help workers chart their career goals, training pathways, enhance their resumes and prepare for interviews, said labour chief Ng Chee Meng in his May Day Rally speech.

These enhanced services for workers come on the back of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) refreshing its Job Security Council to a Job Security Directorate to push for more business transformation and workforce training.

The Job Security Council was formed during the Covid-19 pandemic to help displaced workers in aviation and other sectors move quickly into other jobs, said Mr Ng, who is NTUC secretary-general. Over 110,000 workers, including PMEs, have been placed from February 2020 to November 2024.

He also announced that the NTUC will be strengthening its Company Training Committee (CTCs) to form Cluster CTCs so that workers can be trained at the industry cluster level. The move will see closer collaborations with the Government, employers and organisations such as the Institute for Human Resource Professionals. The CTC Grant, which encourages businesses to conduct more employer-led training, will now drive transformation at the industry level.

Mr Ng said that the first Cluster CTC was formed earlier in 2025 with ST Engineering Land Systems and SkillsFuture Singapore, and the partnership is expected to upskill over 1,000 workers across 40 small and medium enterprises.

Turning to the economy, Mr Ng said: “The US tariffs have caused much anxiety and volatility.”

“The rules-based world order – in trade, and in security – is fraying. Our economy will be impacted,” he said, adding that the 2025 growth forecast has been revised downwards to 0 to 2 per cent.

He noted that unemployment rates have already edged up in the first quarter of 2025, with trade volumes likely to drop.

“Our businesses, jobs will be hit,” he warned.

Mr Ng, who is part of the national task force set up in April to help affected businesses and workers navigate the uncertainties sparked by US tariffs, reiterated NTUC’s commitment to advance workers’ interests and enable them to seize new opportunities in a changed world.

In his speech, Mr Ng cited platform workers as an example of a “significant breakthrough” where workers’ interests are now better protected and represented.

Under the new Platform Workers Act, which was passed in September 2024, platform workers have been designated as a distinct legal category in between employees and the self-employed. This means cabbies, ride-hailing drivers and freelance delivery workers now have better legal protection.

“Today, our vulnerable platform workers have CPF contributions, workplace injury compensation and the right to be represented by our Platform Work Associations – National Taxi Association, National Private Hire Vehicles Association and National Delivery Champions Association,” he said. He added the associations have obtained official recognition from major players like CDG Zig, Grab and TADA.

Amid the rising cost of living, Mr Ng pointed out that the Progressive Wage Model has helped lower-wage workers’ real wages rise by close to 6 per cent from 2019 to 2024.

Overall, he noted, 155,000 lower-wage workers have been impacted. Income inequality in Singapore is at a record low since 2000.

On a personal note, the labour chief, who joined NTUC as deputy secretary-general in April 2018 and was elected as secretary-general a month later, said that his NTUC journey has taught him what it means to never give up.

He said: “In 2020, I felt that I had let all of you down.”

“Dealing with that setback has been humbling. But it has also taught me many good lessons. It is not our losses that define us. It is how we continue to press on and do our utmost that counts.”

Mr Ng led the PAP team that lost to the Workers’ Party in Sengkang GRC at the 2020 General Election.

He is up against Workers’ Party newcomer Andre Low in Jalan Kayu SMC in the 2025 General Election.

“This year’s May Day is a little bit different for me. For the last 45 days or so, I think I’ve only been home for dinner twice and I’ve lost about four kilograms.”

But every second of it has been worth it, he said, adding it is for the “larger purpose of serving fellow Singaporeans and workers of all collars”.

Moving forward, he urged union leaders to focus on efforts to deliver on NTUC’s workers’ compact for the youths, PMEs, caregivers, senior workers and vulnerable workers. “In the most uncertain world, let us continue to be strong to fight – for the good of our workers, our economy and Singapore.”

 

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GE2025: Ong Ye Kung took co-driver analogy too far, distorting constructive opposition idea: Chee Soon Juan​

SDP chief Chee Soon Juan urged Singaporeans to vote into Parliament a meaningful opposition that can “hold the Government’s feet to the fire”.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Shabana Begum
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - Health Minister Ong Ye Kung should take a good look at the 10 alternative policy papers on topics from healthcare to housing and the economy that the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has put up before criticising the opposition, said its party chief Chee Soon Juan.

On the sidelines of a walkabout at Woodlands Mart on May 1, Dr Chee was asked for his response to Mr Ong’s comments that a stronger opposition presence in Parliament could lead to paralysis in the Government.

Citing the opposition as co-driver analogy first used in 2011, Mr Ong had said at a rally on April 30 that if the co-driver also wanted to steer the car, along with the ruling party in the driver’s seat, this might result in a crash.

In response, Dr Chee said the minister, who is leading the PAP team in Sembawang GRC, was taking the analogy too far and distorting and misrepresenting the idea of a constructive opposition.

Mr Ong had said that instead of having a strong opposition, a strong PAP government with a constructive opposition as a check and balance would be more effective.

Dr Chee said “it was very disappointing” that Mr Ong would say things that are “patently untrue (when) constructive opposition is what we’re talking about all this time”.

He urged Singaporeans to vote into Parliament a meaningful opposition that can “hold the Government’s feet to the fire” and not let up until they start getting more responsive, and tell the people how they are going to lower the cost of living and address issues like under-employment.

Dr Chee added: “There’s no point… in these nine days, when you come and make yourself seen and heard at the hawker centre, and just go through the motions of having a bowl of noodles. And then after the election, you disappear again, and the people are left with this high cost of living.”

He proposed removing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from basic necessities such as food, medication and education supplies, while raising the GST on luxury goods to 13 or 14 per cent to compensate for the loss in revenue.

At the Fullerton Rally on April 28, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong noted that foreigners, tourists and higher-income families pay the entire 9 per cent of GST, while GST vouchers ensure that the lower- and middle-income Singaporeans pay less than the headline GST rate.

Dr Chee said what PM Wong pointed out reinforced the SDP’s point on further raising the GST on luxury goods.

“If you increase the GST for luxury items – Gucci handbags, Bentleys and Rolex watches – they can still afford it. I don’t think they will have a problem,” he added.

He cautioned that Singapore’s income disparity is going to widen if further support is not given to those earning $1,300 to $1,500 a month.

“Even those people who are making tons of money right now, (when) you destabilise society, you test society with this widening gap, you’re looking for trouble.”

Dr Chee also responded to the criticism levelled against the SDP’s healthcare proposals by Mr Ong at the April 30 rally for Sembawang West SMC, where Dr Chee is standing as a candidate against the PAP’s Ms Poh Li San.

Mr Ong had questioned the viability of the SDP’s healthcare proposal on switching to a national health insurance “single-payer” system for hospital bills.

Today, a hospital bill is paid in three parts – namely a government subsidy, a health insurance claim through MediShield Life and then MediSave. Switching to SDP’s proposal would lead to “super high” insurance premiums, Mr Ong had said.

In response, Dr Chee said the 3Ms – MediSave, MediShield and MediFund – are very hard to administer, and should be streamlined.

He added that Singapore’s current healthcare system is based on the United States system, which he found to be “so appallingly complicated and unaffordable”.

The SDP is also contesting Sembawang GRC, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC and Bukit Panjang SMC.

While the SDP chief is new to Sembawang West SMC, he said he and his team have been doing the legwork over the past nine days to “make sure residents know them and their message”.

Dr Chee and his PAP opponent, Ms Poh, were both at the Woodlands Mart foodcourt to interact with residents on the morning of May 1, but kept a distance from each other.

At the foodcourt, several people approached Dr Chee for wefies and to sign on his authored books.

He reiterated that if elected, he will conduct town-hall meetings to hear about residents’ concerns, in addition to holding Meet-the-People sessions.

He said: “I do worry that with the present set of PAP folks, we’re not going to get very far if we keep continuing to do the same thing over and over again, have the same few people sitting in the Cabinet and then not have meaningful opposition.”

 

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GE2025: DPM Heng asks voters to give PM Wong strong mandate as S’pore navigates ‘big storms’​

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat receiving a bouquet of flowers from residents at a walkabout at Block 216 Bedok Food Centre on May 1.ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Ng Keng Gene and David Sun
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE – Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on May 1 made a pitch to East Coast residents and Singaporeans to give Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a strong mandate, so that the country can ride out ongoing storms and emerge from them stronger.

Speaking to reporters after a walkabout in Bedok with the PAP’s slate for East Coast GRC, DPM Heng said the world is going through big storms and urged voters to strongly support the Government, as well as the party’s East Coast team, which he is leaving.

“The tariff war, the trade war, the tech war, the strategic competition between the US and China will have very significant effects on all of us,” he said.

“The tariff on our Asean neighbours is going to affect the entire supply chain, and (for) Singapore, even though the tariff on us is only 10 per cent, the knock-on effect is huge,” DPM Heng added, referring to the Trump administration’s tariff on imports from Singapore.

Mr Heng’s comments echo recent appeals to voters by senior PAP leaders, who have said the ruling party is best-placed to take Singapore through the economic uncertainties.

“I hope that Singapore stays as the oasis of stability, that we are trusted by countries all over the world, and that we can continue to develop the economy to create jobs for our people,” he said.

Mr Heng added that in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), there will be new competition, and the Government will have to invest in AI and robotics to create better jobs for Singaporeans.

“We have a plan, and I hope that Singaporeans give us stronger support, so that we can not only ride through this huge turbulence that is coming, but we come out of it a lot stronger, a lot fitter, and that Singaporeans will continue to enjoy a very high standard of living,” he said.

The needs of a growing number of seniors, he added, will also have to be cared for.

On the PAP’s East Coast GRC slate, DPM Heng said it is an “excellent” team, with a mix of new and old.

He described Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong, 55, who succeeds him as leader of the team, as a very good minister.

Senior Minister of State Tan Kiat How, 47 – whom DPM Heng brought into politics – has “done a very good job” in his first parliamentary term, said the deputy prime minister, who is retiring from politics after 14 years.

DPM Heng added that four-term MP Jessica Tan, 58, has been a core member of the East Coast team, and that the new members, Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, 50, and Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim, 40, will be able to draw on their professional experience to represent Singaporeans.

Mr Dinesh was chief executive of the Agency for Integrated Care, while Madam Hazlina is a senior vice-president at advisory firm Teneo.

DPM Heng said building Singapore is the work of every Singaporean.

“We make the right choices on who we elect as our leaders and who we elect to form the government,” he said.

Mr Heng also said many residents have thanked him for the work that he has done.

“I said, ‘Well, the best present you can give me is to vote (for) my team here’,” he said.

Mr Dinesh, who is taking over DPM Heng’s Bedok division for the PAP, said residents have been appreciative of his predecessor’s work.

“I find that the East Coast residents are very well informed,” he said. “It is a very well-informed electorate that is not going by rhetoric, but going by what real work that is being done.”

 

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GE2025: PAP has enough depth on its team even if it loses some ministers, says Pritam Singh​

Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh taking pictures with members of the public during a walkabout in Punggol Central on May 1.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Nadine Chua and Wong Pei Ting
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - The PAP has enough depth of talent on its bench to form a ministerial team even if it loses some ministers this election, said WP chief Pritam Singh on May 1, adding it is the WP that will run into problems with leadership renewal if its candidates are not elected.

Responding to a football analogy used by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Mr Singh said no football team would go into a game with only its starting 11 players, and that reserves were also integral parts of a football team.

PM Wong had said in his May Day Rally speech that if three to four members of the starting 11 are unable to play, the team will have backups and reserves but can’t function at the same level.

With Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong anchoring the PAP’s team in Punggol GRC against a WP team helmed by lawyer Harpreet Singh, the WP has sought to assure voters that Singapore would be ok even if DPM Gan was not elected.

Meanwhile, the PAP has said that losing key ministers like DPM Gan would weaken the Government, and by extension Singapore’s position in an increasingly volatile world, especially since DPM Gan is head of a taskforce set up to help Singapore navigate the uncertainties brought by American tariffs.

Speaking at an interview in Punggol GRC, Mr Singh said every team has substitutes that can be deployed when strategies change and new formations are needed.

To this end, the PAP is like a football team with a bench of 10 reserves, while other parties like the WP are more like football teams with only two reserves, he said.

“Overall, I think the PAP has tremendous depth of talent. There are only 26 Workers’ Party candidates contesting in these elections,” he added.

In fact, it was the WP’s leadership renewal which would be affected if its candidates are not voted into Parliament, he said.

He added that for the WP to grow and become a “permanent part of (the) national firmament”, the party’s leaders needed to bring in people better than themselves.

They have done so in this election, fielding one of the party’s best slates, Mr Singh said.

“So I hope Singaporeans understand, if we want a more balanced Parliament, we also need to think actively about renewal in the Workers’ Party too,” he said.

“I think we’ve got excellent individuals on every team, and you can see the future of Workers’ Party taking root, taking shape.”

Meanwhile, Mr Harpreet Singh said of losing ministers: “If the future of this country turns on one person being elected, it tells you something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.”

He added that it was time for the PAP to “rightsize” the Government, suggesting that there were too many political office-holders.

Mr Harpreet Singh also said the Government should not treat difficult questions as personal attacks.

The WP’s primary objective is to represent Singaporeans in Parliament, and that means asking difficult questions even if they make some leaders uncomfortable, he added.

Mr Harpreet Singh speaking to the media during a walkabout in Punggol Central on May 1.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
During the interview, Mr Pritam Singh was also asked about former chief executive of NTUC Income Tan Suee Chieh’s public endorsement of Mr Harpreet Singh. Mr Tan had declared his support on Facebook, several days after writing open letters critical of the Government and labour chief Ng Chee Meng.

To this, Mr Pritam Singh said: “We cannot stop Singaporeans from stumping for our candidates. If they wish to do so, that is their prerogative.

“But we don’t look for an issue and then needle them from behind or encourage them to speak. I don’t think that’s the right way to do things.”

Ms Alexis Dang, also on the WP’s Punggol GRC slate, was asked about some voters’ focus on the appearance of female candidates, and how this might affect young women.

Acknowledging that society tends to view women in a certain way and that there are expectations on how women should carry themselves, Ms Dang said: “I think it’s very important, at least for myself, to not let these ideas limit who I am, how I carry myself and how I bring my message across.

She added: “We appreciate all scrutiny and attention given to the team. I think it’s important for people to get to know us as individuals, and who will be representing them in Parliament.”

Ms Dang has been crowned the best-looking candidate in some online forums such as Reddit, and subjected to catcalls at WP rallies when on stage.

While he did not refer to these episodes, Mr Harpreet Singh said: “This is my message for men out there, those types of comments are unacceptable, and they must stop.

“We must respect women. They’re absolutely, absolutely bright. We must, first and foremost, see them as individuals.”

Mr Pritam Singh also commented on the leaked text messages of WP candidate for Jalan Kayu SMC Andre Low. Mr Low had apologised on April 30 for the expletive-laden messages on topics ranging from local brands to journalism and a resident at a meet-the-people session.

Noting the apology, Mr Singh said he was proud that Mr Low had taken ownership and responsibility for what he said in a private context.

“I meet many residents who have views that are said privately, and they hope it can be kept private. Obviously, somebody in this circle decided to bring it up at this time. I am not going to second guess this person’s motives, but I think the key point here is that we in the Workers’ Party are proud of him,” he added.

 

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GE2025: ‘Our commitment continues,’ says Desmond Lee on PAP’s plans for West Coast-Jurong West GRC​

National Development Minister Desmond Lee taking a selfie with supporters after the party's rally at Jurong West Stadium on April 27.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

Michelle Ng
May 01, 2025


SINGAPORE – Initiatives to help residents cope with various concerns, including jobs and the cost of living, have been rolled out by the PAP team in West Coast-Jurong West GRC over the last five years, and the team intends to continue with this work if elected, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee on May 1.

On the last day of hustings, Mr Lee, who leads the PAP team contesting the group representative constituency, pledged his team’s commitment to continue serving residents in the area.

In a two-minute video posted on his social media platforms, Mr Lee said: “Over the past five years, we’ve walked the ground. We’ve heard your concerns. We’ve taken action, and we have concrete plans for the future.”

“Our campaign, our work over the past five years, and our plans for the future have always been about you, your voice, your aspirations, and the Singapore you deserve,” he added. “The campaign may be ending, but our commitment continues.”

Singapore goes to the polls on May 3. May 2 is Cooling Off Day, when campaigning is not allowed.

Noting that the cost of living is an issue that weighs heavily on residents’ minds, Mr Lee said the PAP has rolled out initiatives to help with groceries and daily essentials, supported seniors and low-income households and expanded programmes such as ComLink+, a government scheme that provides financial assistance.


These initiatives were made possible by the PAP team, who drew on a network of community partners, said Mr Lee, who is also the Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration.

To tackle residents’ concerns about job uncertainty, job fairs were brought to the heartland through the Jobs @ West Coast programme, Mr Lee said.

Upskilling and career support programmes were also rolled out to help those who are unemployed find jobs.


On the housing front, he said the Government is committed to keeping housing affordable and accessible for Singaporeans. The Housing Board has ramped up the supply of new flats and will launch more than 130,000 units from 2021 to 2027.

The Prime, Plus and Standard flat classification, which kicked into effect in October 2024, keeps flats in choice locations within reach of more Singaporeans, he said.

“We’re exploring more public housing options for singles and higher-income couples,” said Mr Lee.

“We will plan for the rejuvenation of HDB towns, including through Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme – or Vers – and other schemes.”

Details of Vers, which was first mooted by then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the 2018 National Day Rally, have not yet been announced.

Mr Desmond Lee said: “The work does not stop here. And we are ready to do more.”

His remarks wrap up the PAP’s campaign in West Coast-Jurong West GRC, where candidates had, over the past nine days, highlighted their plans for the area.

During the nine-day campaign, the PAP laid out plans for the GRC, which include refreshing ageing infrastructure, bridging generational gaps and helping families cope with the rising cost of living.

Besides Mr Lee, the PAP slate includes Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Education Shawn Huang, three-term MP Ang Wei Neng, orthopaedic surgeon Hamid Razak and lawyer Cassandra Lee.

They will be facing off against a PSP team that includes the party’s top three leaders – chairman Tan Cheng Bock, secretary-general Leong Mun Wai and first vice-chairperson Hazel Poa. The other two candidates are Mr Sumarleki Amjah, head of packaged food and business development at a food and beverage (F&B) firm, and in-house legal counsel Sani Ismail.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: DPM Gan says he will be ‘task force man’ for hotly contested Punggol GRC​

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong speaking at the PAP Punggol GRC rally held at Yusof Ishak Secondary School on May 1.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Anjali Raguraman
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - On the final day of this General Election campaign, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong asked voters to cast aside any doubts about whether his age and portfolio of roles would affect his ability to serve Punggol GRC residents, and said looking after these people would be his most important task.

“Let me say this, I’ve been in politics for almost 25 years. Since I began in 2001, my first priority has always been my residents. I am a minister only because I’m an MP. So being your MP is my first priority,” said DPM Gan.

He pointed out that some people have been “whispering on the ground”, pointing out that he was 66 years old, a Deputy Prime Minister, and the “task force man” looking after economy and trade.

DPM Gan - who is also the Minister for Trade and Industry, and leading the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce, along with having co-chaired the multi-ministry task force during Covid-19 pandemic - was dubbed “task force man” by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at PAP’s lunchtime Fullerton Rally on April 28.

“Yes, I’m task force man, I have many tasks. But none are more important than looking after you. First and foremost, I’ll be task force man for you, and for Punggol,” he said to spectators at the PAP Punggol rally at Yusof Ishak Secondary School on May 1.

DPM Gan is leading the four-member PAP team in the newly-formed Punggol GRC, which comprises incumbent MPs Yeo Wan Ling, Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary, and Ms Sun Xueling.

He had made a surprise move to the GRC on Nomination Day on April 23, after widely being expected to lead the Chua Chu Kang GRC team, which he has helmed since 2011.

The PAP team is up against a Workers’ Party slate helmed by four political newcomers: senior counsel Mr Harpreet Singh; senior director of publisher business development at an advertising tech firm, Ms Alexis Dang; senior manager of corporate affairs and marketing with the London Stock Exchange Group, Mr Jackson Au; and legal counsel, Ms Alia Mattar.

DPM Gan, who has spent the last nine days campaigning in Punggol, called the GRC “one of the most sought-after residential areas” with its network of green spaces and Coney Island and the waterfront views from Punggol Waterway Park.


He also noted that the Punggol Digital District - a business park earmarked to spur innovation, and slated for completion in 2026 - has created over 28,000 jobs. PM Wong has previously referred to it as the nation’s first smart district, where companies, research institutes and government agencies spearhead technological innovation.

“All this didn’t happen by accident, it was the product of 15 to 20 years of hard work by the PAP Government,” said DPM Gan, adding that it was realised through the vision of two Prime Ministers, ministers of national development, and PAP team “working tirelessly” over the years.

“I remember when I was briefed on (the district) as Minister for Trade and Industry...I was excited by the limitless possibilities it offers, and now I am even happier that Punggol residents will benefit from it directly,” he said.

DPM Gan used his final rally speech before Cooling Off Day to list future plans he had for Punggol GRC, including building more covered linkways, and opening the new Punggol Coast Bus Interchange, and launching two-car LRTs to reduce congestion.

He also listed several initiatives from his experience in Chua Chu Kang GRC that he is hoping to replicate in Punggol if elected. These include vending machines across HDB blocks that sell $3 pre-packed meals, and a fund - similar to South West CDC Caregiver Support Fund - to help with caregiving expenses.

“These may take some time to replicate here, but if elected, I promise to further explore how we can give seniors and caregivers stronger support and better peace of mind,” he said.

A stacked guest speaker list appeared at the rally to stump for DPM Gan, that included PM Lawrence Wong; Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, the previous anchor minister of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah; Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad, and former Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaking at the rally held at Yusof Ishak Secondary School on May 1.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
They spoke of how DPM Gan has proven to be a steady hand, “that gets things done”.

DPM Gan reminded voters that this is a high stakes election.

He said: “The stakes are high because this GE is about you – your welfare, your job, your family, your future.”

He called on voters to decide who can best take Singapore forward and steer the Republic through “uncharted waters”, as well as who can best represent Singapore on the international stage.

“I may be new to this town, but I think I can say that I am no stranger to crisis, no stranger to service, and no longer a stranger to you.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Independent candidate Jeremy Tan challenges Mountbatten rival to close down S’pore Pools branch​

Mr Jeremy Tan, independent candidate for Mountbatten SMC, speaking at his rally at Home of Athletics on May 1.ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Esther Loi
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE – Mr Jeremy Tan, independent candidate for Mountbatten SMC, has hit back at his rival’s comment that equated Bitcoin investments to gambling, which PAP does not believe in.

“What is gambling? Firstly, there’s a Toto shop beside FairPrice,” said Mr Tan on May 1, challenging PAP Mountbatten candidate Gho Sze Kee to close down that branch.

On April 30, Ms Gho Sze Kee had questioned some of Mr Tan’s policies, such as getting the Government to invest in Bitcoin – which is not backed by any physical asset or government body.

“This is what I call gambling... The PAP does not believe in gambling,” she said at her rally.

Speaking at his first rally at the Home of Athletics sports track in Stadium Boulevard on May 1, Mr Tan said: “Gambling is when you do not study enough of the risks and want to make a big move.”

He made reference to Temasek’s write-down its US$275 million (S$377 million) investment in cryptocurrency company FTX in 2024 following the shocking collapse of Mr Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX empire in 2022.

Mr Tan also said Temasek led a US$200 million funding round for Singapore-based cryptocurrency financing company Amber Group. Temasek is also a significant shareholder of the world’s largest asset manager BlackRock, which has exposure to Bitcoin.

He quipped: “Ms Gho says that this is gambling. Has she told the Government and Temasek her message?”

Mr Tan, a 34-year-old retired businessman, is a first-time independent candidate and plans to be a full-time MP if elected.

“Running a town council is running a business. It is a full-time job and not a part-time job,” said Mr Tan.

“You are my customers that I need to keep satisfied. You don’t pay me money. You pay me in trust and votes,” he added.

His proposed policies are centred on the termination of Housing Board flats being used as retirement assets and the creation of a Singapore-dollar-denominated Bitcoin exchange-traded fund as a form of savings protection for Singaporeans.

Ms Gho, 46, is a maritime lawyer contesting in an election for the first time.

Her predecessor, the incumbent four-term PAP MP Lim Biow Chuan, also questioned Mr Tan’s ability to run a town council, citing the younger candidate’s lack of experience and knowledge in the field.

Responding, Mr Tan said Ms Gho also has no experience running a town council herself.

Mr Tan said he would tap his 10 to 15 years of experience starting a business without external capital to run a town council efficiently. He had also reached out to a list of contractors who lost their bids for Marine Parade Town Council projects, to learn more about the costs and types of projects required to keep a town council running.

Mr Tan added that he has spoken to contractors, managing agents, maintenance companies, in addition to studying various town council tenders, to familiarise himself with the process.

Having studied the current software being used to manage the Marine Parade Town Council, he added that he would overhaul the entire system to reduce bottlenecks, solve the problem of poor integration with Singpass and enhance its mobile-friendliness.

Calling himself a software engineer at heart, Mr Tan said he wants to invest in building an artificial intelligence-powered system to help Mountbatten residents reach their residents’ committees more easily.

Towards the end of his 50-minute speech, Mr Tan was joined by the only other independent candidate standing for election Darryl Lo, who is contesting Radin Mas SMC, for a short meet-and-greet session with the audience.

This is the first time since 2015 that an independent candidate has held a rally. Mr Tan is also the only independent candidate hosting a rally in GE2025.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Trust in Potong Pasir has to be earned, says PAP’s Alex Yeo​

PAP candidate for Potong Pasir Alex Yeo (centre) taking a photo with supporters after the party's rally at St Andrew's Junior College on May 1.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

Gabrielle Chan
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - Trust cannot be inherited or demanded in Potong Pasir, it has to be earned, said PAP’s Alex Yeo in a rally at St. Andrew’s Junior College on May 1.

Mr Yeo is one of three candidates battling for the single seat in the constituency on May 3. The others are Singapore People’s Party’s (SPP) Mr Williiamson Lee and People’s Alliance for Reform’s (PAR) Mr Lim Tean.

In his sole rally this election, Mr Yeo noted that no one can fill the shoes of leaders like PAP’s former MP Sitoh Yih Pin and ex-opposition MP Chiam See Tong. Mr Chiam held the seat for 27 years before losing in 2011 to Mr Sitoh, who went on to serve two more terms.

“His (Mr Sitoh) shoes, like that of Mr Chiam See Tong and others before them carry the journeys that they have walked, the relationships built and trust earned with Potong Pasir residents are theirs and theirs alone,” Mr Yeo, 46, said.

“Political party aside, Potong Pasir residents want (their) representative to build that relationship and trust with (them). I know that I have a lot of work to do to earn your trust and to get to know you and you, me.”

Over the past nine days of campaigning, Mr Yeo said that he and his team have managed to visit about 82 per cent of the households in Potong Pasir.

Following this, at the rally he laid out “a top 10 list of improvements for Bidadari and Woodleigh”.

These include more directional signs in the estate, more sports recreation options, and better pest control. His top priority, he added, is to “do something about the boring playgrounds” for children.

He added that he intends to hold dialogue sessions with different areas to understand the “unique needs and aspirations” of the residents.

Seniors are also on the agenda, as Mr Yeo said he will take care of older residents by offering them affordable preventive healthcare services at their doorsteps, which was a programme he implemented in Paya Lebar, where he was formerly its branch chairman.

If elected into Parliament, Mr Yeo said he will listen and engage with residents who want to share their concerns and views.

“I will not shy away from dealing with difficult and sometimes hard discussions, in a constructive, safe space. I will always try to find workable solutions to your concerns,” he added.

In a rally on April 26, PAR secretary-general Mr Lim had pledged to push for free education, school meals and healthcare for Singaporean children if elected. He said this could improve the country’s total fertility rate by encouraging Singaporeans to have more children, which would make Singapore less reliant on foreigners.

Mr Yeo said on May 1: “If the response to your residents’ concerns about the rising cost of living is to simply highlight the problem and then demand free education, free school meals and free healthcare, then I think, it not only oversimplifies the problem and is also not going to result in any real solutions.”

Long-time volunteer Mr Chua Kian Meng, 67, also took to the stage at the rally. He had supported Mr Sitoh in every campaign since 2006 and he is now lending his support to Mr Yeo.

Vouching for Mr Yeo’s character, Mr Chua told the crowd at St. Andrew’s Junior College that he has known the former since 2014, when Mr Yeo started volunteering in Potong Pasir.

“(Mr Yeo) is not someone parachuted in, he is no rookie,” said Mr Chua. “He is a good man with a heart in the right place… He has good intentions and a genuine desire to want to do work for others.”

While sharing that politics was never in his plans, Mr Yeo said decided to step up after his experience volunteering in the single member constituency.

He added: “I cannot promise that I can solve all your problems. I am certainly not so arrogant to think that I have all the answers.

“But if you give me and my team the chance, the opportunity to serve you, we will spare no effort to listen to you, engage you, work with you to find solutions and speak up for you.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Vision for Tampines includes model town, more support for seniors and low-income families​

Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli speaking at the rally in Temasek Junior College on May 1.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Aqil Hamzah and Shermaine Ang
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - A model town featuring a regional town centre, more active ageing centres for seniors and greater support for low-income families are among the plans the PAP has in store for Tampines residents.

The estate will be an example of a caring community prepared for the future, said Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli.

Speaking at a rally in Temasek Junior College on May 1, Mr Masagos said there are nine active ageing centres now, with more to come, and a new nursing home is also being built in the north of the town.

Mr Masagos, who is also Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, also highlighted several projects in Tampines that have been completed.

For instance, Tampines can take pride in being Singapore’s first cycling town, the test site of Wolbachia mosquitoes to reduce dengue cases, as well as the town that has the country’s first district cooling network.

“Anyone can build a town. But a model town? That takes more than bricks. It takes heart and people,” said Mr Masagos.

In his rally speech, he also asked what the opposition will do for residents if any of the three other parties contesting Tampines GRC is voted into Parliament. At least one party, he added, has said it will move forward with plans he has drawn up for the town.

Mr Masagos said: “I said to them, excuse me, that’s my plan. Just because you’ve read the in-flight magazine, doesn’t mean you know how to fly the plane.”

The PAP Tampines team on the other hand, has “always moved forward... side-by-side” with residents, he added.

In his Malay speech, Mr Masagos said things are not perfect, but the ruling party will continue to listen and engage residents and work on solving outstanding issues.

He said: “We realise that there are still many things that are not perfect. Not all requests can be granted immediately, I apologise if there are things that have not been fulfilled.

“However, the Government will continue to strive, continue to listen and engage in dialogue, so that the problems faced by the community can be resolved as best as they could.”


Earlier, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking at the rally, called on Singaporeans to vote for the PAP so that it can secure Singapore’s interests and keep the country exceptional.

Dr Koh Poh Koon, who is Senior Minister of State for Manpower, as well as Sustainability and the Environment, said he has had many discussions with residents, listening to them and trying to understand the challenges they face and also to explain the thinking behind some of the policies that are in place.

“We don’t do it like the opposition, telling you all the good things, trying to shove all the medications down your throat without telling you the consequences,” he added.

He also said that unlike the opposition, “the PAP doesn’t just talk about policy, we implement it”.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong concluding his speech at the PAP rally for Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC in Temasek Junior College on May 1.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
PAP fresh face and former army chief David Neo, said some senior citizens he spoke to were concerned that younger voters “might be swayed by promises that sound sweet”.

Addressing younger voters, Mr Neo said: “You are not just the leaders of tomorrow. You are the decision-makers of today. We believe in you, and we know that you will see clearly and choose wisely.”

In his speech, Tampines Changkat SMC candidate Desmond Choo said the election is not about “tearing others down without a plan of your own”.

He said when Singaporeans go to the polls on May 3, it is about choosing hope over hostility.

“It is about building up, not breaking down. It is about who you trust to stand by you, today, tomorrow and for the next five years,” he added.

The second newbie in the PAP Tampines team, university don Charlene Chen, said the PAP is not focused on making grand speeches and empty promises. Its focus is real work, she added.

Dr Chen said Tampines residents can easily speak to PAP leaders, and recounted how one resident told her: “Where else in the world can you see your MP, your
On April 30, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong joined the PAP team contesting Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat for a walkabout in the area, and urged voters to think about Singapore’s future and choose the right candidates.

In his rally speech, Mr Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, and Sustainability and the Environment urged residents to let the PAP team in Tampines continue its work.

He said he will take over as chairman of Tampines Town Council if elected to Parliament, and with his team, work on improving cleanliness in the estate, introducing more solar panels, and add more rest points and ramps for seniors.

Said Mr Baey: “It has been a joy and honour to serve you and to build Tampines together with you. We humbly ask you to let us serve you again, not just as your voices in Parliament, but as your kakis on the ground.

“On Saturday, please let us return home with you.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: A losing opposition party member “may be lost forever” unlike PAP, says PSP’s Leong Mun Wai​

PSP chief Leong Mun Wai speaking at the party's rally at Jurong West Stadium on May 1.ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY

Syarafana Shafeeq
May 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - A PAP candidate who loses this election can still be appointed as a grassroots advisor or be fielded in the next election, but a losing opposition party member “may be lost forever”, said PSP chief Leong Mun Wai on April 30.

Speaking at a rally on the final night of campaigning, Mr Leong – who is part of the party’s slate contesting West Coast-Jurong West GRC – said: “We have gone through five years of probation and are ready to serve you as elected MPs - to be your voice in Parliament for both national and local issues.”

Mr Leong and PSP’s first vice-chair Hazel Poa had entered Parliament after the 2020 General Election as NCMPs, as they were the “best losers” then. Both the PAP and PSP had faced off in the then West Coast GRC at the 2020 General Election, with the PAP winning 51.68 per cent of the vote.

Mr Leong told residents that voting in an opposition party was “not an act of ungratefulness”.

“Your vote for the opposition is about renewal,” he said. “Diversity is the best insurance for long-term survival in this changed world.”

In his speech, he also sought to establish that PSP candidates could focus on both national and municipal issues.

The Government can create five- or ten-year plans for its constituencies, Mr Leong said, but MPs bear the responsibility of highlighting important issues for residents in Parliament.

“A PSP MP will see to that,” he added, pointing out that some municipal issues in the western part of Singapore have not been resolved.

In Jurong Spring, Mr Leong said he was surprised to find that the elevators in older blocks could fit only one wheelchair and two or three more people. “Elevators are essential facilities for residents, why was this not upgraded earlier?”

Mr Leong was among nine PSP party members who spoke during the May 1 rally at Jurong West Stadium, on the last day of campaigning. Singapore goes to the polls on May 3, and May 2 is Cooling Off Day.

His comments on PSP’s ability to tackle municipal issues come after an exchange of views between him and Mr Desmond Lee, the anchor minister for the PAP team contesting West Coast-Jurong West GRC, on the role of an MP.

While on the campaign trail, the PSP team had initially challenged the PAP to a debate on national policies. Mr Lee in turn called on voters to ask contesting parties about their plans for the constituency. The PSP’s Mr Leong responded by saying that the main role of an MP is not to manage an estate, but to debate policy in Parliament, a view that Mr Lee disagreed with.

Turning to national issues, the PSP chief said it was reasonable for voters to expect the PAP to make a commitment during this election on how it plans to address high BTO and resale HDB prices, long waiting times for BTO flats, and the lease decay problem.

“Don’t you think it’s fair that the Government, wanting a strong mandate, should commit itself to what it is going to do to improve public housing?” he asked the crowd. “The Government may say that it had implemented this or that measure, but have the three problems been resolved?”

He said Singaporeans should assess Mr Lee based on whether he has concrete solutions to the three housing-related problems, and added that the Minister has not announced any so far.

The PSP has already provided solutions to these three problems, he said, pointing to earlier suggestions by the party to exclude land costs from public housing prices, among others.

In her speech, Ms Poa said the PAP had failed to engage her party in a debate on national policies, and criticised them for choosing to focus on local plans instead.

“It means that they would rather you care more about the half-priced grocery shopping in Boon Lay than PSP’s proposal for basic necessities to be exempted from GST for all Singaporeans,” she said.

“It means that they would rather you care more about the value meal vending machine in Nanyang than PSP’s proposal to lower food prices in all hawker centres for Singaporeans,” she added.

Ms Poa said: “They talk about the importance of unity in times of uncertainty. But is this unity if we only care about our own gains but not about what happens to other Singaporeans?”

As the final speaker of the rally, which was hosted by former WP candidate Leon Perera, Dr Tan assured the crowd that the PSP’s 13 candidates being fielded in six constituencies have different skill sets that would enable them to address the various needs of the electorate.

He made note of candidate for West Coast-Jurong West GRC Sani Ismail’s experience as a professional estate manager, saying the town council will be in good hands if the team is given the mandate. Marymount SMC’s Jeffrey Khoo studies the climate and can relate to the many young people who are worried about climate change, he added.

On Pioneer SMC candidate Stephanie Tan, Dr Tan said: “I saw in her the quality of a woman who can really serve people in her age group and older. She is a lawyer by training, and worked in the Defence and Law ministries. That is experience.”

He added: “So you see, we have a team of people with different backgrounds and experience. That, I tell you, is important. There will be no group think. There will be no more inbreeding.”

 

[bic_cherry]

References:
"We even sent our volunteers in plain clothes to harass opposition candidates wearing their party uniform to make them stay home.",

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/20...t-to-disrupt-singapore-united-party-campaign/


"We also served free dinner buffets at resident gatherings with PAP 'Advisers to Grassroots Organizations' as guest of honour, utilizing public funds for our political campaign."
https://geraldgiam.sg/2009/10/how-p...grassroots-for-political-gain/comment-page-1/
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/20...ns-amid-jurong-central-election-anticipation/
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/20...oucher-initiatives-ahead-of-general-election/

"When I said you detain them, you detain them without trial. Our founder was successful in this before, u useless scum, why didn't you follow our doctrine. This is what the doctrine says we should do.."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Coldstore

"The whole world is now watching, even South Korean President was promptly arrested after he declared martial law."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrest_of_Yoon_Suk_Yeol

"Not more than 50% of elected seats shall be GRC seats and if there is need for more minority inclusion, it should be with NCMP seats so minorities don't feel like the political football the majority like to kick around."
'allow minority candidates with the highest percentage of votes who were not elected, to be appointed as NCMPs in the event that under-representation occurs.': https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/parliament-rejects-psp-motion-to-abolish-grc-system

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Election campaign unfolds in three acts over a nine-day sprint to the polls​

Linette Lai

On May 1 – the final night of the hustings – parties made one last push with 11 election rallies and a second round of televised political broadcasts.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
May 02, 2025


SINGAPORE – If the last general election felt uncharacteristically muted – held as it was during the Covid-19 pandemic – the past nine days of campaigning have more than made up for it in colour and sound.

Every neighbourhood, except Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC which saw a walkover on Nomination Day, has had its lamp posts and street signs plastered with election posters. Fiery speeches have been made in floodlit stadiums, with candidates throwing verbal punches that are parried by their opponents the next day.

On May 1 – the final night of the hustings – parties made one last push with 11 election rallies and a second round of televised political broadcasts, each hoping to leave a lasting impression as the clock ticked towards Cooling-off Day at midnight.

Looking back at the campaign, one might say it has played out in three 72-hour acts: a measured exposition, followed by an abrupt tonal shift, and a furious sprint towards the May 3 polls.

Apart from the Nomination Day surprises – last-minute PAP redeployments and the first walkover since 2011 – the first three days of campaigning unfolded along predictable lines.

But this plodding pace did not last. Opposition parties soon hit out at what they perceived to be the PAP’s biggest missteps, sparring with the ruling party over policy proposals, such as the PSP’s pitch for a minimum wage, and the Singapore Democratic Party’s plans for cheaper public healthcare.

Politicians also revisited the well-trodden ground of whether Singapore should have more opposition MPs in Parliament, and how much municipal issues should matter at the ballot box.

As the first 72 hours of the hustings drew to a close, it became clear that three constituencies – Tampines GRC, Punggol GRC and the single seat of Jalan Kayu – were where the fiercest battles would be fought.

The shift in tone began after sunset on Day Three, when the authorities announced that they had blocked social media posts by three foreigners – among them Malaysian politicians – who sought to sway Singapore voters.

The three, along with Singaporean self-styled religious teacher Noor Deros, had spotlighted several opposition politicians in their posts. In particular, Mr Noor had claimed that he had spoken to all the WP’s Malay candidates. He had also criticised Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli and said the WP had taken seriously his call to raise issues on the control and regulation of Islam here.

These developments drew a sharp response from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who called a press conference to lay down the law: Identity politics has no place in Singapore, and religion and politics should not mix.

He did not single out any political party. The WP also repudiated such behaviour, stating that it made no promises, commitments or agreements to any individual in exchange for political support of its candidates.

In Jalan Kayu, where labour chief Ng Chee Meng is up against the WP’s Andre Low, the aborted sale of NTUC’s Income Insurance to German insurer Allianz came under a fresh round of scrutiny.


WP chief Pritam Singh pointed out on April 26 that no PAP labour MP had asked questions about the deal in Parliament when the issue surfaced. He also called the labour movement a “guaranteed trampoline” for losing PAP candidates, urging voters to pick the WP’s Jalan Kayu and Tampines Changkat candidates instead.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong responded a day later to say that six PAP MPs had asked about the deal, but only one WP MP did. Defending the labour movement’s decision, he said the deal was initially seen as reasonable by the National Trades Union Congress.

The WP had abstained from voting on legislation to block the merger. Pointing this out, SM Lee added: “If it had been left to the Workers’ Party as government, the deal would have gone through because they didn’t oppose it, right?”

In Punggol, the surprise redeployment of Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong ignited a round of jibes over municipal issues, “strangers” in the constituency, and the veteran Cabinet minister’s value to the PAP team. DPM Gan has been in tariff talks with representatives from the US.

The ruling party fired the first salvo on Day Four when Minister of State Sun Xueling said at a rally: “We do not need strangers to come to Punggol… to find out what is on your mind.”

“May I ask, is she referring to DPM Gan Kim Yong too?” retorted the WP’s Alexis Dang two nights later. “Or is he exempted because he’s a good friend of PM Lawrence Wong?”

DPM Gan had earlier said he would speak with PM Wong about necessary infrastructure upgrades in the constituency, calling him “his good friend”.

Mr Singh shot back: “As a Singaporean, I expect fair allocation of taxpayer resources to all our people.” He also asked how it was that the PAP seemed to have no one else capable of negotiating with the US, and why DPM Gan had not been elected to the PAP’s top decision-making body.

It was at this point in the hustings that the gloves truly came off and the verbal jabs flew thick and fast.

With 72 hours of the campaign left to go, PM Wong rebuked the WP for its repeated questioning of DPM Gan’s importance to Singapore. He characterised the party’s behaviour as “negative politics”, adding that it was treating the potential loss of an experienced minister too lightly.

“It is a cavalier and irresponsible approach towards the livelihood and well-being of all Singaporeans,” he said.

Later that day, Mr Singh retorted that it was the PAP that had engaged in negative politics for years. He gave examples of how opposition politicians are structurally disadvantaged – for instance, WP’s elected MPs are kept away from citizenship ceremonies, which are presided over by losing PAP candidates.

On April 30, PM Wong characterised this as an issue of policy and not negative politics.

“On policies, I take it that there will always be differences. We can discuss, we can debate robustly – even in Parliament – and there is always room to improve,” he said.

This is also the case with policies regarding the People’s Association, he said.

As the hustings came to a close, PM Wong left voters with a video message in which he pledged to redouble his efforts to make Singapore “a better, fairer and more inclusive home for all”.

“I’m putting together the best possible PAP team to serve you – to steer Singapore safely through the storm, as we did during Covid,” he added. “So I hope you will support the PAP teams in constituencies across Singapore, wherever you are.”

At midnight, the curtain came down on the heat and fury of the hustings. On May 2, voters will have 24 hours to think about the substance of all the arguments made, before the curtain rises again and Polling Day begins.

 

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GE2025: PM Wong appeals to voters to give him the best team to take Singapore forward​

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (second from left) with the PAP's Punggol GRC candidates – Minister of State Sun Xueling, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and trade unionist Yeo Wan Ling – at the rally at Yusof Ishak Secondary School on May 1.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Goh Yan Han
May 02, 2025

SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called on Singaporeans to make the right choice for themselves and the nation, as he rounded off nine days of frenzied campaigning in his final two rally speeches on May 1.

Speaking in Punggol, he said that voting for the PAP means not opting for a contrarian opposition voice. It means getting a dedicated team and capable leaders to help steer Singapore safely through troubles and take the country forward.

It is a privilege for citizens to decide on the future of the country, he said, calling on Singaporeans to consider carefully the character of the individuals they vote for.

“If you vote for the PAP, you will not elect the contrarian voice the opposition will surely make in Parliament,” said PM Wong, who also spoke in Sengkang but chose to give his last rally speech for the 2025 General Election in Punggol.

“But you will get a dedicated and experienced team to serve you and your family.”

Importantly, Singaporeans will also have capable leaders in government who will help steer Singapore safely through the storm and take the country forward, said PM Wong, who over the course of the campaign has reiterated this message as he spoke highly of Cabinet teammates and put forth several new faces as potential office-holders.

“That’s the key choice that Singaporeans and voters will have to consider... I know it’s not an easy decision to make, but that’s your privilege. As a citizen of Singapore, you decide on the future of our country. That’s what democracy is about,” he said.

While everyone will have their own perspectives and views, he asked that voters consider the character of individuals they choose – whether they are upfront and upright, whether voters can trust them to put the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans before their own, and whether they will uphold the fundamental ideals of Singaporeans.

“I believe a lot comes down to character. Character matters,” said PM Wong, who then personally vouched for the character of Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.

DPM Gan, the leader of the PAP’s Punggol team who was deployed to the GRC on Nomination Day, has been a central figure during the hustings.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (left) on stage with DPM Gan Kim Yong at the Punggol GRC rally held at Yusof Ishak Secondary School on May 1. With them is Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary.ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Senior party leaders, including PM Wong and senior ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Teo Chee Hean, have repeatedly endorsed DPM Gan. At the May 1 rally, other PAP figures including former minister Lim Swee Say, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah and Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC candidate Zaqy Mohamad also threw their weight behind him.

Ms Indranee pointed out that Mr Gan was the health minister at the height of Covid-19, steering the country through the pandemic by securing early supplies of vaccines and protective equipment, for instance.

“He’s not flashy, he doesn’t give you smooth words, he’s not glib... but he gets things done,” she said.

PM Wong noted that beyond serving residents in their constituency, those who are elected will also serve as leaders, in Parliament and in government.

“I know there is some tension in the minds of some Singaporeans, because on the one hand, some Singaporeans say they would like to have more alternative voices in Parliament to serve as a check and balance on the PAP.

“I understand why some people would feel that way,” he said.

“But in fact, you can be assured that there will be alternative voices in Parliament,” he said, noting that a WP candidate had himself said that the Workers’ Party now has “safe seats”.

There are multiple hotly contested group representation constituencies and single-member constituencies in this election, and not just Punggol, he said.

“Some could very well make a breakthrough... and will add to the opposition presence in the next Parliament.”

On the other hand, hotly contested GRCs are helmed by experienced ministers, along with new PAP candidates who could be Singapore’s future leaders, said PM Wong.

He pointed out that four senior members in his Cabinet had stepped down, so he had made a great effort to bring in new blood for this election.

“But the new faces will take time to develop and grow before they can take on leadership positions,” he pointed out.

With four ministers having stepped down earlier, and if four were to be lost in the election, that would be eight in total, he added.

“The opposition says, don’t worry. The Workers’ Party team can do the same job at a cheaper price. But you know that cannot be true,” said PM Wong.


A minister would have accrued years of policymaking experience, ground engagements as well as personal ties with foreign counterparts, he said.

“How would any new backbencher be able to come in immediately and do the work at the same level?”

Voting for the opposition would mean more alternative voices in Parliament, he said.

“But you will also weaken me and my team. You will weaken our ability to serve you. Ultimately, you will weaken ourselves – Singaporeans, at a time when Singapore is facing a serious and growing challenge.”

Over the campaign period, Singaporeans would have heard different arguments and views put forth by the political parties, noted PM Wong.

“In a campaign, emotions get heated up. I hope things will calm down as we go into Cooling-off Day tomorrow, then we can all take a step back from the heat of the elections, and consider what really matters,” he said.

May 1 marks the last day of the hustings, as May 2 is designated as Cooling-off Day ahead of the polls on May 3.

“I ask Singaporeans here in Punggol and everywhere on our island to consider: Who do you trust to serve you and your families? The party matters. The people you choose matter,” PM Wong said.

This matters because they will be the first touchpoints in any municipal issue.

National upgrading programmes are extended across all estates, but that is the baseline, the minimum, he said.

“Don’t settle for the minimum... A good team led by the PAP can make a difference.”

“You look at all you have here now in Punggol today – yes, some of it was due to national planning and national programmes, but it’s not only that. It’s because successive generations of PAP teams have carefully tended to your needs.”


He called on Singaporeans to choose unity over division.

“Let’s choose integrity over half-truths. Let’s choose action over posturing. Let’s choose Singapore and build our future together,” he said.

Earlier in the evening, PM Wong had also stopped by the PAP’s Sengkang rally.

He acknowledged that the PAP has not had a chance to serve Sengkang GRC residents in the last five years, as the constituency was newly formed in 2020 and was lost to the WP.

“Give our PAP team a chance this round. Give us a chance to show you what we can do for you.

“I’ve said that Singaporeans are sophisticated and discerning voters. And I believe that’s so everywhere, and it is so right here in Sengkang. You know that the party you choose; and the individuals that you choose to represent you matter,” he said.

He reiterated the party’s message that the PAP is the best team to take Singapore through the storms ahead.

“The storm is already upon us, and we must brace ourselves for more turbulence. We can’t avoid this. The storms are everywhere, it’s global. But we can choose how we respond,” he said.

“We can give in to anger, and cynicism, and division, which you sometimes hear in opposition rallies. Or we can choose compassion, solidarity and strength. We can choose to tear down. Or we can choose to build. We can choose to pull apart. Or we can choose to pull together.

“What the PAP offers is very clear: We choose to build; we choose to pull together; we choose to unite.”

 

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GE2025: PPP’s Goh Meng Seng says voters need to ‘teach the PAP a good lesson’​

PPP secretary-general Goh Meng Seng speaking at the rally in Tampines near Tampines Concourse Interchange on May 1.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

David Sun
May 02, 2025

SINGAPORE - The PAP is holding voters hostage with the group representation constituency system, and the loss of “more ministers” in this election may nudge the ruling party to revamp this system, Mr Goh Meng Seng said on May 1.

“Do not be gaslit by their formula: ‘Oh I lose a few ministers, I cannot work’,” said the People’s Power Party (PPP) chief at a rally in Tampines.

“It is their own doing because they use the GRC system.”

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had said during this election campaign that losing ministers would weaken the Government, urging voters to think about Singapore’s future.

Mr Goh said: “When (the GRC system) fails and it threatens their position, they turn around and tell you… ‘You cannot vote against me or else we die, you die’. Is that a responsible government?”

While Mr Goh acknowledged that “PAP is still good in a certain sense”, he said that “we need to teach the PAP a good lesson in politics”, so that the ruling party may adjust the GRC system to “proportional representation”.


He also used PAP’s Tampines GRC candidate David Neo to illustrate the risk of groupthink within the Government, saying that the PAP has a tendency to recruit candidates from the civil service.

Mr Goh referenced the former army chief’s Fullerton rally speech, in which the latter doubted the opposition’s capability of implementing its proposals and said that the opposition claims credit when the PAP makes changes.

Mr Neo said then: “Singapore doesn’t need people who only question or give ideas. We need people who take action.”

In response, Mr Goh said it is “such arrogance that would destroy Singapore one day”, arguing that civil servants may agree with the Government on policies that are wrong to get into its good books.

Mr Goh is leading a five-member team in a four-cornered fight in Tampines GRC, where the PPP is up against the incumbent PAP, the WP and the National Solidarity Party.

He also lamented, again, that the WP had betrayed voters of Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC by not contesting there without informing any of the other opposition parties.

He said: “Whatever the outcome of this election, I will build my party… and I will contest in Marine Parade in the next election.”

Some of his party mates also accused the WP of being in “alliance with the PAP”, chiefly because of the WP’s decision to contest in Tampines.

Mr Martinn Ho, who is contesting in Ang Mo Kio GRC, said the WP “last minute abandoned (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC) to compete in Tampines to knock (Mr Goh) out in Tampines”.

“If you elect Workers’ Party, I say you have elected PAP in blue.”

Party chairman Derrick Sim had also claimed the WP did not speak up on the Covid-19 vaccines in Parliament. But The Straits Times’ checks showed that WP MPs raised several parliamentary questions on the assessment, efficacy and safety of the vaccines.

Mr Goh said his candidates are “definitely not scholars and elites, they are commoners” such as Ang Mo Kio GRC candidate William Lim, who set up a Facebook page for taxi drivers to connect, and who has been criticising illegal cross-border taxi services.

“Empathy is the most important thing in politicians,” Mr Goh said. “Without empathy, you do not speak up when it is necessary, no matter how inconvenient. I do not aim to be politically correct. I only aim to be policy-correct.”

Ending the rally, Mr Sim called on voters to spend Cooling-off Day considering each party’s candidates and the values they stand for.

“Don’t be blinded by their certificates, their stars on their shoulder,” he said. “You do not need a lot of opposition. What you need is effective opposition.”

 

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GE2025: PAR takes aim at cost of living, GST hikes and immigration policy in e-rally​

PAR secretary-general Lim Tean speaking at the party's first e-rally on May 1.PHOTO: LIM TEAN/FACEBOOK

Judith Tan
May 02, 2025

SINGAPORE - The People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR) was the only one “courageous enough to tell the Government in the face” that its immigration policies are reckless, the secretary-general of the opposition coalition Lim Tean said on May 1.

Taking aim at Singapore’s immigration policies and foreign workforce, Mr Lim said ruling party PAP has opened “the sluice gates of immigration to allow foreigners to flood our nation”, leading to a feeling of helplessness among Singaporeans “as they are displaced or replaced by foreigners in their jobs”.

Speaking at the PAR’s first e-rally of the 2025 General Election, he also called on Singaporeans to vote for the opposition and not to give the PAP a two-thirds mandate in Parliament.

“What are the most pressing issues? The cost of living, unaffordable public housing, your job insecurity, and this invasion by foreigners and immigrants, they refuse to talk about that,” said Mr Lim, referring to the PAP.

Of the several issues he touched on during the two-hour rally, which was live-streamed on social media, Mr Lim also spoke on the cost of living and the goods and services tax hike.

He had raised these issues repeatedly during various public appearances, including party walkabouts and its single physical rally in the past week. The other eight candidates who spoke at the e-rally also reiterated these points.

Its e-rally was held on the final day of campaigning before the polls on May 3.

These calls were also reflected in the PAR manifesto, released online on May 1. A key focus of its manifesto, titled “Contract with Singapore”, is to give Singaporeans priority for jobs.

It called for a freeze on new S Passes, a Singapore visa allowing skilled foreign workers to work here in positions such as associate professionals and technicians. The qualifying salary for new S Pass applications is currently $3,150 and will rise to $3,300 from Sept 1.

The other key point in the manifesto is to make public housing more affordable by not allowing permanent residents to buy resale HDB flats, which the party linked to the rising cost of such units.

The manifesto also included proposals to provide free school meals, healthcare and education up to university for every Singaporean child.

The PAR team said funding for these programmes could come from the “existing income of the Government”, highlighting what it said were potential sources such as the difference between the Central Provident Fund’s annualised returns paid to members and the returns retained by the Government, as well as the Government’s special transfers, including top-ups to endowment and trust funds.

PAR is a coalition of three parties – Peoples Voice, the Reform Party and the Democratic Progressive Party.

Formed in November 2024 comprising four parties aiming to strengthen opposition unity, it became a grouping of three when the People’s Power Party withdrew in February 2025 over irreconcilable strategic differences.

In a post on his Facebook wall on May 1, Mr Lim wrote: “We wanted to have a final rally in Potong Pasir tonight, but many residents told us that in view of the uncertain weather and the one and only rally site in Potong Pasir being difficult to access, they would rather us do an e-rally instead. So we have acceded to the requests of the residents.”

PAR is fielding 13 candidates across six constituencies – the Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar GRCs, and the Potong Pasir, Radin Mas, Yio Chu Kang and Queenstown SMCs.

 

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GE2025: Polls a chance to elect more opposition to speak up for Singaporeans, says SPP​

Singapore People’s Party candidates contesting Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC speaking to people at Bishan Bus Interchange on May 1. ST PHOTO: SAMUEL DEVARAJ

Samuel Devaraj
May 02, 2025

SINGAPORE – Voters can help opposition parties grow stronger at the coming polls and give them a chance to speak up for Singaporeans, said Singapore People’s Party (SPP) secretary-general Steve Chia.

Speaking to reporters near Bishan Bus Interchange on May 1, Mr Chia said Singaporeans are now more receptive to opposition politicians. If the opposition can win one or two more group representation constituencies, Singapore is on the road to full democracy, he added.

The 54-year-old said: “We are doing whatever we can to push for change, to push for a better standard of living, a better discussion of ideas for Singaporeans and for everybody. So, this is a moment of change.”

His Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC team includes SPP chairman Melvyn Chiu, 45, and new faces Muhammad Norhakim, 31, and Lim Rui Xian, 37.

They are facing off against a PAP team comprising Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat, 51; Mr Saktiandi Supaat, 51; Ms Elysa Chen, 41; and Mr Cai Yinzhou, 35.

Mr Chia, who contested his first general election in 1997, said there was a “great fear” at the time and people did not dare to speak to opposition politicians.

This has changed. Now, people come up to them and thank them for giving them a credible alternative to the ruling party, said Mr Chia, who was a Non-Constituency MP between 2001 and 2006.

When asked about his team’s chances at the end of the nine-day campaign, he said he is unsure how people will vote, but added that SPP can only do its best and reach out to Singaporeans with its message.

He said: “We don’t go around scolding the opponent. We have had a very fair campaign. We fight on ideas and policies. Whether we can cross the 50 per cent plus one vote, we don’t know.

“We reach out to many people, but there are still many people we are not able to reach because it’s only nine days. There’s only so much we can do.

“We just hope that when they listen to the interviews... they will give the consideration that we are doing the best we can to bring up the standard of politics... and democracy in Singapore.”

At a PAP rally on May 1, Mr Chee said he will push to get a hawker centre up and running in Bishan.

When asked, Mr Chia responded that his party, too, would like to build a hawker centre in Bishan if it had access to funds like the ruling party.

He said: “When we, the opposition, propose ideas, we get queried, ‘Where are you going to get the money? Where to get the funding?’”

 

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GE2025: PAP candidates for Sengkang GRC ask voters for a chance to get town ‘back on track’​

PAP candidate for Sengkang GRC Lam Pin Min said that many residents had shared their frustrations about estate wear and tear. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Kok Yufeng and Ang Qing
May 02, 2025

SINGAPORE - On the final night of campaigning before Singapore goes to the polls on May 3, the four PAP candidates contesting Sengkang GRC urged voters to give them a chance to do a better job at improving the town, and to get the constituency “back on track”.

Taking shots at what they said was a lack of development and poor estate management by the incumbent WP MPs over the past five years, the PAP slate of candidates promised during a two-hour rally on May 1 to revitalise Sengkang, while also championing the issues that matter to the residents.

Eye surgeon Lam Pin Min, 55, said in his speech that many Sengkang residents had shared with him their frustrations about estate wear and tear in the opposition-held group representation constituency, such as unreliable lifts, multi-storey carparks in poor condition and playground equipment left damaged for months.

He also cited pigeons nesting in Housing Board blocks, pest infestations in the neighbourhoods, and corridors left unswept.

“These are basic standards we expect in a well-maintained town, and frankly, these standards have slipped over the past five years,” said Dr Lam, the only candidate retained from the PAP’s previous slate that lost Sengkang GRC to the Workers’ Party in the 2020 General Election.

This time, he is leading a group of political newcomers – NUS Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, 43; food and beverage company director Bernadette Giam, 38; and deep tech venture capital firm co-founder Theodora Lai, 39. They face a WP team comprising incumbent MPs He Ting Ru, Louis Chua and Jamus Lim, and new WP candidate Abdul Muhaimin.

“We owe it to you to get these fundamentals right. We will hold ourselves accountable to you,” said Dr Lam. “If something’s not up to scratch, we will fix it.”

At a rally on April 28, the WP’s Ms He said Sengkang Town Council, which she chairs, has achieved the top banding for estate cleanliness in the Ministry of National Development’s town council management report since the WP took over management of the town.

In her speech, Mrs Giam said the PAP team wanted to return. “In spite of having lost in 2020 we want to get Sengkang back on track.”

She said improved amenities that a resident cited to her were all committed to before 2020, and were “the work of the PAP”.

“Other people, they are claiming credit for (the improvements). But with your support, we can pick up where we left off,” she said to chants of “come back” from the rally crowd.

Meanwhile, Prof Elmie said residents had told him in recent years that the town had “slowed down”. “Sengkang seems to have lost its momentum and energy, but that should not be the case any more.”

He highlighted the 19 proposals that the PAP team has put out in its town manifesto, including more green spaces, improved LRT and bus services, and regular town halls for residents to raise causes and to produce actionable outcomes.

The academic, who teaches communications and new media, said the WP incumbents had boasted about asking hundreds of questions in Parliament, but he questioned whether these questions had improved the lives of Sengkang residents.

“They tried to sell you a bargain for living in opposition wards: buy one get one free, get two for the price of one, (but) we say that the Sengkang vote is not for lelong (Malay for auction),” he said.

“This is not a game of numbers and bargains thrown around to win the votes, it is about choosing the Sengkang we want for our families.”

Mrs Giam also questioned the feasibility of proposals made by opposition parties, such as a universal minimum wage, which the WP has called for in its manifesto.

“Can our businesses, especially our SMEs, afford these carrots that have been dangled before you?” she asked. “We all want to do more for our people, but we have to be responsible. We have to be honest.”

In their call for Sengkang voters to back the ruling party, the PAP candidates also elaborated on the causes they would champion in Parliament, if elected.

Ms Lai said she hopes to create more opportunities for young people through internships, mentoring and industry tie-ups. With rising costs and global uncertainty, she said Singapore needs more home-grown companies “with real edge”.

“Let’s get more... companies built here, policies that connect talent, capital and opportunity. On the ground, I’ll help bridge these opportunities. In Parliament, I’ll push for bold strategies that deliver real impact,” she added.

Prof Elmie said he will push for stronger government policies around online safety. Speaking in Malay, he also expressed deep concern about the success of children in the Malay community.

PM Lawrence Wong (centre) with the members of PAP’s Sengkang GRC team (from left) Bernadette Giam, Elmie Nekmat, Theodora Lai and Lam Pin Min at the rally on May 1.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Mrs Giam said she hopes to push for better childcare and eldercare support. “Too often, women are forced to choose, career or caregiving, duty or dreams. This must change,” she said. She also called for sustained support for single mothers, and a greater focus on women’s healthcare and financial literacy.

In his pitch to voters as he wrapped up the rally, Dr Lam reiterated that the PAP team is a refreshed and gender-balanced one with an average age of 43, reflecting the youthful energy of Sengkang.

While returning to contest this election meant being the underdog in the fight, Dr Lam said he did so not for his ego but for a larger cause of continuing the Sengkang story.

“There are unfinished plans and new dreams we have yet to achieve for our town: projects we have envisioned, improvements that were in the pipeline, ideas we had for the community that were put on hold,” said the former senior minister of state, who asked for a second chance for the PAP’s Sengkang team to prove themselves.

“Let us finish what we have started... together, let’s make Sengkang sui (beautiful in Hokkien) again,” he said.

 

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GE2025: SDP targets NTUC-PAP relationship in final rally​

SDP chief Chee Soon Juan speaking at the rally in Evergreen Primary School on May 1.ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO

Osmond Chia
May 02, 2025

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) took aim at the relationship between the ruling party and the labour movement NTUC during the party’s final rally on the last day of hustings on May 1.

The SDP argued on Labour Day that the interests of local workers were not truly championed under the current labour union structure and that, if elected, it will advocate better rights for employees and greater distancing between the PAP and NTUC.

The rally at Evergreen Primary School – part of Sembawang West SMC, where SDP chief Chee Soon Juan faces PAP candidate Poh Li San for the single seat – saw 10 SDP candidates, including Dr Chee and party chairman Paul Tambyah, speaking in the final hours of the nine-day campaigning window ahead of Polling Day on May 3.

In his speech, Sembawang GRC candidate Damanhuri Abas said NTUC’s role as a labour movement is to ensure checks and balances between workers and employers, but he added that it was too closely aligned to the ruling party.

“The PAP has timed this election to end on Labour Day at the May Day Rally. The PAP leaders showcased the partnership that has served them, but have they served you?” he said, referring to the May Day Rally speech which Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered earlier in the day.

Fellow candidate James Gomez said the SDP will push for workers to have the freedom to form and lead their own unions without interference. “We will seek to disentangle NTUC from the PAP. It should remain independent and clear on protecting the workers’ interest,” said Dr Gomez.

The night’s penultimate speaker, Dr Tambyah, defended SDP’s proposal for a single-payer healthcare system to replace current schemes like MediShield Life and CareShield Life. He said consolidating the schemes into a comprehensive insurance scheme would free up funds, which can be used to support primary care more effectively.

He was responding to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who on April 26 challenged the SDP to elaborate on its proposal to reform the healthcare system.

Mr Ong is running for re-election in Sembawang GRC.

Dr Tambyah acknowledged that SDP’s plan will result in job losses for administrators who oversee the existing healthcare schemes, but said it will make room for more medical professionals and lower healthcare costs.

A single-payer system would serve as the largest purchaser of medical services and be able to negotiate lower prices, pushing costs down, he said.

Dr Tambyah drew comparisons to how pharmaceutical service providers today lower their prices to secure government contracts, such as for vaccines and other tenders.

“I invite Mr Ong to read our healthcare paper in detail and perhaps debate us on it,” he added.

Dr Chee, who was met with the loudest cheers of the night, wrapped up the rally by accusing the PAP of targeting him with “poisonous rhetoric”, which he said has exacted a heavy toll on him.

He also criticised the group representation constituency system, saying it had hindered his years-long push for a seat in Parliament – the latest being the removal of Bukit Batok SMC, where he had contested in the past.

In his nearly 30-minute speech, Dr Chee detailed numerous examples of being shunned for being “politically radioactive”, such as being fired from the National University of Singapore and other jobs.

SDP chief Chee Soon Juan and other SDP candidates at the end of the SDP rally in Evergreen Primary School on May 1.ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
He blamed the “vitriol and hateful rhetoric” from the ruling party, whose leaders had sued him in the past – forcing him into bankruptcy, which ruled him out in the 2006 and 2011 elections.

Dr Chee said: “They sack you, then they say you don’t have a job. They sue you, then they say you are bankrupt.

“They take away your constituency, and then they say you abandoned it.”

Reflecting on the current campaign, he said: “I am tired, but not defeated. This campaign has been long. It has been intense, but every step of the way I have tried to speak to your minds with reason, to appeal to your hearts with truth, and to stir your spirit with the hope of what can be.”