The Online Citizen
GE2025: Toothbrush giveaway by PAP candidate in Aljunied sparks online ridicule
PAP candidate Faisal Abdul Aziz sparked online ridicule after handing out toothbrushes branded with his name in Aljunied GRC. Though tied to his dental background, netizens mocked the gesture, with some saying it implied poor hygiene and others calling it a tone-deaf move after years of ground engagement.
Published
on 24 April 2025
By
The Online Citizen
SINGAPORE: As the election campaign heats up across the country, candidates are becoming increasingly creative in their efforts to connect with voters, offering a range of campaign freebies from snacks to household items.
In Aljunied GRC, People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate Faisal Abdul Aziz, 37, drew attention after distributing toothbrushes featuring his name and photo to residents as part of his outreach efforts.
Faisal, a dental surgeon, is part of the PAP team
contesting the constituency, led by Chan Hui Yuh. The team will face the incumbent Workers’ Party (WP), led by party chief Pritam Singh.
In a Facebook post on the morning of 24 April, Faisal
announced that he would be distributing limited edition PAP toothbrushes as part of his campaign materials, stating that the items were exclusively for Aljunied residents.
He accompanied the announcement with a slogan promoting the message: “Clean Teeth, Clean Estate, Clean Government.”
Netizens Mock PAP Candidate’s Toothbrush Giveaway
While the initiative was clearly tied to his professional background in dentistry, the toothbrush giveaway was met with widespread ridicule from netizens on Facebook.
Many interpreted the move as an insinuation that Aljunied residents suffer from poor oral hygiene.
One person sarcastically questioned whether Faisal was telling the constituents to brush their teeth more often, adding, “Where is the floss and Listerine?”
Another remarked that if toothbrushes were to be handed out, they should at least have been electric ones.
Some netizens took a more biting approach, suggesting that Faisal was implying Aljunied residents do not brush their teeth regularly.
One individual said that if they had received the toothbrush, they would have asked whether it was meant to suggest they did not maintain basic hygiene.
Another noted that since Faisal had claimed in an interview to have walked the ground in Aljunied for nearly a decade, he was essentially telling residents they needed to brush their teeth.
Campaign Freebies: Candidates Turn to Gifts to Engage Voters
Elsewhere along the campaign trail, candidates from various parties have also distributed free items in an effort to connect with voters.
At Kampung Admiralty’s hawker centre, the National Solidarity Party team contesting Sembawang GRC handed out pamphlets along with nostalgic iced gem biscuits.
In Mountbatten SMC, PAP candidate Goh Sze Kee was seen giving out badges bearing caricatures of herself during house visits.
Meanwhile, in East Coast GRC, PAP candidates Jessica Tan and Tan Kiat How distributed reusable shopping bags, fans, and flags during a walkabout.
Under current election regulations, candidates are permitted to spend up to S$5 per voter – an increase from the S$3.50 limit set in 2015, adjusted to reflect inflation.