Nomination Day moments you may have missed
Amid the high stakes and formalities, however, several lighter, unexpected moments caught the public eye, offering brief diversions from the political intensity.
Here are some of the memorable, and occasionally humorous, incidents observed on April 23:
1. A brief tap from the Senior Minister
During the PAP Ang Mo Kio GRC team's address at Deyi Secondary School, a widely circulated clip showed Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong gently tapping team-mate Victor Lye's arm.
Mr Lye was still waving enthusiastically to supporters as SM Lee began his remarks, prompting the brief interaction.
The moment sparked light-hearted comments online, with one netizen comparing Mr Lye to a "0/10/0 kda teammate saying ggez at the end of the match."
2. Tan Cheng Bock's close call with a gantry
Veteran politician Dr Tan Cheng Bock experienced a close call near the Nan Hua High School nomination centre.
While walking with his Progress Singapore Party (PSP) team near a coffee shop, a descending carpark gantry barrier required him and Mr Leong Mun Wai to take quick evasive action to avoid being struck.
The near-miss was captured on video and shared online, leading to playful online remarks.
"PSP for Pole-Struck Politicians," one netizen quipped.
Another joked it was akin to Dr Tan "just being knighted."
3. Chinese candidate addresses crowd in Tamil
In Sengkang GRC, PAP candidate Bernadette Giam concluded her English speech by addressing the crowd briefly in Tamil.
While not a native speaker, her effort to connect with Tamil-speaking residents in one of Singapore's official languages was noted by attendees and online commentators.
Some on social media commended her pronunciation, with one Facebook user remarking: "Her Tamil is actually very decent. Not easy to speak Tamil well."
4. Olympian Joseph Schooling appears with PAP team
Singapore's first Olympic gold medallist, Joseph Schooling, made an unexpected appearance alongside the People's Action Party (PAP) team for East Coast GRC at the Yusof Ishak Secondary School nomination centre.
Dressed in the party's white attire, his presence standing with the candidates during their address drew considerable attention.
Joseph Schooling, made an unexpected appearance alongside the People's Action Party (PAP) team for East Coast GRC. PHOTO: ST
Online, some commentators noted it was unusual, with one remarking: "This is the first time I recall seeing some form of 'celebrity endorsement' in our elections."
His appearance also prompted suggestions about potential future roles, with one netizen musing: "Would be interesting if we could have him as an NMP for the local sports scene."
5. Time's up: Candidate's speech cut short
The strict three-minute time limit for speeches caught out PAP's East Coast candidate Dinesh Vasu Dash.
While delivering his address at Yusof Ishak Secondary School alongside team members, Mr Dash's microphone was abruptly cut off as his allocated time concluded.
6. RDU leader interrupts team-mate for cheers
At the Nee Soon GRC nomination centre, there was a noticeable moment of time management within the Red Dot United (RDU) team.
Secretary-General Ravi Philemon briefly interrupted teammate Ms Sharon Lin during her speech, seemingly to ensure fellow candidate Mr Syed Alwi Ahmad had sufficient time to speak.
Later, as Mr Syed was concluding his remarks, Mr Philemon stepped forward again, taking the microphone to lead the supporters in enthusiastic "RDU!" cheers just as the team's time was ending.
7. Goh Meng Seng's emotional reaction to walkover
The walkover in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, the first since 2011, drew strong reactions.
People's Power Party Secretary-General Goh Meng Seng expressed sharp disappointment regarding the Workers' Party's decision not to contest the GRC, which resulted in the PAP team winning uncontested.
He told the media: "Anger filled up my mind, sadness [came] to my eyes in tears and disappointment."
Mr Goh later elaborated on his views regarding opposition strategy in a social media post.
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Only Shanghai now explicitly accepts graduates of foreign universities for the elite programme. Liaoning province, in the north-east, went even further. Anyone who had lived overseas for more than six months, and whose 'experience and political performance abroad' were hard to investigate, was deemed ineligible in 2025. Police departments in major cities have imposed similar rules. In Shanghai, even having a spouse or close relative who has moved abroad can disqualify a candidate. Professor Dongshu Liu, a professor at City University of Hong Kong who studies China's civil service, said that many of the restrictions most likely did not stem from a clear central mandate. But as the central government's scrutiny of mid-level officials has grown, those mid-level officials were probably trying to avoid any possible sources of trouble. 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Ms Dong Mingzhu, chair of Gree Electric, a major Chinese appliance manufacturer, said in 2025 that she would avoid hiring people who returned from overseas, because they might be spies. That declaration drew widespread criticism from social media users who said it promoted discrimination and would harm China's global competitiveness. Even People's Daily ran an opinion piece defending overseas talent. But while ordinary Chinese might complain about restrictions on their freedoms, government employees are unlikely to put up much resistance, said Liu, in Hong Kong. Indeed, the government workers the Times spoke to all said they would not quit over having their passports taken. Zhu, the nurse in Zhejiang, said her stable salary of about US$27,000 (S$34,836) a year – much more than the average in her city – was worth the 'emotional value' she was being denied. And she knew many other workers around her were in the same situation. 'If everyone dies, it's OK, you know?' she said. 'As long as I'm not the only one.' NYTIMES
