General Election 2025

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Bread-and-butter issues take centre stage in RDU’s first election rally​

RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon speaking during the party's first election rally at Bukit View Secondary School in Bukit Batok on April 26.ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

Michelle Ng
Apr 27, 2025

SINGAPORE – Red Dot United (RDU) candidates zeroed in on bread-and-butter issues, such as public housing affordability and the cost of living, in their first election rally on April 26.

Examples raised by the 15 candidates at Bukit View Secondary School in Bukit Batok include how some Singaporeans are relying on government vouchers to help pay for daily essentials, rising housing prices that have forced some to move to Malaysia, and MRT breakdowns.

Some candidates portrayed the PAP ruling party as being out of touch with the issues Singaporeans are facing.

Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC candidate Harish Mohanadas said he met residents during his walkabouts who “felt a losing sense of control over their lives and livelihoods”.

Some are concerned about the price of Housing Board flats and whether their children can afford to buy homes in the future, he said, adding: “This concern is very, very common. I believe that Singaporeans deserve better.”

RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon, who is contesting Nee Soon GRC, said his party has presented Singaporeans a slate of candidates that includes PhD holders, captains of industries, entrepreneurs and people from all walks of life.


In contrast, the PAP’s candidates are “linked to the establishment, cut from the same cloth, live in ivory towers and align more with the billionaire class”, said Mr Philemon.

“Do you think they will make life better for you?”

RDU is contesting four constituencies this election: Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Nee Soon GRC and Jurong Central SMC.

Some candidates spoke about their personal setbacks and how they still see Singaporeans suffering from the same predicaments now.

Jurong East-Bukit Batok candidate Liyana Dhamirah, who shared her story of experiencing homelessness, said that it “breaks my heart” that what she experienced 15 years ago is still happening today.

She said she met a resident who cancelled a medical appointment to use the money to buy groceries. “Imagine that in a country as wealthy as ours, people are still having to choose between food and medicine,” she said.

“We hear about government voucher support schemes, but how dignified is it to have to depend on handouts just to survive?”


Jurong Central candidate Kala Manickam said opposition parties are needed in Parliament so that they can speak up for regular Singaporeans.

Saying that opposition parties are like “insurance for the country”, Madam Kala said: “We need a backup in times of crisis… You hope you don’t need it.

“But when problems happen – bad policies, mistakes – there’s someone there to speak up for you in Parliament.”

Several RDU candidates outlined proposals in the party’s manifesto that would reshape the social compact here, where Singaporeans would be treated as “first-class”.

Mr Sharad Kumar, the party’s youngest candidate and contesting Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, questioned why singles have to wait till 35 years old to buy a Build-To-Order flat.

“Young people shouldn’t have to wait for permission to start their lives. They need support and options. They need hope,” said the 25-year-old.

As an alternative, he pointed to his party’s proposed rent-to-own scheme, which allows either lower-income earners or young, single Singaporeans to lease first, with the rent going towards owning the flat.

Said Mr Sharad: “Singapore must be a place, if you work hard, you can stand tall, where no one is made to feel small.”

Jurong East-Bukit Batok candidate Osman Sulaiman said his party takes town council management very seriously and asked residents to vote RDU into Parliament.

“If Hougang residents are called warriors for voting the opposition party, then on May 3, 2025, Jurong East-Bukit Batok voters will be the Paladins of the West,” he said.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: PPP raises concerns over rising cost of living, job insecurities in rally​

PPP party secretary-general Goh Meng Seng urged people to stand up against what he termed the politics of fear.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI

Kimberly Kwek
Apr 27, 2025

SINGAPORE – The rising cost of living, affordability of healthcare and job insecurities were among the concerns that candidates of the People’s Power Party (PPP) raised during its second rally on April 26.

Kicking off the 2½-hour rally, party secretary-general Goh Meng Seng urged people to stand up against what he termed the politics of fear, which he said has made it difficult for the PPP to rope in volunteers.

The PPP is contesting Ang Mo Kio and Tampines GRCs in the upcoming election. Its 10 candidates took the stage, criticising the PAP government on topics ranging from the national Covid-19 vaccination drive to Singapore’s immigration policy.

“It is not that we are xenophobic... But if we do not give our children, our youngsters the opportunity to have a meaningful job to train, to upgrade and access experiences, how are they going to be the top in the world?

“I see so many youngsters are so demoralised because they can’t see a future in their job,” said Mr Goh, 55.

During his speech, Mr William Lim, who is leading the PPP’s five-member slate in Ang Mo Kio, said he wants to help residents deal with issues like the rising cost of daily expenses.

Mr Lim, a limousine service provider, 47, also said he understands the struggles of the average Singaporean. “You work hard to give your family a good life, but no matter how hard you work, it is just enough to make ends meet, or in some cases, things don’t get easier.”

Fellow political newcomers, retired civil servant Martinn Ho, 64; safety coordinator Thaddeus Thomas, 43; former information technology engineer Samuel Lee, 33; and horticulturist Heng Zheng Dao, 24, are also part of the PPP’s Ang Mo Kio team. They are up against the incumbent PAP team, led by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Singapore United Party in a three-cornered contest.

Party chairman Derrick Lim, who is contesting Tampines GRC, suggested that GST for basic goods be removed to tackle the cost of living.

The PPP is involved in another multi-cornered fight in Tampines GRC, with its team led by Mr Goh going up against the PAP, the WP and the National Solidarity Party.

During the rally, PPP’s Tampines candidate Arbaah Haroun, 50, proposed several family-related policies, including monthly support for children, and “heavily subsidised” in-vitro fertilisation treatment for couples. She said: “Our birth rates are low, but our hopes are not... Starting a family shouldn’t feel like climbing Mount Everest.”

Several of the candidates also took issue with the national Covid-19 vaccination drive.

During the rally, Mr Samuel Lee also raised the issue of graduates facing problems finding stable jobs.

Mr Samuel Lee raised the issue of graduates facing problems finding stable jobs.ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Mr Lee had gone viral on social media after singing an adapted version of the classic Chinese song A Tiny Bird with English lyrics lamenting the struggles faced by Singaporeans in securing a job.

Mr Lee also came under the spotlight earlier this week after it emerged that he was convicted in 2022 over a road rage incident.

Mr Goh said Mr Lee had been cyberbullied because of the news.

“I actually had to beg him to stand for elections... He knew what he was going to face, cyberbullying and reputational damage,” said Mr Goh, adding that Mr Lee has not been able to find a job.

“Hopefully, he can find a job in Parliament.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Edwin Tong likened to Messi as PAP veterans lend East Coast GRC team support​

(From left) Former Cabinet minister Lim Swee Say, DPM Heng Swee Keat and ex-Potong Pasir MP Sitoh Yih Pin took the stage to urge voters to back the PAP's East Coast GRC team.ST PHOTOS: GAVIN FOO
Joyce Lim and Esther Loi
Apr 27, 2025

SINGAPORE – Three party veterans returned to the election stage to rally support for the PAP team in East Coast GRC on April 26.

Speaking at the PAP’s first East Coast GRC rally, former Cabinet minister Lim Swee Say, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and outgoing Potong Pasir MP Sitoh Yih Pin took the stage at Bedok Stadium to urge voters to back the five-member team, vouching for the leadership of anchor minister Edwin Tong, 55.

The PAP team in East Coast GRC includes incumbents Tan Kiat How, 47, and Jessica Tan, 58, and new faces Hazlina Abdul Halim, 40, and Dinesh Vasu Dash, 50.

During his speech in Mandarin, Mr Lim, who retired from politics in 2020, said he had made few public appearances since stepping down. But when Mr Tong, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, asked him to speak at the rally, he agreed without hesitation.

“I felt strongly about this,” Mr Lim said.

Five years ago, Singapore faced the pandemic, he said. Today, the world faces new uncertainties, the latest being the economic turbulence in the US. In such times, he said, Singapore must have strong leadership.


Mr Lim, a former anchor minister for East Coast GRC, also urged Singaporeans to support the fourth generation of PAP leaders, to “walk and run together” and keep moving Singapore forward.

“The more you support them, the more effectively they can serve Singapore,” he added.

Mr Sitoh, who entered Parliament in 2011 alongside Mr Tong, said he has been living in Siglap for over 30 years. He praised Mr Tong’s commitment and ability to get things done, citing how he secured a sponsorship for kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder, who went on to win Singapore’s first Olympic sailing medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

“That’s the magic of Edwin Tong. When he wants to do something, he goes right down the line,” Mr Sitoh said, adding that Mr Tong had also gone out of his way to help the Singapore Lions at the Asean Mitsubishi Electric Cup.

Mr Sitoh, who is retiring from politics, rounded off his speech by likening Mr Tong to Argentine footballer Lionel Messi: “Do you think Argentina would have won the World Cup without Messi? I don’t think so. Edwin Tong doesn’t play football like Messi, but I think he is as important a member of the team as Messi is to Argentina.”


DPM Heng, who led East Coast GRC in the last election before announcing his retirement on Nomination Day on April 23, reinforced the importance of choosing MPs who can both listen and act.

Rebutting what opposition parties said about PAP MPs being “si ban”, or rigid in Chinese, DPM Heng recalled how MP Denise Phua strongly advocated for special needs children, and how others pushed for changes in the education system.

“When I was in MOE (Ministry of Education), Denise Phua was very fierce. She was in the GPC (government parliamentary committee). She said, ‘Minister, you don’t understand special needs children, you know, I tell you.’ So I spent a lot of time listening... Lim Biow Chuan, my GPC chair, he said, ‘Mr Heng, you don’t understand the stress of our students. Come, I will show you.’ As a result, I almost abolished the PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination),” said DPM Heng.

He added that he understood how Singaporeans want to do better, and persuaded then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to start two new universities – Singapore Institute of Technology and Singapore University of Social Sciences.


DPM Heng also pointed out how ideas such as the CDC vouchers, which help Singaporeans in coping with cost-of-living pressures, came from PAP MPs.

He then urged Singaporeans to elect “good people” to represent them, not just in Parliament, but also to be ministers.

He also stressed that this election is crucial because Singapore faces an increasingly volatile global environment, with trade, tariff and tech wars escalating.

Despite Singapore’s experience in managing crises like the Asian financial crisis, the global financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, DPM Heng warned that “the future is going to be even harder”, with disrupted trade lines and slowing growth.

Citing the International Monetary Fund’s latest forecast cuts, he pointed to worsening global and local economic outlooks.

“So opposition says rumour-mongering. Actually... I was thinking either they don’t know, they don’t understand, or they know, and they are lying to you. Either way, it’s bad, right?” he said.

“Singaporeans must come together, united, be prepared for a fight,” he added.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Global economic uncertainty is no ordinary storm but tidal wave of change, says DPM Gan​

DPM Gan Kim Yong said the uncertainties the nation is facing will have long-term implications for Singapore as a trading hub.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Ng Keng Gene and Harith Mustaffa
Apr 27, 2025


SINGAPORE – The global economic uncertainty triggered by the United States’ move to impose tariffs on its trading partners is no ordinary storm but a tidal wave of change, said Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.

Speaking at a PAP rally at Yusof Ishak Secondary School on April 26, Mr Gan questioned critics who said the ruling party’s reaction to the American tariffs is overblown.

He added that the uncertainties the nation is facing will have long-term implications for Singapore as a trading hub.

He said: “Some have said the PAP’s reaction to the US tariff announcement is overblown, that we are sending a message of fear, and there is no need to worry because Singapore has weathered bigger storms before.

“But really, are you sure this is just another storm? This is no ordinary storm. This is a tidal wave of change.”

Singaporeans are worried, and businesses are feeling the impact of market uncertainties, with some multinational corporations (MNCs) rethinking their investment plans and their presence in the country, he added.

“Supply chains may be further reconfigured. And with these uncertainties, businesses have paused their investments and have also slowed down their hiring,” said Mr Gan, 66, who is also the Trade and Industry Minister.

Many people are wondering about job security, but there is no need to fear, he added. The Government, he said, rolled out a “comprehensive Budget” earlier this year to help Singaporeans face the uncertainties ahead.

For instance, Singaporeans looking for jobs can tap schemes like the SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme and career conversion programmes.

Mr Gan said: “We may not be able to save every job, but we intend to protect every worker. We will uplift you, we will help you bounce back stronger than before.

“As Prime Minister Lawrence Wong promised, we will do more if necessary. The PAP has your back.”

Although it is election season, the work of governing Singapore continues, and the PAP government is clear on what it needs to do, added Mr Gan, who chairs the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce that aims to help navigate the uncertainties caused by US tariffs.

Trade talks with his American counterparts are ongoing, he said, and this is possible because of the longstanding ties the PAP government has with the US administration.

“They know us and they trust us, and this mutual trust is most critical in times of crisis, for us to be able to come together, to talk with one another and to negotiate.”

He added that the Americans are prepared to find a way to get Singapore’s critical exports to the US.

He did not provide further details on trade talks because of the need for confidentiality.

Mr Gan made his foray into politics in 2001 and is an incumbent Chua Chu Kang GRC MP. He was moved to helm the PAP team in Punggol on Nomination Day, in a last-minute surprise move.

He was the last speaker at the rally, rounding off a slate that included Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean and members of the PAP team for Punggol – Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Ms Sun Xueling and Dr Janil Puthucheary.

They are facing off against a WP team made up of four first-time candidates. They are: senior counsel Harpreet Singh, advertising tech firm senior director Alexis Dang, legal counsel Alia Mattar, and Mr Jackson Au, senior manager of corporate affairs and marketing with the London Stock Exchange Group.

Speaking to reporters after submitting his nomination papers on April 23, Mr Gan said that although he is new to Punggol, he is a “fast learner”, and will “learn as fast as I can”.

He said at the rally that in the last three days of campaigning, he had met residents from all walks of life to better understand their aspirations, desires and concerns, and observed three things about Punggol.

First, it has many multi-generational families. Second, residents have a strong sense of ownership and connection to the town. Third, Punggol has been designed creatively, allowing residents to work, live and play in it.

“Punggol is a ‘wow’ town,” he said.

The town has, in under two decades, become a shining model for the heartland, and a neighbourhood that many young families can be proud to call home.

He said: “We are a young and growing new town. There is much we have done together, but yet there is much more that we can work and do together, with you, and for you.”

For instance, residents have asked him for more covered linkways, he said.

“I will talk to my good friend, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is also Finance Minister, to see if we can get more money to build some of these necessary infrastructure,” he said.

The project will involve significant work with various agencies and the town council, he added.


Asking for residents’ support, Mr Gan said Dr Janil, Ms Sun and Ms Yeo have nearly 30 years of combined experience in running a town council, and he brings another 24 years to the mix.

Dr Janil, 52, who is an incumbent Pasir Ris-Punggol MP, said the team does not believe in making unbelievable promises, but has a humble understanding of the hard work and determination to serve the people.

Ms Sun, 45, who has overseen Punggol West since she entered politics in 2015, said there were no facilities in the estate when she became an MP a decade ago.

As she wanted to make sure children in Punggol had as good a start as the other children in the rest of Singapore, she started a container library.

She said: “In Punggol, we spare no effort in galvanising community resources. We want to create conditions for our children to thrive and to flourish.

“Recently, I updated our Punggol parents that we will have a new primary school, a new secondary school and a junior college in Punggol.”

Ms Yeo, 48, who is seeking a second term in Parliament, said she has spoken up for platform workers, many of whom live in Punggol.

She said: “They deserve fair compensation, injury protection and adequate CPF contributions. And these issues aren’t abstract policy matters to me.

“They are about real people in Punggol whose dignity and livelihoods are at stake – that is the perspective I bring to Parliament.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: WP policy proposals can help ease cost of living concerns, say candidates at second rally​

WP candidates urged voters to send more of them into Parliament, adding that it would make the WP a more effective check on the Government.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

Aqil Hamzah
Apr 27, 2025

SINGAPORE – The rising cost of living is a key concern for Singaporeans both young and old, said Workers’ Party candidates at its second election rally, as they blamed government policies for exacerbating the problem.

Speaking at Temasek Junior College on April 26, they urged voters to send more of them into Parliament, adding that it would make the WP a more effective check on the Government.

“As we have highlighted in our manifesto, our presence in Parliament has undoubtedly made an impact on our public policy, and all this with just 10 elected MPs,” said WP East Coast GRC candidate Sufyan Mikhail Putra, 33.

“Imagine what more can be done if me and my fellow candidates are given the chance to be your voice in Parliament.”

He was among 14 speakers at the rally comprising the party’s candidates in Tampines GRC, Tampines Changkat SMC, Punggol GRC and East Coast GRC, as well as WP chief Pritam Singh and party chairwoman Sylvia Lim, both seeking re-election in Aljunied GRC for a fourth term.

One after another, the candidates took aim at government policies that they said had led to escalating costs, with most of them citing the hike in goods and services tax (GST) during a time of high inflation.


Several candidates suggested exempting GST for essential items, such as cooking oil and rice, while others suggested that the Government could tap more of the investment returns from Singapore’s past reserves instead of raising taxes.

The candidates also spoke about how rising costs had affected the elderly and younger Singaporeans, especially those with children.

Former diplomat Eileen Chong, who is on the party’s Tampines GRC slate, and Ms Lim said more could be done to help older Singaporeans live with financial security and dignity.

Ms Chong, speaking mostly in Mandarin and Hokkien, said that as a former civil servant, she knows and believes that the civil service has good intentions when formulating policies, but intentions are not enough.

“Differences between formulation and implementation usually mean that there are a lot of communities being overlooked,” she said, giving the example of seniors living alone without a support structure.

To that end, she said that MediSave limits should be done away with, because, “our elders should not have to choose between their medicine and their daily meals”.

WP candidate for Tampines GRC Eileen Chong said she believes that the civil service has good intentions when formulating policies, but intentions are not enough.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Ms Lim, meanwhile, called for the retirement age to be abolished. That would mean Singaporeans can decide when they want to stop working, she said.

“So long as you wish to work, and you are able to perform, you should decide when to stop.

“Is it really the case that we suddenly become less able to do our jobs once we reach our 63rd birthday?

“If you look at the Government, are there not PAP ministers who are already past the statutory retirement age?”

More on this Topic
WP chief takes aim at NTUC’s close relationship with the ruling party.WP candidates warn against monopoly, call for competition and diversity at Sengkang rally
On the concerns of younger Singaporeans, Punggol GRC candidate Alia Mattar said they are increasingly apprehensive of having children due to the multitude of costs associated with parenting.

She was among six WP candidates at the rally who said they had joined politics as they were worried about their children’s future and wanted to build a better Singapore.

Referencing the young couples she met during house visits, Ms Alia said a number have held back from starting families while waiting for their Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to be completed.

She said, to cheers from the crowd, rather than regarding HDB flats as a tool to accumulate wealth, they should be “affordable homes for Singaporeans to live in”.

She said BTO flats should be priced according to the median income level of new home owners rather than the national household median income, adding that this will help ensure prices do not increase indefinitely.

WP candidate for Punggol GRC Alia Mattar said she met a number of couples who held back from starting families while waiting for BTO flats to be completed.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
Many of the proposals cited are in the WP’s manifesto, the candidates said.

Hammering home the need for voters to choose WP at the polls, Mr Michael Thng, a Tampines GRC candidate, said that since WP members were elected into Parliament, they have “dragged issues that used to sit on the margins and brought them into the political mainstream”.

The PAP has begun to acknowledge this, he added, citing how Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said last week that neither the Government nor the opposition has a monopoly on good ideas.

“If so, why should they have a monopoly in Parliament,” he asked in his maiden rally speech, before calling for the crowd to vote WP in to build a “better... more inclusive Singapore, where your voices are given equal weight in the policymaking process”.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Pritam says PAP candidates with NTUC ties can continue helping workers even if not elected​

WP chief Pritam Singh called the labour movement a “guaranteed trampoline” for losing PAP candidates.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Kok Yufeng
Apr 27, 2025


SINGAPORE - Labour chief Ng Chee Meng and NTUC assistant secretary-general Desmond Choo, who are contesting single seats at the general election, can continue helping workers even if they are not elected, WP chief Pritam Singh said on April 26.

Taking aim at NTUC’s close relationship with the PAP, Mr Singh urged voters to vote for WP’s Jalan Kayu candidate Andre Low and its Tampines Changkat candidate Kenneth Foo instead.

Mr Low will square off against the PAP’s Mr Ng in Jalan Kayu at the May 3 polls, while Mr Foo will go up against Mr Choo from the ruling party in Tampines Changkat.

Mr Singh said at WP’s second election rally, held at Temasek Junior College in Tampines, that Mr Ng and Mr Choo will probably continue working in the labour movement if they do not get elected.

If so, the two PAP candidates will continue serving workers with the help of “rank-and-file unionists and workers who are truly the backbone of NTUC”.

Calling the labour movement a “guaranteed trampoline” for losing PAP candidates, the Leader of the Opposition said Mr Ng and Mr Choo can still lobby the Government because of the “symbiotic relationship” between NTUC and the PAP.


“It is the safest trampoline for a politician anywhere in Singapore, and maybe anywhere in the world, but you must be a PAP candidate to earn the right to bounce on it,” said Mr Singh in a speech rounding off the rally, which lasted nearly three hours.

Union work is not easy, he added, and rank-and-file unionists push hard for better workers’ rights because of their passion for workers.

“I thank them for that,” he said. “So, Singapore, let us help the PAP candidates in Jalan Kayu and Tampines Changkat, who are the top leaders in the NTUC, to be full-time NTUC union leaders.”

This, he said, would save them from spending time in Parliament and managing town councils.

“We need to give the PAP candidates more time for their NTUC work, so they can come up with new ideas, or maybe even implement WP ideas,” he added.

Earlier, Mr Singh took a swipe at a social media site that touted Mr Ng’s role in driving the launch of the new SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme – a policy on which the WP said it has also made a difference.

The scheme gives payouts to lower- and middle-income adult Singaporeans who have lost their jobs due to reasons such as retrenchment and business closure.

Mr Singh also hit out at what he said was a lack of substance and specifics in the PAP’s 2025 election manifesto.

For example, he cited the lack of details about proposals to tackle housing affordability, the decaying lease of HDB flats, and the roll-out of the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (Vers), which will give owners of older flats a chance at “going en bloc” before their leases run out.

Mr Singh said many families are buying resale flats with 60 or 70 years left on the lease, at prices nearing or even surpassing $1 million. “These families need more details about Vers before their resale flats start to lose value... What does the PAP manifesto say about this concern? Nothing at all.”

He said WP, in comparison, has advanced many practical proposals in its manifesto that deal with issues such as high rental costs for businesses and more flexibility for seniors using MediSave, the national medical savings scheme.

“Singapore is a far more complex society (now), and it will always need fresh thinking. Yet we have a PAP manifesto without specific policy ideas. I believe it is because PAP wants Singaporeans to sign a blank cheque,” he said.

Mr Singh said Parliament needs rational, responsible and respectable debate, and “not a rubber stamp”, arguing that voting in PAP candidates with ties to NTUC would not make a difference.

He cited the proposed $2.2 billion sale of home-grown insurer Income Insurance to German multinational Allianz, which was called off after the deal came under public scrutiny.

He noted that no PAP labour MP filed questions or spoke during the debate in Parliament when the issue surfaced.

“Elected PAP MPs who champion NTUC... should fight hard in Parliament when NTUC issues are raised, particularly issues that Singaporeans are concerned about.”

Mr Singh said WP’s candidates, if elected, will work hard on the ground and look after the town councils in the constituencies they are contesting.

He added: “Tampines wins, Tampines Changkat wins, Jalan Kayu wins, Singapore wins, everybody wins.”

At the end of his speech, Mr Singh responded to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s comments at a press conference earlier in the day that delved into Facebook posts by two Malaysian politicians and a former ISA detainee.

The posts were blocked for attempting to interfere in Singapore’s election.

They – along with a Malaysia-based Singaporean religious teacher Noor Deros – had spotlighted several opposition politicians in social media posts. These politicians include WP vice-chair Faisal Manap, who is leading the party’s Tampines GRC team.

Mr Singh said: “My colleagues and I categorically reject the involvement of any foreign element whatsoever in our domestic politics. Singapore is our business. Nobody else’s.”

He added: “I passionately believe in a race-neutral Singapore, where we are judged not by our race or the colour of our skin, but by our deeds and our common humanity.”

Mr Faisal, who was moved from Aljunied GRC, made a similar pledge to voters. “I am a minority candidate, a Malay/Muslim. Regardless, I will serve the residents of Tampines GRC – regardless of race, language or religion – equally and to the best of my ability,” he said in his rally speech.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: More support for labour MPs means greater mandate to speak for workers, says Chan Chun Sing​

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing during a walkabout at Blk 85 Redhill Lane on April 27.ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN

Lim Min Zhang
Apr 27, 2025,

SINGAPORE - The stronger the support given to the labour chief and MPs, the greater their mandate and confidence to speak for workers beyond NTUC, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.

Furthermore, Singaporeans should choose the strongest team to represent them on the world stage in the upcoming polls. This is important as others would want to know they are negotiating with leaders who have the backing of its people, said Mr Chan, who helms the PAP team contesting Tanjong Pagar GRC.

“Otherwise, it would not be so easy for us to get the best package or deal for fellow Singaporeans when we are facing tough negotiations,” he said during a walkabout at Redhill Market on April 27.

Mr Chan was responding to Mr Pritam Singh’s rally speech on April 26, where the WP leader suggested there was no need to elect PAP’s labour movement candidates, as they can continue helping workers even if they do not enter Parliament.

The WP is challenging NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng in Jalan Kayu SMC, and NTUC assistant secretary-general Desmond Choo in Tampines Changkat SMC.

Mr Singh also took aim at NTUC’s close relationship with the PAP, noting that labour MPs had been silent on the Allianz-Income saga in August 2024, when the issue was first aired in Parliament.

Multiple opposition parties have raised the issue during the hustings. The proposed deal by the German insurer to buy a majority stake in Singapore’s Income Insurance fell through later in 2024.

Asked about Mr Singh’s remarks, Mr Chan, who was labour chief from 2015 to 2018, said it is not merely about what PAP labour MPs say in Parliament, but what they do behind the scenes.

“It’s a lot of hard work. Each and every NTUC officer, including labour MPs, have to work closely with the companies and tripartite partners in order to achieve what they can for our workers.

“So I think if people say anything that is different from this, perhaps they don’t fully understand how our tripartite system works.”

As for the Allianz-Income deal, Mr Chan said PAP MPs had raised this issue, among others, “both internally and externally”.

“That shows the diversity of views that they bring to the table. That shows how they are fighting for the workers to have better jobs and wage growth,” he said.

Mr Chan was accompanied by other members of the PAP slate, which is facing the People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR) in the May 3 polls.

The PAP’s candidates for Radin Mas SMC, Mr Melvin Yong, and for Queenstown SMC, Mr Eric Chua, were also present.

Mr Yong, the incumbent for Radin Mas, spoke about two community initiatives involving hawkers. One was launched in 2021 during the pandemic, for customers to buy free meals and drinks for others. Since then, more than 100,000 free meals and drinks have been given away, he said.

Another is a programme where vouchers are distributed to residents for them to enjoy food discounts. This started in August 2024 with 40 participating stalls, and there are now more than 70 across the constituency.

At the midway point of the GE2025 campaign, Mr Chan urged voters to choose people who will get things done for them, and not “people who will ask other people who will get things done for them”.

He said potential MPs must not only take care of residents in the local community and represent them at the national level, but also represent Singaporeans on the international stage.

On the PAR’s proposals for free education, school meals and healthcare for Singaporean children – which the opposition party spoke about at a rally a day earlier – Mr Chan said voters should assess them based on several criteria.

For instance, how such proposals would be paid for and whether they would help attract more investment and create better jobs.

Another question to ask is whether these suggestions would help companies earn more to pay workers better wages, he said. That is because the best way to take care of workers and residents is for them to have a good job and for the income to keep growing, said Mr Chan.

“That is the best way to counter any cost of living concerns,” he said, adding that the government will continue to help where it can by redistributing the fruits of growth.

Asked what value labour MPs bring to the table, if elected, Mr Chan said workers and unionists want their interests to be represented in Parliament and in the Cabinet.

“So when they get strong support, (and) they say something in Parliament and Cabinet, people there will sit up and take them very seriously because they know that they are not speaking as individuals, but... on behalf of workers and unionists,” said Mr Chan.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: PAP’s Denise Phua defends relevance of mayors amid criticism of the role​

PAP Jalan Besar candidates Shawn Loh. ;Josephine Teo, Denise Phua and Wan Rizal taking a wefie with Ms Tan Leng Hong, 60 during the Walkabout at Upper Boon Keng Market on April 27, 2025 . ST Photo : Desmond Wee.The Straits Times

Judith Tan
Apr 27, 2025

SINGAPORE - PAP candidate for Jalan Besar GRC Denise Phua said the roles of mayors and the Community Development Councils (CDCs) continue to be important as they serve regional roles that are separate from those of MPs or grassroot advisors.

While most people know the CDC as the lead agency to come up with the CDC vouchers, the CDCs actually do a lot more than that, said Ms Phua, noting that many of the programmes are also led by the five mayors in charge of the five districts.

“We operate as a regional office that does not take over the role of the MP or the grassroot advisors, but really looking at the entire district so that CDCs and the mayors are able to aggregate the needs of the district, find some common areas,” she told reporters during a media doorstop interview at Upper Boon Keng Market and Food Centre on April 27.

For example, in her district, the CDC runs more than 50 programmes to address the needs of residents.

Ms Phua has served as the Mayor of Central Singapore District since 2014. She was responding to questions about the role of mayors, which was raised by opposition parties like the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR).

In rallies on April 26, both parties had called for the abolishing of such mayor positions should they be elected.

Referring to the CDCs as an “ideas bank”, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, who is helming the PAP’s Jalan Besar GRC team, said that many programmes in her constituency that are targeted at vulnerable families, mid-career workers and the youth have benefited from the support of the CDC.


“The profiles of our residents have changed from time to time, and when you have new resident groups moving in, it takes time to learn about their needs, understand their aspirations, and then design programmes that they will find useful,” she said.

“The CDCs have often stepped in to share best practices in other constituencies, so that shortens the learning curve, and allows us to learn from others what works, what does not work, and how we can actually innovate in a way that serves the residents,” added Mrs Teo.

Fellow Jalan Besar candidates Dr Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah and Mr Shawn Loh also joined Mrs Teo and Ms Phua at the April 27 media doorstop. The incumbent PAP team will go head-to-head with the PAR in a battle for Jalan Besar GRC in the May 3 polls.

Dr Wan Rizal also told the media that racial and religious harmony in Singapore has come a long way, and its related challenges cannot be taken lightly.

PAP Jalan Besar candidate Wan Rizal said his approach had always been to serve both the Malay/Muslim community and the broader community.The Straits Times
The Singapore government had, on April 25, moved to block Singapore users’ access to several instances of online election advertising (OEA) posted on Facebook by foreigners.

These posts were made by two Malaysian politicians and a former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee who is now an Australian citizen, who criticised the Singapore government’s handling of sensitive religious issues, and urged Singaporeans to vote along religious lines.

They, along with a Singaporean self-styled religious teacher based in Malaysia known as Mr Noor Deros, had spotlighted several opposition politicians in social media posts, including incumbent Aljunied MP Faisal Manap, who is contesting Tampines GRC this year under the WP banner.

When asked for his views on recent reports over attempted foreign interference in Singapore’s general election, Dr Wan Rizal emphasised that the party “outrightly rejects such interferences”.

“I think it’s our responsibility, as good politicians, to make sure that this does not affect our politics here in Singapore. We truly believe that at the end of the day … Singaporeans must be our focus and attention as we go forward,” he said.

As a former mosque leader for 10 years, Dr Wan Rizal also said that his approach has always been to serve both the Malay/Muslim community and the broader community.

“I think that is how we should view religion in Singapore, it is actually a way to uplift and help one another in Singapore, and we should see it in that context rather than just a very myopic way of just focusing on one community over the other,” he added.

Building on that, Ms Phua said that the five-year Jalan Besar Masterplan that they hope to implement is a plan “for all”, and includes both public and private residents.

“When we say we have plans for Jalan Besar GRC, we are looking at a Jalan Besar for all, regardless of age, abilities, home - whether in public or private estates - and backgrounds. We are excited about being given a chance to build an even more vibrant, sustainable town, and definitely a more caring community for all,” she said.

Political newcomer Mr Loh also shared his experience on the ground, saying that “every single handshake, every smile, every word of encouragement, every word of support” is important.

“I think it’s a reflection of the good work that the team has done in the past, and it’s a reflection of the good work that we will continue to do if we get elected into Parliament,” he said.