Why no Cantonese At GE 2025 Rally? Only Hokkien and Teochew?

[k1976]

GE2025: Dialects – Do Singaporeans care if politicians speak them?​

GE2025: Dialects – Do Singaporeans care if politicians speak them?​

Shawn Hoo
Updated Fri, 2 May 2025 at 5:43 AM SGT8-min read

Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, who speaks multiple Chinese dialects, attending the SG60 Neighbourhood Party on April 19.
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SINGAPORE – Over a bowl of Teochew fishball noodles, PAP candidate Daniel Liu is getting an impromptu language lesson from a senior volunteer. She tells Mr Liu, 40, who is Hokkien by descent, that while Teochew might sound like Hokkien, it has a lighter intonation – the kind you might hear on an opera stage.

Mr Liu spent over a decade serving in Nee Soon GRC, where Hokkien is the go-to dialect at temple dinners and grassroots events.

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But since his move to Aljunied GRC in February 2025 – where Teochew is more commonly spoken – he has been racing to pick up the basics of the dialect. With Polling Day on May 3 fast approaching, he knows he has a short runway to get up to speed and speak to residents in the dialect that resonates most.

His senior volunteer, however, has a teaching trick up her sleeve.

Lately, as Mr Liu makes his rounds at the food centre at Blk 105 Hougang Avenue 1, he has been caught off guard by store owners calling him “dua gu” before chatting with him in Teochew. “Dua gu” means “big cow” – a Teochew translation of the Mandarin term “da niu”, which sounds like his name, Daniel. Given his albinism, dialect banter is something he rarely encounters.

It turns out that his senior volunteer had prepped the store owners, pulling an old trick in language learning: total immersion, Hougang style.

 

[rocket]

 

[Balls2U]

Slutty Gin must have done something.

 

[syed putra]

Cantonese already got Hongkong and KL. So don't push it.

 

[NanoSpeed]

KNN, GE cannot speak Cantonese lah. Otherwise, all the presumptions will be thrown at you:

Cantonese = Malaysians = Dogs = Sons of chicken mother.

Must clarify until siao, and finally if your clarifications not convincing, must swear to die a violent death.

This is my ex-mentor's 組合拳。Even hotshot like @sbfuncle with John Lone's good looks tio beaten into a puppy by my ex-mentor's 組合拳 until he becomes a Karchng bin.

 

[k1976]

KNN, GE cannot speak Cantonese lah. Otherwise, all the presumptions will be thrown at you:

Cantonese = Malaysians = Dogs = Sons of chicken mother.

Must clarify until siao, and finally if your clarifications not convincing, must swear to die a violent death.

This is my ex-mentor's 組合拳。Even hotshot like @sbfuncle with John Lone's good looks tio beaten into a puppy by my ex-mentor's 組合拳 until he becomes a Karchng bin.

Then, we will know where are the HanTu clustering mah…Oppie can avoid these area and focus on key battle grounds

知已知彼百战百胜

 

[sbfuncle]

KNN, GE cannot speak Cantonese lah. Otherwise, all the presumptions will be thrown at you:

Cantonese = Malaysians = Dogs = Sons of chicken mother.

Must clarify until siao, and finally if your clarifications not convincing, must swear to die a violent death.

This is my ex-mentor's 組合拳。Even hotshot like @sbfuncle with John Lone's good looks tio beaten into a puppy by my ex-mentor's 組合拳 until he becomes a Karchng bin.

Everything look correct except the part beaten to puppy.
I kana beaten into a wild dog that will bite off her long dark nipple.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Have lah....

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

let Pinky swear in Cantonese after he loses some more of his cronies..........

 

[mojito]

Dun dare scare lady gin cum out scold u son of a Cantonese whore.