logo
Reform Party to leave opposition group People's Alliance for Reform, two parties remain

Reform Party to leave opposition group People's Alliance for Reform, two parties remain

Straits Times07-07-2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The Reform Party's resignation from the People's Alliance for Reform takes effect at the end of July.
SINGAPORE – The Reform Party will withdraw from the People's Alliance for Reform, leaving the opposition group with two of its four founding members.
The People's Power Party
did the same in February ahead of the general election on May 3, while the Peoples Voice and Democratic Progressive Party remain.
RP secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam announced his party's resignation, which takes effect at the end of July, in a post on the party's Facebook page on July 7.
'We thank Lim Tean for his leadership and wish him and the other remaining parties in PAR all the best in the future,' he said, referring to Mr Lim, secretary-general of Peoples Voice and the PAR.
Mr Jeyaretnam was the chairman of the alliance.
Mr Lim told The Straits Times that the alliance, which will retain its current name, will continue into the next election 'much bigger and stronger'.
Many new members and volunteers have joined since the polls, and the party's principles and message resonate with many, he added.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August
Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses
Singapore Singapore's second mufti Shaikh Syed Isa Semait dies at age 87
Singapore Fewer marriages in Singapore in 2024; greater marital stability for recent unions
Business OCBC sets loan target of $5b and covers more territories in boost for serial entrepreneurs
Singapore Shell heist: Second mastermind gets more than 25 years' jail for siphoning $100m of fuel
Asia 72-year-old man on diving trip to Pulau Tioman in Malaysia found dead on the beach
The party intends to 'greatly increase' its numbers in the coming years.
'We wish the Reform Party well in their future endeavours and thank them for having been part of the Alliance,' said Mr Lim.
The alliance's formation was
announced in June 2023 with hopes of 'opposition unity' and reducing three-cornered fights.
But in February 2025, the People's Power Party led by Mr Goh Meng Seng withdrew from the alliance, citing 'irreconcilable strategic differences'.
Mr Lim said then that the remaining alliance members did not agree with the PPP's insistence on contesting Tampines GRC in a four-cornered fight, and also disagreed with the
PPP's position on the Covid-19 vaccine .
The PAR eventually fielded 13 candidates in six constituencies: Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar GRCs and Potong Pasir, Queenstown, Radin Mas and Yio Chu Kang SMCs. Both Potong Pasir and Radin Mas saw three-cornered fights in which PAR candidates lost their deposits.
The alliance received 19.1 per cent of the votes across the six constituencies.
The bulk of the candidates fielded were from the Peoples Voice, a party founded by Mr Lim in 2018. RP had one candidate in Queenstown – Mr Mahaboob Batcha.
PV contested 10 seats in the 2020 general election.
The PAR held a meeting for volunteers and supporters on July 6, according to Mr Lim's Facebook page.
He said the party was 'quietly rebuilding' and had learnt from the recent election.
After the session, which involved a number of PAR candidates from the 2025 election, Mr Lim said in a post that the alliance had come up with a plan which would be put into effect immediately.
'A plan is of no use to a political party unless it is able to win elections. We are confident our plan will work and you will see its implementation in the coming years,' he said.
The Straits Times has contacted RP for comment.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

French PM stakes political survival on budget squeeze
French PM stakes political survival on budget squeeze

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

French PM stakes political survival on budget squeeze

Find out what's new on ST website and app. PARIS - French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou will outline a 40 billion-euro budget squeeze on Tuesday, with opposition parties threatening to topple his minority government if they feel the savings cut too close to the bone. President Emmanuel Macron has left Bayrou the task of repairing the public finances with the 2026 budget, after his own move to call a snap legislative election last year delivered a hung parliament too divided to tackle spiralling spending and a surprise tax shortfall. Long-time debt hawk Bayrou has tried to warn the French that broad sacrifices are unavoidable, although defence spending will be allowed to increase next year. The squeeze, to be detailed in a late afternoon news conference, will probably involve freezing most social benefits while some tax breaks will likely be capped. Bayrou, a veteran centrist, must persuade the opposition ranks in France's fractured parliament to at least tolerate his cuts or risk facing a no-confidence motion like the one that toppled his predecessor in December over the 2025 budget. When announcing a new hike in defence spending on Sunday, Macron urged lawmakers not to trigger another no-confidence motion, saying that the one in December had hurt companies and set a defence build-up back by delaying the 2025 budget. "That vote has delayed the defence budget. It is now up to the government to allocate the necessary funds in a timely manner so we can continue to innovate more quickly, to produce more quickly," he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business MAS records net profit of $19.7 billion, fuelled by investment gains Business Singapore financial sector growth doubles in 2024, assets managed cross $6 trillion in a first: MAS Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw acts against 4 law firms and 1 lawyer over seized properties Singapore Man charged with attempted murder of woman at Kallang Wave Mall Singapore Ex-cleaner jailed over safety lapses linked to guard's death near 1-Altitude rooftop bar Singapore SJI International resumes overseas trips amid ongoing probe into student's death in Maldives in 2024 Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT gets 15.8 per cent capacity boost with new trains Singapore 'Nobody deserves to be alone': Why Mummy and Acha have fostered over 20 children in the past 22 years Left-wing parties will likely baulk at welfare cuts, while the far right warns a broad spending freeze is unfair to French citizens and could prompt them to oppose Bayrou's plans. In the final two years of his second term, the dramatic deterioration of the public finances may tarnish Macron's legacy. A political outsider, he was first elected in 2017 on promises to break the right-left divide and modernise the euro zone's second-biggest economy with growth-friendly tax cuts and reforms. Successive crises - from protests, COVID-19 and runaway inflation - have shown he has failed to change the country's overspending habit, however. Bayrou aims to reduce the budget deficit from 5.4% of GDP this year to 4.6% in 2025, ultimately targeting the EU's 3% fiscal deficit limit by 2029. With interest payments potentially becoming the biggest budget outlay, financial markets and ratings agencies are keen to see whether Bayrou can get his plans through parliament without triggering another political collapse. REUTERS

Egypt grand museum delay puts tourism hopes on hold
Egypt grand museum delay puts tourism hopes on hold

Business Times

time5 hours ago

  • Business Times

Egypt grand museum delay puts tourism hopes on hold

[CAIRO] In the shadow of the Grand Egyptian Museum, souvenir shop owner Mona has been readying for the tourist boom she hoped the long-awaited opening would bring, now once again out of reach. 'I had bet everything on this opening,' she said from her shop, just steps from the iconic pyramids of Giza, which the much-anticipated museum overlooks. Originally scheduled to fully open this month, the museum was expected to attract up to five million visitors annually, fuelling optimism across Cairo's battered tourism sector. 'We planned our entire summer and fall packages around the museum opening,' said Nadine Ahmed, a 28-year-old agent with Time Travel tours. 'But with group cancellations, refunds and route changes, we have lost tens of thousands of US dollars.' Though parts of the museum have been open for months, the main draw, the treasures of Tutankhamun, will remain under wraps until the official launch. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Less than three weeks before its Jul 3 opening, the government announced another delay, this time pushing the landmark event to the final quarter of the year. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly cited regional security concerns and the desire to host an event of 'global scale'. Decades in the making The vast museum, two decades in the making, has faced repeated delays, from political upheaval and economic crises to the Covid-19 pandemic. Ahead of the expected launch, Mona, who asked to be identified by her first name only, took out a loan to renovate her store and stock up on goods inspired by the museum's collection. A few streets away, Mohamed Mamdouh Khattab, 38, prepared months in advance, hiring and training extra staff and expanding his inventory. 'The opening of the museum is a key milestone,' said Khattab, who owns a sprawling bazaar of handcrafted jewellery and ancient replicas. 'It's a project that should have been launched a long time ago,' said the vendor, whose family has been in the industry since the 1970s. Tourism accounts for about 10 per cent of Egypt's workforce, but the sector has struggled, from the fallout of the 2011 Arab Spring to militant attacks and the Covid-19 shutdown. Still, signs of recovery have emerged: Egypt welcomed 3.9 million tourists in the first quarter of 2025, up 25 per cent from the same period last year, itself a record. Fragility At a Giza papyrus workshop, 30-year-old tour guide Sara Mahmoud hopes the opening will revive visitor numbers. 'Big openings have brought a lot of tourism to Egypt before,' she said, pointing to the 2021 Pharaohs' Golden Parade and the reopening of the Avenue of the Sphinxes. 'These events get people excited, we saw the crowds coming in.' Such momentum could make a real difference, said Ragui Assaad, an economist at the University of Minnesota. 'Any initiative that directly increases foreign exchange earnings is likely to have a good return on investment,' he said. 'If you compare it with all the other mega-projects, which do not increase foreign exchange earnings... this is a far better project.' He was referring to a sweeping infrastructure drive under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, including the construction of a massive new administrative capital east of Cairo. The stakes are high: since 2022, Egypt's currency has lost two-thirds of its value, squeezing household budgets and straining every layer of the economy. 'There were days when I sold just one bracelet,' Mona lamented, thinking back to the years when 'tourists arrived in droves'. AFP

Protect Your Helper With Affordable And Comprehensive Coverage With Income's Domestic Helper Insurance
Protect Your Helper With Affordable And Comprehensive Coverage With Income's Domestic Helper Insurance

Sassy Mama

time8 hours ago

  • Sassy Mama

Protect Your Helper With Affordable And Comprehensive Coverage With Income's Domestic Helper Insurance

Looking after the one who provides an additional pair of hands around the house just makes sense. Income's Domestic Helper Insurance lets you do just that with affordable premiums and comprehensive protection. Between juggling work deadlines, sorting out the kids' meals, and caring for elderly parents, there's only so much we can fit into a 24-hour day. For many families in Singapore, having a domestic helper makes a world of difference. But have you thought about what happens if she falls sick or has an accident? That's why it is important to get insurance protection for your helper. With Income's Domestic Helper Insurance, you can give her comprehensive protection at affordable premiums. Comprehensive coverage plans to suit your needs Your helper is probably a reliable right-hand woman at home who helps you juggle everything life throws your way. Whether you're looking for essential protection or more comprehensive coverage, Income's Domestic Helper Insurance has a range of options to suit your needs. The Basic Plan offers peace of mind with coverage for personal accidents, hospitalisation, personal liability, and outpatient medical expenses due to injury. It also includes hospitalisation coverage for pre-existing medical conditions if your helper has been working in Singapore as a foreign domestic helper for more than 12 months in a row. For families who want a higher level of assurance, the Standard or Enhanced Plan provides added benefits. These include coverage for certain expenses if you need to stop employing your helper due to a serious sickness or serious injury, as well as wage compensation of up to 30 days if she's unable to carry out her duties due to hospitalisation. Keeping your domestic helper protected while she works for your family Accidents can happen anytime, in and outside the home. If your helper is injured in a personal accident, Income's Domestic Helper Insurance offers coverage of up to $80,0001, along with local and emergency overseas hospitalisation2 benefits, including coverage for COVID-193! In addition, with a Letter of Guarantee4, you won't need to worry about making an upfront payment for eligible hospitalisation expenses because the hospital will bill Income Insurance directly, and you can focus on your helper's recovery. With the MediPass app5, doctor visits are also now easier on your wallet, with a preferential rate for general practitioner consultations which start from just $13.086, and mandatory six-monthly medical check-ups start from $21.806! At the end of the day, your helper isn't just an employee, she's the quiet force that keeps your household moving. Insuring her with Income's Domestic Helper Insurance gives you peace of mind and shows that you're looking out for her. With affordable premiums, Income's Domestic Helper Insurance gives her the protection she deserves and protects your wallet from surprises. Check out their latest promotions here. Income Insurance,

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store