Parent's letter to TOC questions political messaging at Edusave Awards event

[Tragedeigh]

Parent's letter to TOC questions political messaging at Edusave Awards event​

A parent’s letter to The Online Citizen about a recent Edusave ceremony has drawn attention to the political undertones at People’s Association-run events, including the presence of a PAP candidate in an opposition ward.

The Online Citizen
30 Jan 2026

A Singapore parent’s letter to The Online Citizen (TOC) is drawing fresh attention to concerns over the politicisation of grassroots events, after she recounted her experience at an Edusave Merit Bursary (EMB) award ceremony organised by the People’s Association (PA) in Eunos over the weekend.

The event, intended to recognise students’ academic achievement, left the parent and her spouse feeling uncomfortable due to its political undertones.

She shared that during registration, staff encouraged attendees to follow Jagathishwaran Rajo—the area’s grassroots adviser—on social media. He was also the one presenting the certificates and taking photos with each family.

Her son, unaware of the political context, assumed he was the Member of Parliament (MP). She had to correct him, pointing out that their actual elected MP is Pritam Singh, leader of the Workers' Party.

Presenter is a political candidate in the same GRC​

The parent did not just raise concerns over her son’s confusion. She also pointed out the significance of the award presenter’s identity: Jagathishwaran Rajo is not a neutral grassroots figure, but a 37-year-old trade unionist who was appointed chairman of the Eunos ward in August 2024.

He is also one of the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidates fielded for Aljunied GRC in the upcoming General Election (GE2025)—a constituency currently represented by Workers’ Party (WP) MP Pritam Singh.

This heightened her concern about the underlying political messaging at an event supposedly focused on student achievement.

At the end of the ceremony, attendees encountered a station promoting PA volunteerism, further reinforcing the sense that the event had shifted from a community celebration to a platform for political messaging.

The parent expressed her belief that such events could be more neutral and inclusive if they were handled directly by the Ministry of Education (MOE), or conducted within schools so that more students could be encouraged in a less politicised environment.

Broader tensions: PA, neutrality, and exclusion of elected MPs​

This parent’s experience adds to a long-standing conversation about the role of the PA in Singapore’s civic life.

In 2016, Workers’ Party MP Sylvia Lim questioned in Parliament whether the PA had overstepped its intended mandate of fostering social cohesion and stability. She also flagged its budget, which had grown by 34% over two years to nearly S$900 million in FY2016.

She argued that parts of the organisation appeared to operate with political intent, citing instances of PA activists being mobilised to campaign for PAP candidates.

In reply, then Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and PA Deputy Chairman Chan Chun Sing strongly rejected the claims. He insisted that PA activities were not politicised and that it would be against the organisation’s rules to engage in political campaigning.

Chan added: “The PA does not allow any political activity or canvassing on our premises or in our activities. And we certainly do not mobilise anyone for any political party.” He also said, “I will be the last person to ever allow the PA to be politicised.”

The exclusion of elected opposition MPs remains a sore point​

Despite repeated statements asserting the neutrality of the PA, elected opposition MPs remain excluded from Edusave ceremonies and other grassroots activities in their own constituencies.

In a Parliamentary reply in 2018, Chan Chun Sing stated that grassroots advisers are appointed by the Government of the day, and that opposition MPs were not assumed to be “willing or able” to fulfil this role, which includes explaining national policies.

This arrangement has led to situations where non-elected PAP representatives—such as branch chairs or candidates—appear at community ceremonies, while elected MPs from opposition parties like the WP are excluded.

In 2023, TOC reported that Theodora Lai, PAP branch chairperson for Sengkang North, attended a similar Edusave ceremony wearing PAP colours, while elected WP MPs from the constituency were not present. This prompted concerns about double standards and political imbalance in publicly funded community programmes.

WP MP Jamus Lim has previously shared that he received emails from disappointed parents whose children had hoped to meet their MP at such events. In response, he offered to personally congratulate award recipients during his weekly Meet-the-People sessions.

About the Edusave Merit Bursary​

The Edusave Merit Bursary is part of the Edusave Scheme, administered by the MOE and funded by the Education Endowment Fund, which was established in 1993.

The EMB is awarded annually to Singaporean students from lower- to middle-income households who have shown commendable academic performance. MOE provides the funding, while the ceremonies themselves are often organised by PA-run Community Clubs (CCs) and Constituency Offices (COs).

While this partnership is intended to deliver outreach, critics argue that it allows for partisan figures to be prominently involved in state-funded education awards, especially when opposition MPs—despite being elected—are left out of the process entirely.

The parent’s letter highlights not only a personal discomfort but also a broader civic concern: whether national schemes like the Edusave Awards should be politicised in their delivery. While her child appreciated the recognition and the vouchers, the framing of the ceremony prompted questions that continue to resonate beyond one weekend.