Singapore dog ‘running for Paw-liament' meets PM Lawrence Wong

Independent Singapore

07-05-2025

Photo credit/ Alvin & Rufus
SINGAPORE: After each vote has been counted and election fever has died down, we want to feature a candidate of the four-footed variety, Rufus, a very special Samoyed.
Rufus has aspirations to one day be in Paw-liament, and has even met the highest official in the land, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Screengrab/ Alvin & Rufus
His human, Alvin, told us that Rufus has a 'cheeky political campaign' all of his own, with a growing following on Instagram at @hi.rufus (and you can check him out on TikTok under the same handle, too). @hi.rufus
✨ I'm running for Paw-liament! ✨ As your rep, I'll push for Dogs on MRT! I'll also push for Dogs for Buses! And most importantly, I'll also push for Unlimited Treats for all of us dogss! ✨ Vote For Fluff Vote For Change Vote for RUFUS BEDEK PARTY! ✨ . . . . . . funnydogs pupperazzi cutedogsdaily doglifeisgood funnydogmoments viraldogvideos dogfriendlysg sgdoglover sgdogslife pawsomedogs sgpetlovers sgpet sgpets samoyedpage samoyed samoyedpuppy samoyedlifestyle samoyedlovers samoyeddog samoyeddogs samoyedsmile samoyedpuppies samoyedstories samoyedoftheday samoyeddogs samoyedfeed samoyedfamily
♬ original sound – hi.rufus – hi.rufus
And what exactly is this brave Samoyed fighting for? Well, we're sure he would love to expound on his 'paw-licies,' but among them are allowing dogs on MRT and public transport and legalising unlimited treats. Screengrab/ Alvin & Rufus Screengrab/ Alvin & Rufus
Now, we don't know about you, but The Independent Singapore can hear barking cheers all around The Little Red Dot from beloved fur babies in HDB estates, condos, and GCBs alike.
Rufus's recent encounter with PM Wong was even caught on camera by a 'paw-parazzi.'
'The meeting with the PM adds a real-world twist to his campaign — a dog influencer with 'paw-werful' dreams meeting the real leader of Singapore,' Alvin told us.
To his supporters, the four-footed candidate has this to say: 'Rufus believes every good boy and girl should be allowed on the MRT and buses — and maybe even lead the Ministry of Treats if belly rubs are part of the job. Thanks for supporting his campaign to make Singapore pawsitively awesome!'
After the May 3 polls, Rufus wrote in a post that he had been disappointed to have lost his deposit, aka a big bag of treats, but was glad to have met PM Wong 'sniffed many friendly Tampines frens, got head pats, and even stole a few snacks, so it's still gud day!' @hi.rufus
The election results haz been disappointing… 😔 i lost my deposit (aka big bag of treats 🥲🍖) but!! i met hooman PM 🤝🐶, sniffed many friendly Tampines frens 👃🐾, got head pats 🙌 and even stole a few snacks 🍗😋 so it's still gud day! RBP (Rufus Bedek Party) will be back!!! 💪🐾 more policies 🐕, more zoomies 💨, and dis time… i'll be thinking of setting up my own booth 🗳️🍪 iStillVoteMe ✅ RufusBedekParty 🐾 BarkToTheFuture 🐶🚀 TampinesTails ❤️ . . . . . funnydogs pupperazzi cutedogsdaily doglifeisgood funnydogmoments viraldogvideos dogfriendlysg sgdoglover sgdogslife pawsomedogs sgpetlovers sgpet sgpets samoyedpage samoyed samoyedpuppy samoyedlifestyle samoyedlovers samoyeddog samoyeddogs samoyedsmile samoyedpuppies samoyedstories samoyedoftheday samoyeddogs samoyedfeed samoyedfamily
♬ original sound – hi.rufus – hi.rufus
He promised that RBP (Rufus Bedek Party) will be back 'with more policies, more zoomies, and dis time… i'll be thinking of setting up my own booth.'
Rufus' fans cheered him on, encouraging him to keep on keeping on.
'There's always the next election! No fret!' wrote one.
'I will still vote for RUFUS in the next election!! Pwease make treats more affordable and pets in public transport happen!' another commenter said.
'RUFUS BEDEK PARTY ALL THE WAY!!!,' an enthusiastic supporter chimed in.
On TikTok, some fans have called him their 'favourite candidate.' /TISG
Read also: Fur-tastic employee! — Dog goes to work at Fuzhou Café to 'earn snack money' after successfully passing a one-hour job interview