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Malay Mail
30-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
PAP's Marine Parade team splurged RM1.28m on Singapore polls campaign despite walkover, seven candidates spent nothing
SINGAPORE, May 30 – The People's Action Party's (PAP) Marine Parade-Braddell Heights team spent S$388,756 (RM1.28 million) during the recent general election, despite winning uncontested, according to the Elections Department's website. CNA reported that the five-member team was among the first 35 candidates to declare their expenses for the May 3 election, and the first group from PAP to do so. Marine Parade-Braddell Heights candidate Goh Pei Ming was the top spender with S$104,085, of which S$52,650 went to non-online advertisements. Former MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling spent S$84,128. Rounding out the team were Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng (S$74,693), new MP Diana Pang (S$74,437), and former Nee Soon MP Faishal Ibrahim (S$51,413), with the majority of their expenses directed at posters and flyers. Among their materials was a 48-page constituency plan brochure featuring Dr Tan See Leng, who switched to contest Chua Chu Kang Group Representative Constituency (GRC) in a last-minute change from his 2020 Marine Parade candidacy. Candidates must declare their expenses by June 16 to ensure transparency, with limits raised from S$4 to S$5 per elector to adjust for inflation. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) reported strong early spending, with ten of its 13 candidates each spending over S$30,000. Leong Mun Wai led the party's spending at S$36,041 for his West Coast-Jurong West campaign. Independent candidates Jeremy Tan and Darryl Lo spent S$16,075 and S$12,213 respectively, with Tan allocating more than half to his solo rally. Red Dot United's (RDU) Kala Manickam recorded S$1,365 in disputed claims, covering food, transport, and flyer costs, which she paid out-of-pocket due to a lack of donations. RDU said its election expense processes followed electoral regulations. Disputed claims arise when an election agent does not settle a candidate's expenses within 28 days. Lower spenders included RDU's Ben Puah, who declared S$109 in expenses and S$280 in non-recordable donations, and the People's Power Party's Samuel Lee, who spent S$100. Seven candidates reported spending nothing at all, including members from RDU, the Singapore Democratic Party, the Singapore Democratic Alliance, and the Singapore People's Party.
Independent Singapore
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
WP Team attends People's Labour Day Rally 2025 at Hong Lim Park
SINGAPORE: Members of the Workers' Party (WP) attended the People's Labour Day Rally 2025 at Hong Lim Park on Sunday afternoon (May 25). This year's rally was a few weeks late due to the General Election earlier this month and was attended by several hundred people. Among them were WP Members of Parliament (MPs) Dennis Tan (Hougang Single Member Constituency [SMC]) and Jamus Lim (Sengkang Group Representation Constituency [GRC]), along with new WP MPs Fadli Fawzi and Kenneth Tiong (Aljunied GRC). Jeraldine Pneah, who has been part of the WP for some time, was also present. Other opposition figures, including Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan and chair Paul Tambyah, were among the attendees, as well as Ariffin Sha, who had contested under the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) banner in the May 3 polls and who was one of the speakers at the rally. Progress Singapore Party's (PSP) Stephanie Tan was spotted as well. Many groups were also represented at the gathering, including Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), SG Riders, and Transformative Justice Collective (TJC). The rally was organised by the workers' rights group Workers Made Possible, a group of volunteers who started out supporting bus drivers and conducting research, writing, campaigning and public education regarding various labour issues in Singapore. In his speech, Mr Sha shone a light on the achievements of food delivery riders, who had successfully worked together to produce the Platform Workers' Bill. 'Remember this day, the 25th of May… Today will be the new dawn for the independent labour movement in Singapore,' he said, inviting attendees to join Workers Made Possible's endeavors . 'I want you to remember the power that we workers have in our hands,' he added, leading everyone to shout 'achamillai,' which means 'have no fear.' Although it has been customary for the WP to release a statement on Labour Day, Secretary-General Pritam Singh did not do so this year, in all likelihood due to the WP just having released its Manifesto for this year, and the WP held a rally on the evening of May 1. As a recap, here are the different aspects of labour in Singapore that the WP has highlighted. In 2019, the WP's message focused on the needs of professionals, managers, executives, and technicians (PMETs), especially older ones who have recently faced 'a myriad of challenges.' In 2021, it repeated its call for a sector-wide minimum wage of S$1,300 per month to be imposed in Singapore, which would help everyone make ends meet. A year later, the WP focused on the sandwiched class, those who take care of children and elders simultaneously amid rising living costs. In 2023, Mr Singh's message revolved around the need for redundancy insurance and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for the sake of Singapore's workers. Last year, the WP noted that 'change is on the horizon,' noting the challenges Singapore and Singaporeans are facing—including increased global tensions, high costs of living and doing business, the need to protect workers—at a time when the prime ministership was about to be handed over. /TISG Read also: Workers' Party May Day Statement: Change is on the horizon
Malay Mail
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
‘We're not running away': Dr Tan Cheng Bock retires from Singapore's electoral politics at 85, says PSP to ‘regroup and return' after GE loss
SINGAPORE, May 11 – Progress Singapore Party (PSP) founder Dr Tan Cheng Bock announced yesterday that he will no longer contest in general elections (GE), although the party intends to continue participating in future polls. The Straits Times reported Dr Tan and party secretary-general Leong Mun Wai making the announcement at a walkabout at West Coast Market, a week after PSP failed to win any of the six seats it contested in the poll earlier this month. 'Today, it's just to come here and say thank you to those who voted for us, and also to show to those who didn't vote for us [that] we are not running away. We'll be back in maybe five years' time. By then, I hope a younger team will take over.' 'It's been a good journey for us, for the younger people. They know what it's like to fight in the direction [with] all the odds against you,' he was quoted saying, acknowledging the party's loss but urging members to remain optimistic. Dr Tan, who turned 85 on April 26, said he would stay on in the party to advise younger members and help groom them for future political challenges. Having spent 26 years in Parliament previously, the PSP chairman said he stood in this election to encourage younger candidates and hoped voters would eventually give them a chance. 'I told them, don't be discouraged. At least we were given the initial chance. But never mind, we will learn and come back,' he said, referring to PSP members. Leong echoed Dr Tan's sentiments, stating: 'PSP is not going to run away. We'll reflect, regroup and return,' and added that the party was currently reviewing its performance before announcing any plans. PSP's vice-chairman Hazel Poa also attended the walkabout, during which the party planned to visit four other locations, including Boon Lay Place and Jurong West. Leong and Poa, who served as Non-Constituency MPs, also lost their seats after the party's defeat in West Coast-Jurong West GRC, where they ran alongside Dr Tan. The People's Action Party (PAP) team led by Minister Desmond Lee secured 60.01 per cent of the vote in the GRC, compared to 51.68 per cent in 2020 when PSP had significantly narrowed the gap. The GRC had been renamed from West Coast to West Coast-Jurong West following boundary changes announced in March, with 158,581 voters allocated to the five-member constituency.
Online Citizen
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Online Citizen
Progress Singapore Party vows to regroup after election loss, Dr Tan Cheng Bock to step back
On 10 May, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Chairman of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), announced that he would not be contesting in the next general election. Speaking to the media at West Coast Market, Dr Tan said that while he would step back from the frontlines, he remained committed to advising the younger generation within the party. He stated: 'Today, it's just to come here and say thank you to those who voted for us, and also to show to those who didn't vote for us that we are not running away. We'll be back soon. We'll be back in maybe five years' time. By then, I hope a younger team will take over.' Dr Tan's remarks came during a doorstop statement ahead of PSP's thank-you walkabout at Block 726 West Coast Road, seven days after the party's defeat in the 2025 General Election. PSP contested six constituencies and failed to secure any parliamentary seats, leaving it without representation in the 15th Parliament. Reflecting on the election results, Dr Tan acknowledged the challenges faced by younger candidates, expressing his wish that they would learn from the experience. 'It's been a good journey for us, for the younger people. They know what it's like to fight in the direction with all the odds against you,' he said. Despite the loss, Dr Tan remained optimistic, highlighting that political success takes time and persistence. Drawing parallels with the Workers' Party, he noted that it took decades for them to secure seats. 'I told them (PSP members), don't be discouraged. At least we were given the initial chance. But never mind, we will learn and come back.' Dr Tan, who turned 85 on 26 April during the campaigning period, reiterated his commitment to guiding younger members. He stated that his motivation for participating in this election was to encourage more young people to enter politics and gain experience in Parliament. Leong Mun Wai, PSP's Secretary-General, also addressed the media, reaffirming the party's commitment to reflection and renewal. 'PSP is not going to run away. We'll reflect, regroup and return,' he said. Leong thanked voters for their support and explained that the party was still reviewing its performance and plans. Hazel Poa, PSP's first vice-chair, was also present at the briefing. Following the media session, the PSP team continued their walkabout, visiting four other locations, including Boon Lay Place and Jurong West. In the recent 2025 General Election, PSP's A-team, led by Dr Tan, Leong, and Poa, contested the West Coast-Jurong West GRC but lost to the People's Action Party (PAP) team, which secured 60.01 per cent of the vote. The PAP team was led by Minister for National Development Desmond Lee. In the previous 2020 General Election, PSP had made significant gains by narrowing the PAP's vote share in West Coast GRC to 51.68 per cent, sending Leong and Ms Poa to Parliament as Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs). However, in the latest election, both Leong and Poa lost their NCMP seats. Leong, who was among the most active MPs in the 14th Parliament in terms of questions and debate participation, stressed that the party remains committed to community engagement and political renewal. The West Coast-Jurong West GRC, newly formed for the 2025 General Election, includes parts of the former West Coast GRC and Jurong GRC. It has a voter base of 158,581 and remains a five-member constituency. Dr Tan concluded by expressing his hope that the younger PSP members would continue to grow and learn from the experience, with the aim of eventually securing a stronger presence in future elections.
CNA
10-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
PSP founder Tan Cheng Bock to retire from electoral politics, not leaving party
SINGAPORE: Progress Singapore Party (PSP) founder and chairman Tan Cheng Bock confirmed on Saturday (May 10) that he will retire from electoral politics. He will, however, remain in the party, he told journalists before a walkabout at West Coast Market Square with about 20 PSP members and volunteers, including those who contested in West Coast-Jurong West GRC and Pioneer SMC. "At the end of the day, we didn't do that well. I don't want to blame anybody now," Dr Tan added. The PSP will not have a parliamentary presence following the General Election, as the results meant that the party loses its five-year hold over the Non-Constituency MP seats occupied by secretary-general Leong Mun Wai and first vice-chairperson Hazel Poa. The party lost in all the constituencies it was contesting. It also received a smaller vote share in the ones it was re-contesting, including West Coast-Jurong West GRC, which saw the closest contest between PSP and the ruling People's Action Party in the 2020 General Election. PSP went on a series of walkabouts on Saturday to thank Singaporeans who voted for them, said Dr Tan, who turned 85 in April. "And also to show to those who didn't vote for us, we are not running away. We'll be back soon. We'll be back in maybe five years time," he added. "By then, I hope a younger team will take over and we hope the people will look at us in a different way." The party is looking forward to seeing how it can train its younger members to understand what politics is and "what is it like to represent the people", Dr Tan added. He stood as a candidate in the 2025 General Election because he hoped to bring more young people into parliament, he said, noting that he had already been a Member of Parliament before. "I tried my best. I think maybe they think we're not ready. But it's ok, because if Workers' Party took about 60 years to just gain 10 seats, I told them, don't be discouraged," Dr Tan said.
