Latest news with #NeeSoonGRC
AsiaOne
19-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
'We do it because we care': RDU to continue engaging Singaporeans despite no GE2025 mandate, Singapore News
The opposition Red Dot United (RDU) said they are keeping their promise to continue serving Singaporeans despite failing to secure any seats at the recent general election. In a Facebook post on Sunday (May 18), RDU shared that the party is dedicated to continue with its community outreach, as member Harish Mohanadas spent Saturday morning at Block 287 Bukit Batok East listening to some of the residents' concerns. A resident had recognised Mohanadas and questioned his reasons for continuing the outreach. "In Singapore, people have grown used to politicians disappearing after Polling Day. The assumption is: if you didn't win, you won't bother," RDU said. "But we made a promise. And even without the mandate, we intend to keep it," they added, saying that the work does not stop despite their recent setback. Mohanadas was part of a five-member team from RDU that contested in Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC. The team's other four members were Osman Sulaiman, Liyana Dhamirah, Ben Puah and Marcus Neo. They lost to the incumbent People's Action Party (PAP) team led by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, which received 76.66 per cent of the votes on May 3. 'We do it because we care' The party then reiterated their position on wanting to provide representation for Singaporeans, despite the difficulties of doing so without a mandate. "We do it because we care. Because someone has to show up," said RDU, adding that they are continuing their groundwork out of passion despite being busy with "raising children, caring for elderly parents, or just trying to stay afloat like everyone else". From their walkabout, Mohanadas said he was able to gather feedback from the residents of Block 287, which included concerns regarding unaddressed dengue breeding sites and the lack of a sheltered route to the nearby market. RDU concluded their post by recognising residents and supporters who motivate them to keep going, promising that they will not be "inactive post-GE" and that their work "won't end just because (they) didn't win". "We're on the ground, doing what we can, with what we have, because this is what genuine representation looks like," RDU said. RDU contested 3 GRCs and 1 SMC The party fielded 15 candidates across three GRCs and one SMCs but failed to win any seats in the 2025 General Election. The party contested in Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Nee Soon GRC and Jurong Central SMC. It garnered 3.96 per cent of the national vote share, with their Nee Soon GRC team performing the best with 26.19 per cent of votes. While they did not manage to secure any seats in Parliament, secretary-general Ravi Philemon found the results encouraging. "What is most heartening for us is that the people have spoken, with their votes, that there is a place for politics like RDU's in Singapore," said Philemon in a Facebook post on May 4, promising that the party will be back at the next general election in 2030. [[nid:717403]]
AsiaOne
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
'Let's get married!' Ex-MP Carrie Tan proposes to boyfriend of 7 years, Singapore News
Former Nee Soon GRC MP Carrie Tan is engaged. In a video posted to her Facebook page on Friday (May 16), she revealed that she had popped the question to her boyfriend of seven years, Kevin Teo, on April 26, and explained why she did so. "Watch the video of me breaking another gender barrier with this crazy (not so crazy) thing I did," she captioned. Writing in Chinese, she noted that her partner, who's the Chief Technology Officer at the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network, had once suggested that she should be the one to propose "in this age of equality", and given her feminist leanings. The proposal took place during local music school The Singing Loft's recital event on April 26, which also happened to be the fourth day of campaigning for the General Election. "Skipped off on Day 4 of GE for another very serious business," she wrote in the caption to her post, before apologising, tongue-in-cheek, to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. "Sorry PM Wong, I planned this before you announced the writ. Thankfully I wasn't gonna run for elections!" Tan joked. The 43-year-old former politician, who's also a transformation and healing coach according to her LinkedIn profile, had announced that she was stepping down from politics on April 22. Proposed 'for memories' sake' The clip begins with Tan, microphone in hand, telling Teo: "Let's get married!" to loud cheers from the audience. She's also seen performing a love song in Mandarin. Following her successful proposal, where the pair shared a peck on the lips and embraced, she explained to the audience that when they'd first started dating, Teo had told her: "Eh, you're a feminist right, so I think you should be the one proposing to me." "Well, I think it's been seven years and I'm very comfortable," she added. She indicated that even though the pair had mutually agreed to get married, but she thought she'd "pop the question anyway, for memories' sake". Tan noted in her post that the proposal combined the "two loves of [her] life]" — Teo, as well as singing. The couple, both of whom have been through divorce, had opened up about starting over again after their failed marriages during a talk show two years ago. They noted then that Teo was the one who'd made the first move. Tan's heartwarming post has since been viewed over 16,000 times and drawn many comments from netizens congratulating her on the engagement. [[nid:637541]] candicecai@
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GE2025: PAP's actions are legal but may not always be principled, says RDU at rally
Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE – In opposition Red Dot United's (RDU) rally on the last day of campaigning, its secretary-general Ravi Philemon led his party members in questioning the principles of the ruling PAP. Mr Philemon cited the example of psychiatrist Syed Harun Alhabsyi joining the PAP's Nee Soon GRC team after resigning from his Nominated MP post in February. He asked why Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam was allowing the former NMP, 'who has not properly accounted for why he is standing under the PAP ticket so soon after stepping down, ride on his coattails into Parliament'. On Feb 14, Dr Syed Harun and lawyer Raj Joshua Thomas resigned from their posts, the first NMPs to have done so before the end of their term. 'For the PAP, everything is legal, everything is constitutional, but is everything principled? We have to be very, very worried about unprincipled political parties. I am worried that the PAP is charting into these waters. You should be worried with me,' added Mr Philemon at the May 1 rally, held at a field in Yishun Central. Other members of the RDU's Nee Soon GRC slate took turns to fire salvos at their opponents, with private school teacher Syed Alwi Ahmad also taking aim at Dr Syed Harun, 40. Dr Syed Alwi, 57, said: 'An NMP role is meant to be non-partisan, a space where voices from civil society, from education, the arts and the community can speak freely without political alignment... when someone moves that quickly from a neutral platform to the ruling party, we must question whether the independence of that voice was ever real to begin with.' Mr Philemon, 56, also said there are many issues that PAP candidates have to answer for, citing incidents such as Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's 'like' on a Facebook post by former NMP Calvin Cheng and remarks that Dr Balakrishnan made in Parliament about PSP Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai in 2021 that were caught on a hot mic. Ms Sharon Lin, 40, a senior consultant in the information technology sector, accused new candidate Lee Hui Ying, 36, whom former Nee Soon GRC MP Lee Bee Wah had endorsed at a PAP rally on April 30, of hiding behind the older Ms Lee. Addressing the new PAP candidates, she said: 'Don't ride on the coattails of a minister who has been here for almost 40 years. Don't hide behind Lee Bee Wah. If you want to serve, then start by showing us who you are without the shadows of others propping you up. This isn't just about attacking personalities. It is about upholding principles.' RDU chairman David Foo, 60 – also a candidate for Nee Soon GRC – said his party has shown that it is 'not recalcitrant or rogue', and in the past five years, has proven itself to be responsible. With 15 members contesting in three GRCs and one SMC, the party is fielding the second-highest number of opposition candidates in this election. Dr Foo said this was because RDU had earned the trust of good people who want to serve. 'We are not here to tear the system down. We are here to help make it better for Singaporeans. Because we believe that a system improves when it is challenged with respect, when it is questioned with courage, when it is refined with truth,' he said. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Straits Times
04-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
GE2025: Strong support comes with huge responsibility in uncertain times, says Shanmugam
SINGAPORE – The results of the 2025 General Election reflect the 'strongest mandate' for Nee Soon GRC, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam, and with that comes 'huge responsibility' to Singaporeans amid an uncertain global economic climate. Mr Shanmugam led a five-member PAP team to secure 73.81 per cent of the vote against a team from Red Dot United. This represents a vote share increase of nearly 12 percentage points, and is the highest margin Nee Soon GRC has been won by since it was formed in 2011. At the 2020 General Election, PAP garnered 61.9 per cent of the vote against a team from the Progress Singapore Party. Speaking to the media during the walkabout, Mr Shanmugam said that as a cabinet minister, he would have a hand in steering Singapore out of looming economic headwinds. 'We are facing a potentially very difficult time and it looks quite certain that there will be a lot of trouble. There is a lot of uncertainty – investors are not investing, companies are not expanding. These are things we need to deal with,' he said. Ms Goh Hanyan, a former director at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information who is part of the Nee Soon GRC slate, said she felt 'extremely humbled' by the strong mandate that residents have given her team. 'The mandate that I'm grateful that we got... will help us steer Singapore through these times, given the global climate. We will stand united and firm throughout this next phase of our journey,' she said. She added that the team will spend the coming weeks meeting more residents in the area. 'We'll spend the coming weeks getting to know them, listening to them, knowing what they want, so that we can better serve their needs,' she said. All four of Mr Shanmugam's teammates had contested their first General Election and the veteran minister, who has been overseeing the Chong Pang ward within the GRC for 37 years, said he was confident his younger charges would excel. The other three members of the team are Lee Hui Ying, 36, director of communications for Temasek Foundation; Jackson Lam, 40, head of a pest control and cleaning company; and former Nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi, 40. Mr Shanmugam had previously said that said the team brings a range of experiences to bear, and that it contains potential political office-holders. He added on May 4 that Nee Soon residents would expect 'old-fashioned values' such as honesty, sincerity and hard work from the team. Mr Shanmugam said: 'It is a covenant we make once every five years. Some have said – 'four new MPs, how are you going to handle (it)?' Having talked to them, having interviewed them, having seen them on the ground, I fully believe that they will discharge their duties in a way that Nee Soon residents expect and in a way that merits the tremendous support that has been given by people. 'So we will do our best. And then, at the end of five years, people will judge.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Online Citizen
04-05-2025
- Business
- Online Citizen
Red Dot United calls for transparent KPIs and greater accountability at third GE rally
Red Dot United (RDU) on 30 April, 2025, strongly criticised government agencies and ministerial salaries at its third rally for the General Election, calling for greater transparency and accountability across the public sector. The rally was held at the field at Boon Lay Way in Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, one of four constituencies where RDU is fielding candidates. RDU candidate Pang Heng Chuan, speaking to a crowd gathered under overcast skies, said governance in Singapore had lost its 'sense of responsibility'. He called for all ministries and statutory boards to adopt public key performance indicators (KPIs) that are 'clear, measurable and transparent'. Mr Pang, a 56-year-old company director contesting in Nee Soon GRC, argued that if ministers are to receive million-dollar salaries, they should also accept CEO-level accountability. 'In the private sector, individuals are held accountable for results. If you overspend, you answer for it. If your team fails, you step up,' he said. 'Ministers want CEO pay, fine. Then they must accept CEO accountability.' The party reiterated that failures must have real consequences. 'If major lapses occur, we expect resignations, not just a press release,' Mr Pang added. Calling for a more active and independent legislature, he emphasised that Parliament 'must not be a rubber stamp', and large projects should undergo independent risk evaluations before approval. He also criticised the existence of what he described as 'bloated ministries', suggesting the removal of roles like mayors and parliamentary secretaries without defined portfolios. Resources should instead be redirected to essentials such as housing, healthcare, and eldercare. Sharad Kumar, RDU's candidate for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, reinforced the party's accountability message. He cited incidents involving senior ministers, including the Ridout Road property rental controversy and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's hot mic remark, as signs of eroding public trust. 'This is not about one mistake. This is about a troubling pattern,' said Mr Kumar. 'If ministers can live like aristocrats while young families struggle for basic housing, something has gone terribly wrong.' Marcus Neo, leading the RDU team in Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, raised issues around local employment. He highlighted his personal experience with a foreign HR manager, which ended in court, to illustrate the need for a 'citizens-first' hiring policy. While acknowledging the value of foreign talent, Mr Neo insisted on the need for balanced immigration policies and legal safeguards to ensure equal opportunities for Singaporeans in the workforce. 'We need to be dead honest with ourselves. Are we giving our own people a fair shot?' he asked. Candidate Liyana Dhamirah echoed the theme of dignity and equality for locals. 'It's time to raise the standard,' she said. 'Singaporeans are not asking for riches, but for dignity—to be treated as first-class citizens in their own country.' Emily Woo, contesting in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, spoke on the party's proposed 'citizen's dividend'—a regular, unconditional payout that would recognise Singaporeans' lifelong contributions to the country. 'It's not a handout. It's a recognition,' said Ms Woo, a 59-year-old music teacher. RDU's secretary-general Ravi Philemon addressed the crowd toward the end of the rally, as light rain fell and a lightning warning was issued. He said he told fellow candidates to put away their umbrellas. 'If we can't brave the rain for our people, how will they trust us?' said Mr Philemon, who is also contesting in Nee Soon GRC. Jurong Central SMC candidate Kala Manickam concluded the rally by drawing a contrast between herself and her opponent, PAP's Xie Yao Quan. While acknowledging that Mr Xie is perceived as approachable and active on the ground, she criticised his parliamentary performance. 'Many residents say, 'He's a nice person, but he doesn't speak up for us in Parliament,'' she said. Ms Manickam, 52, reassured voters that constituency development plans would continue even under opposition representation. 'These budgets are already planned. Your vote is secret. There is no risk in voting for the opposition, but there is something to gain—a true voice in Parliament.' The rally concluded with all 13 RDU candidates taking the Singapore pledge together onstage, signalling their commitment to their vision of reform and accountability.
