The Singapore People's Party (SPP) is set to unveil its five-year masterplan which seeks to strengthen the party internally and engage Singaporeans with its outreach programmes.
The party's candidate for Bishan-Toa Payoh group representation constituency (GRC) Benjamin Pwee, 43, told Yahoo! Singapore that the plan will be put on the table for approval by its central executive committee (CEC) on Monday.
Apart from ensuring progress within the party's internal structure, the plan also aims to build on more support from the constituencies that it has contested this year, in time for the next election scheduled to be in 2016.
"Basically the masterplan includes a step-by-step process over five-years to grow the party internally and strengthen it as well as strengthen our support with the ground, in Potong Pasir, Hong Kah North and Bishan-Toa Payoh in time for the next election in 2016," said Pwee, a former government scholar.
The proposal comes after the party suffered defeat in three of the contested areas in this year's general election.
Candidate Lina Chiam — wife of opposition warhorse Chiam See Tong — lost to her People's Action Party (PAP) rival Sitoh Yih Pin by a mere 114 votes at Potong Pasir SMC.
In Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, they also suffered a defeat to the incumbent PAP team helmed by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng -- who only won by a margin of 13.9 percent of the vote share.
Revealing that the defeat was not a setback, Pwee added that the masterplan which he initiated proves that the party is already looking ahead.
The proposal, he said, was also discussed internally together with the other CEC members and the Chiams', as well as the party's policy working group that consists of 15 to 18 professionals from diverse backgrounds; senior lawyers, senior business executives and accountants.
With regard to its internal structure, Pwee — who is currently the managing director of his own regional business strategy consulting firm — said that the party will be recruiting an estimated 150 new volunteers with backgrounds ranging from professionals to senior executives.
He added that the SPP will be meeting them this week to discuss their roles and commitments, and if they are able to volunteer on a part-time basis.
"Some of them for example, want to take charge of our website. Some want to take charge of our viral online campaign and some will be part of our policy working group. So we will sit down and work out what the roles are," he said.
The plan which will be unveiled to the press on an annual basis, also seeks to collaborate with other community groups such as those that deal with issues surrounding women, elderly and the lower-income.
"At the same time through our working groups as well as some other additional initiatives, we want to be able to start reaching out to community groups that work with women for example, or elderly or the poor or the shopkeepers association," he said.
Pwee stressed that through such partnerships, it will allow the SPP to build on the rapport within the community and be more informed of issues on the ground.
Alongside this, the party will also develop a clearer action plan which builds around a consultative process that will include understanding the needs of residents and their expectation for their communities within this coming five years.
"So we want to really in five years get to know the ground, especially the segments in the community that didn't vote for us or didn't know us as well. So we want to really get to know them," said Pwee.
The masterplan includes a slew of initiatives, among them creating a foundation with a seed-money of S$2 million funded by one of its supporters, whose identity Pwee declined to reveal.
With plans to name it the Singapore People's Foundation, it aims to provide financial support to needy Singaporeans, regardless of the constituencies that they come from.
Still, it will be a challenge to ensure that it is non-partisan, with Pwee adding that the SPP are already exploring on ways to ensure that this foundation will be able cater to all Singaporeans, and not just supporters of the party.
The party also plans to start a virtual Meet-the-People-Session (MPS), which allows residents to consult their problems in case their MPs are unable solve them.
Other plans include setting up a micro-financing revolving loan together with free-of-charge executive coaching and services to assist small businesses. "Either to help the businesses grow or helping those about to go bankrupt to be more self-sustaining," explained Pwee.
He added that the masterplan which was developed based on the strengths of the party members and its resources, is "very implementable and realistic".
When asked on the challenges that the party is likely to face, he said that while the party is financially stable, the real challenge will come in the face of growing the party internally as well as engaging residents.
"I think the real challenge for us is how to grow the party and maintain contact with the residents and have a voice in parliament even though we actually don't have a constituency behind us," he said.
The party's candidate for Bishan-Toa Payoh group representation constituency (GRC) Benjamin Pwee, 43, told Yahoo! Singapore that the plan will be put on the table for approval by its central executive committee (CEC) on Monday.
Apart from ensuring progress within the party's internal structure, the plan also aims to build on more support from the constituencies that it has contested this year, in time for the next election scheduled to be in 2016.
"Basically the masterplan includes a step-by-step process over five-years to grow the party internally and strengthen it as well as strengthen our support with the ground, in Potong Pasir, Hong Kah North and Bishan-Toa Payoh in time for the next election in 2016," said Pwee, a former government scholar.
The proposal comes after the party suffered defeat in three of the contested areas in this year's general election.
Candidate Lina Chiam — wife of opposition warhorse Chiam See Tong — lost to her People's Action Party (PAP) rival Sitoh Yih Pin by a mere 114 votes at Potong Pasir SMC.
In Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, they also suffered a defeat to the incumbent PAP team helmed by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng -- who only won by a margin of 13.9 percent of the vote share.
Revealing that the defeat was not a setback, Pwee added that the masterplan which he initiated proves that the party is already looking ahead.
The proposal, he said, was also discussed internally together with the other CEC members and the Chiams', as well as the party's policy working group that consists of 15 to 18 professionals from diverse backgrounds; senior lawyers, senior business executives and accountants.
With regard to its internal structure, Pwee — who is currently the managing director of his own regional business strategy consulting firm — said that the party will be recruiting an estimated 150 new volunteers with backgrounds ranging from professionals to senior executives.
He added that the SPP will be meeting them this week to discuss their roles and commitments, and if they are able to volunteer on a part-time basis.
"Some of them for example, want to take charge of our website. Some want to take charge of our viral online campaign and some will be part of our policy working group. So we will sit down and work out what the roles are," he said.
The plan which will be unveiled to the press on an annual basis, also seeks to collaborate with other community groups such as those that deal with issues surrounding women, elderly and the lower-income.
"At the same time through our working groups as well as some other additional initiatives, we want to be able to start reaching out to community groups that work with women for example, or elderly or the poor or the shopkeepers association," he said.
Pwee stressed that through such partnerships, it will allow the SPP to build on the rapport within the community and be more informed of issues on the ground.
Alongside this, the party will also develop a clearer action plan which builds around a consultative process that will include understanding the needs of residents and their expectation for their communities within this coming five years.
"So we want to really in five years get to know the ground, especially the segments in the community that didn't vote for us or didn't know us as well. So we want to really get to know them," said Pwee.
The masterplan includes a slew of initiatives, among them creating a foundation with a seed-money of S$2 million funded by one of its supporters, whose identity Pwee declined to reveal.
With plans to name it the Singapore People's Foundation, it aims to provide financial support to needy Singaporeans, regardless of the constituencies that they come from.
Still, it will be a challenge to ensure that it is non-partisan, with Pwee adding that the SPP are already exploring on ways to ensure that this foundation will be able cater to all Singaporeans, and not just supporters of the party.
The party also plans to start a virtual Meet-the-People-Session (MPS), which allows residents to consult their problems in case their MPs are unable solve them.
Other plans include setting up a micro-financing revolving loan together with free-of-charge executive coaching and services to assist small businesses. "Either to help the businesses grow or helping those about to go bankrupt to be more self-sustaining," explained Pwee.
He added that the masterplan which was developed based on the strengths of the party members and its resources, is "very implementable and realistic".
When asked on the challenges that the party is likely to face, he said that while the party is financially stable, the real challenge will come in the face of growing the party internally as well as engaging residents.
"I think the real challenge for us is how to grow the party and maintain contact with the residents and have a voice in parliament even though we actually don't have a constituency behind us," he said.
