We may not have won Punggol, but we won something deeper: WP's Harpreet Singh on GE2025, Singapore News
It's been an "unforgettable" nine days of campaigning that culminated in a loss for this Workers' Party (WP) member, but he may not have thrown in the towel just yet.
There's more to the campaign for General Election 2025 than just victory and loss, WP Punggol GRC candidate Harpreet Singh Nehal said in a Facebook post on Sunday (May 4).
"We may not have won the Punggol seat last night — but we won something deeper," the 59-year-old said. "Hope. Trust. A step forward."
Singh, along with teammates Alia Mattar, Jackson Au and Alexis Dang lost to the People's Action Party (PAP) team consisting Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Senior Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and Information Janil Puthucheary, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling as well as Yeo Wan Ling.
Recalling his experience during campaigning, Singh said that he and his team walked the ground and listened to residents, speaking up "for a better, fairer, more open Singapore".
"Nearly half of Punggol stood with us," he stated. "That alone tells us: something is shifting."
This shift represents a "spark" of belief, courage and hope, he commented.
"We may not have crossed the finish line this time, but that's no reason to give up hope. Because when enough of us believe in change, and act on it — change comes."
On behalf of his team, Singh also expressed his gratitude to Singaporeans for the encouragement and support his team received throughout the campaigning.
"The future is ours to shape — together," he concluded.
Singh and his team earned 51,663 votes, or 44.83 per cent of total votes for Punggol GRC. The PAP team received 55.17 per cent or 63,589 votes.
WP failed to increase its tally of 10 elected MPs from the 2020 GE, but is set to add two Non-Constituency MPs in the new Parliament. 'Here to serve': DPM Gan
DPM Gan and his Punggol GRC team took to Waterway Point on Sunday afternoon, thanking residents for their support and interacting with them.
Referring to him as the "Task force man", residents snapped pictures with DPM Gan as well as his team, sharing congratulatory words with them.
"I think the key message is really that I'm here to serve," DPM Gan told AsiaOne. "I'll be looking forward to talking to them."
He will be organising engagement sessions with Northshore residents to better understand their concerns, he said.
"We also want to better understand (residents') concerns and their worries, and see how we can help them address some of the concerns so that they can move forward with confidence," DPM Gan added.
He will be holding a meet-the-people session every Monday from 8pm to 10pm at Block 402 Northshore Drive, #01-01, S820402.
Sessions will be held every Monday, except for the fifth Monday of the month and on the eve of public holidays as well as public holidays.
[[nid:717395]]
khooyihang@asiaone.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
7 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
S$5K bounty offered to find cat killer at Nee Soon; petition for stronger enforcement of animal cruelty laws shared
SINGAPORE: After a second cat was found killed in Nee Soon within a short span of time, a bounty of S$5,000 has been put up in the hopes of finding the person responsible for the deaths, CNA reported on Tuesday (Jun 2). The report says that animal welfare groups believe that a serial cat killer could be on the loose, adding that in addition to the bounty, a private investigator has been hired by the community to help solve the killings, and that the Cat Welfare Society intends to do more house visits to determine if a witness can be found. Early in May, a community cat at Yishun Street 51 named King Kong was found dead. Its killing had been particularly horrific, and photos of the cat were shared online showing that it had been cut open and some of its internal organs had been exposed. Moreover, King Kong was believed to have been tortured, as its eyes had been gouged out. See also Litterbug dumps big pile of old clothes at void deck in Nee Soon Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, a Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC, described the killing of King Kong in a Facebook post as an act of 'appalling cruelty.' 'What kind of person will do this? This is not who we are as a people,' he added. Some days later, a community cat in Punggol named Shere Khan was discovered with severe injuries near Block 326B Sumang Walk. Despite receiving medical care immediately, Shere Khan, fondly known as Papa Cat, died. 'What happened to him was not just cruel — it was unthinkable,' wrote LUNI Singapore, a group that rehomes and cares for street cats, in a Facebook post. Then, on May 24, another community cat was found dead, wrapped in plastic and paper beside a garbage bin at the void deck of Block 897 Tampines Street 81. The cat, named Sunshine, had been cared for by members of the community over the past decade. CNA reported that the second dead cat was discovered in Nee Soon on Sunday morning (Jun 1) with its hind legs 'in an odd position, suggesting an unnatural death' just a short distance from where King Kong's body was discovered. Meanwhile, a petition for a stronger enforcement of animal cruelty laws has been shared on the platform. 'Community cats in Singapore are increasingly becoming victims of abuse, with more reports of physical harm, poisoning, and neglect surfacing in recent months. These animals, who often rely on the care of volunteers and kind-hearted residents, suffer silently with limited protection. Beyond the cats themselves, caregivers and animal welfare groups are also affected emotionally and financially as they scramble to treat injuries, report abuse, and seek justice within a system that often falls short,' it reads. /TISG Read also: Alert issued after 2 community cats at Toa Payoh suspected to be 'captured, beaten, scalded & drowned'
New Paper
10 hours ago
- New Paper
Sole registered voter in Tampines Changkat SMC polling district gets verbal advisory for old address
A man who was the sole registered voter in a polling district within Tampines Changkat SMC received a verbal advisory for failing to update his address as required by law. He had previously listed his business premises in an industrial park in Tampines as his residential address but has since updated the information. In a joint statement on June 3, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Elections Department (ELD) said the man registered his business address as his residence in 2020 because he had resided there temporarily during that period. But after moving to a new residence in 2022, he did not update his address within 28 days, as required by law. ICA investigated and found no evidence to suggest any malicious or criminal intent. Taking into account that this was the man's first offence under the National Registration Act, it decided to issue the verbal advisory. The Registers of Electors will reflect his updated address when they are next revised. The case came to light after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) released its report on March 11, ahead of General Election 2025, which was held on May 3. The report, based on the provisional Registers of Electors as at Feb 1, indicated that there was a single registered voter listed under the East Coast 42 polling district within the new Tampines Changkat SMC. But checks by The Straits Times found that there was no known valid residence in the polling district at that time, as it comprised only four upcoming Housing Board Build-To-Order (BTO) projects and an industrial estate. Three of the BTO projects remain under construction, and the Tampines GreenEmerald project was recently completed, with the first batch of residents getting their keys only on Feb 23. The anomaly raised questions about who the person was and how he was able to register an address in the area. News website AsiaOne later reported that the man is a 53-year-old business owner, who wanted to be known only by his surname Yeo. Mr Yeo said he had changed his residential address from somewhere in central Singapore to that of a unit in Tampines Industrial Park A, where he runs a family business. He added that he does not live in the unit. ST has contacted JTC Corporation, which manages Tampines Industrial Park A, for comment. Under the National Registration Act, all identity card holders are required to report a change of address within 28 days of moving into a new residence, whether local or overseas. The change can be done online via ICA's change-of-address e-service. Those who fail to report a change of address or falsely declare their residential address may be fined up to $5,000 and jailed for up to five years.
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Straits Times
Sole registered voter in Tampines Changkat SMC polling district gets verbal advisory for old address
A man who previously registered his residential address at an industrial park in Tampines in 2020 was given a verbal advisory following investigations by the ICA. ST PHOTO: AQIL HAMZAH Sole registered voter in Tampines Changkat SMC polling district gets verbal advisory for old address SINGAPORE – A man who was the sole registered voter in a polling district within Tampines Changkat SMC received a verbal advisory for failing to update his address as required by law . He had previously listed his business premises in an industrial park in Tampines as his residential address but has since updated the information. In a joint statement on June 3, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Elections Department (ELD) said the man registered his business address as his residence in 2020 because he had resided there temporarily during that period. But after moving to a new residence in 2022, he did not update his address within 28 days, as required by law. ICA investigated and found no evidence to suggest any malicious or criminal intent. Taking into account that this was the man's first offence under the National Registration Act, it decided to issue the verbal advisory. The Registers of Electors will reflect his updated address when they are next revised. The case came to light after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) released its report on March 11, ahead of General Election 2025, which was held on May 3. The report, based on the provisional Registers of Electors as at Feb 1, indicated that there was a single registered voter listed under the East Coast 42 polling district within the new Tampines Changkat SMC. But checks by The Straits Times found that there was no known valid residence in the polling district at that time, as it comprised only four upcoming Housing Board Build-To-Order (BTO) projects and an industrial estate. Three of the BTO projects remain under construction, and the Tampines GreenEmerald project was recently completed, with the first batch of residents getting their keys only on Feb 23. The anomaly raised questions about who the person was and how he was able to register an address in the area. News website AsiaOne later reported that the man is a 53-year-old business owner, who wanted to be known only by his surname Yeo. Mr Yeo said he had changed his residential address from somewhere in central Singapore to that of a unit in Tampines Industrial Park A, where he runs a family business. He added that he does not live in the unit. ST has contacted JTC Corporation, which manages Tampines Industrial Park A, for comment. Under the National Registration Act, all identity card holders are required to report a change of address within 28 days of moving into a new residence, whether local or overseas. The change can be done online via ICA's change-of-address e-service. Those who fail to report a change of address or falsely declare their residential address may be fined up to $5,000 and jailed for up to five years. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
