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SMU law graduate, 28, intends to run as independent candidate in Radin Mas SMC
A really new face.Tharun Suresh
April 17, 2025, 05:53 PM
A new candidate intends to contest Radin Mas Single Member Constituency (SMC) — as an independent.
Darryl Lo Kar Keong, 28, announced his intention to be nominated via Instagram on Apr. 16, 2025.
Addressing the residents of Radin Mas in his post, Lo wrote:Lo's post also featured a slogan: "Your voice, our future".
Resumé
According to his post, Lo grew up in Bukit Purmei.He studied at Radin Mas Primary School, Outram Secondary School, and Serangoon Junior College.
He then went on to receive his Bachelor of Laws from the Singapore Management University in 2022.
Lo told Mothership that he was working for start-ups in the technology sector.According to Lo's LinkedIn, he worked first as a community manager and then as a Trust and Safety Associate at OpenSea.
He has worked as a legal intern at various organisations, including the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 2021.
Pushing for "more diverse voices in Parliament"
Lo, in his post, explained that while Singapore has flourished under strong leadership, he believes that "more diverse voices in Parliament can lead to better discussions and policies", adding:Lo told Mothership that, in his view, there "hasn't been a formidable opposition candidate" in Radin Mas SMC for the longest time.
Melvin Yong was the former incumbent People's Action Party MP in Radin Mas.
In GE2020, Yong faced off against Reform Party's Kumar Appavoo, and won with 74.01 per cent of the vote.
Lo cited rising costs, housing accessibility, job security and retirement planning as "challenges" that many Singaporeans face, and said they require "thoughtful solutions and genuine engagement."
His policy proposals
Lo told Mothership that he will be posting videos to his social media accounts outlining some of his policy proposals:- Increased penalties for drink driving. "I proposed a two week mandatory jail term for anyone caught drink driving - this will hopefully deter drink driving accidents on the road," he explained.
- Increase in eligibility cap for the Ministry of Education's Financial Assistance Scheme.
- Singles to attain public housing without any age requirement and without any restriction on type of housing (2-room flat) just like married couples.
Why an independent candidate?
Lo told Mothership that he is fully committed to being a full-time Member of Parliament (MP) if elected because he has "no private sector job" or "private commitment".
Lo has been unemployed since January 2025 in preparation for his campaign as an independent candidate.In his view, if MPs "really have the heart to serve", they should be "serving wholeheartedly instead of putting a couple of hours a week for Meet-the-People sessions and sub-delegating their role in the town council".
He explained that, as an independent candidate, he would be "fully focused" on the interests of Radin Mas residents — something he felt the incumbent would be unable to do as he "has to vote along party lines".
Being independent, he argued, would mean not having to choose "party interests" over "residents' interests".
