'Our role is to make ourselves obsolete': First-time WP candidates reflect on GE2025 and whether they'll run again, Singapore News
WP candidates Siti Alia Abdul Rahim Mattar and Sufyan Mikhail Putra sat down with fellow party members and hosts of This Side of the House, Eileen Chong and Andre Low.
In a 42-minute-long debut episode uploaded to the party's social media channels on Monday (Aug 11), the first-time candidates reflected on GE2025 and their personal experiences stepping into Singapore's political arena as newbies.
When asked about their plans to run again at the next election in five years, Siti Alia said that it would depend on what is best for the party.
"It's always a question of if there are better candidates, more experienced candidates, more trained candidates — people that the party feels would be a better fit," she said.
Siti Alia said it may not be necessary to field the same candidates, but that it might be more important for the party to continue contesting in the same constituencies.
"I feel like when people say 'don't give up', I think they're telling the party: 'Don't give up on our constituency'," she said, giving the example of Punggol GRC where she contested.
Chong agreed, adding that the decision to contest again would be reliant on what the party believes the Singapore electorate is looking for.
She also recalled being teary-eyed on the team's perambulating vehicle the day after election results were out, where residents ran up to thank her for contesting and asked her to try again in five years.
"It's hard to turn your back on what we're all building together," said Chong, who said she felt encouraged by the support shown throughout the nine days of campaigning.
Low also agreed with Siti Alia's perspective, reflecting that the longer term goal as an opposition party is to "to make ourselves obsolete".
"I hadn't thought about it that way, but if we zoom out a little bit, our role as opposition politicians is really to make ourselves obsolete.
"We want to push and forward the opposition cause in Singapore to a point where there are so many qualified people who feel like they should step up and contribute," he explained, adding that there will be no guarantee that the four of them will still contest in the next election, should there be more qualified people for the job.
"The moment we become replaceable, that's actually brilliant for Singapore," he said.
Chiming in, Sufyan said that WP has had various people joining their outreach efforts in all the constituencies after GE2025, and that "the talent that [they've] seen is very encouraging". Singapore's 15th parliament to open on Sept 5
Siti Alia was part of the four-person team that contested in Punggol GRC. The team received 44.83 per cent of votes, losing to the People's Action Party (PAP) team led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong.
Sufyan contested in the five-member East Coast GRC team led by Yee Jenn Jong. The team received 41.24 per cent of votes and ceded defeat to the incumbent PAP team led by current Minister for Law, Edwin Tong.
Low contested in Jalan Kayu SMC and received the highest percentage of votes (48.53 per cent) among the unelected opposition candidates, and was chosen as the first Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) following the conclusion of GE2025.
Chong had contested Tampines GRC alongside Faisal Manap, Michael Thng, Ong Lue Ping and Jimmy Tan in a four-way fight, losing to a People's Action Party (PAP) team led by Masagos Zulkifli.
Chong's team received the second highest percentage of votes (47.37 per cent) among the unelected opposition candidates, and Chong was subsequently elected NCMP.
The first session of Singapore's 15th parliament will open next month on Sept 5, with Low and Chong to appear alongside WP's 10 MPs from Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC.
[[nid:720962]]
dana.leong@asiaone.com
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