Latest news with #PunggolGRC
AsiaOne
4 days ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
'Our role is to make ourselves obsolete': First-time WP candidates reflect on GE2025 and whether they'll run again, Singapore News
Workers' Party (WP) candidates said that their decision to contest in Singapore's next general election will not depend on personal choice, but on whether the party attracts more qualified candidates. WP candidates Siti Alia Abdul Rahim Mattar and Sufyan Mikhail Putra sat down with fellow party members and hosts of This Side of the House, Eileen Chong and Andre Low. In a 42-minute-long debut episode uploaded to the party's social media channels on Monday (Aug 11), the first-time candidates reflected on GE2025 and their personal experiences stepping into Singapore's political arena as newbies. When asked about their plans to run again at the next election in five years, Siti Alia said that it would depend on what is best for the party. "It's always a question of if there are better candidates, more experienced candidates, more trained candidates — people that the party feels would be a better fit," she said. Siti Alia said it may not be necessary to field the same candidates, but that it might be more important for the party to continue contesting in the same constituencies. "I feel like when people say 'don't give up', I think they're telling the party: 'Don't give up on our constituency'," she said, giving the example of Punggol GRC where she contested. Chong agreed, adding that the decision to contest again would be reliant on what the party believes the Singapore electorate is looking for. She also recalled being teary-eyed on the team's perambulating vehicle the day after election results were out, where residents ran up to thank her for contesting and asked her to try again in five years. "It's hard to turn your back on what we're all building together," said Chong, who said she felt encouraged by the support shown throughout the nine days of campaigning. Low also agreed with Siti Alia's perspective, reflecting that the longer term goal as an opposition party is to "to make ourselves obsolete". "I hadn't thought about it that way, but if we zoom out a little bit, our role as opposition politicians is really to make ourselves obsolete. "We want to push and forward the opposition cause in Singapore to a point where there are so many qualified people who feel like they should step up and contribute," he explained, adding that there will be no guarantee that the four of them will still contest in the next election, should there be more qualified people for the job. "The moment we become replaceable, that's actually brilliant for Singapore," he said. Chiming in, Sufyan said that WP has had various people joining their outreach efforts in all the constituencies after GE2025, and that "the talent that [they've] seen is very encouraging". Singapore's 15th parliament to open on Sept 5 Siti Alia was part of the four-person team that contested in Punggol GRC. The team received 44.83 per cent of votes, losing to the People's Action Party (PAP) team led by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong. Sufyan contested in the five-member East Coast GRC team led by Yee Jenn Jong. The team received 41.24 per cent of votes and ceded defeat to the incumbent PAP team led by current Minister for Law, Edwin Tong. Low contested in Jalan Kayu SMC and received the highest percentage of votes (48.53 per cent) among the unelected opposition candidates, and was chosen as the first Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) following the conclusion of GE2025. Chong had contested Tampines GRC alongside Faisal Manap, Michael Thng, Ong Lue Ping and Jimmy Tan in a four-way fight, losing to a People's Action Party (PAP) team led by Masagos Zulkifli. Chong's team received the second highest percentage of votes (47.37 per cent) among the unelected opposition candidates, and Chong was subsequently elected NCMP. The first session of Singapore's 15th parliament will open next month on Sept 5, with Low and Chong to appear alongside WP's 10 MPs from Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC. [[nid:720962]]
Independent Singapore
15-07-2025
- Health
- Independent Singapore
Alexis Dang delves deeper into the health scare that changed her life in new interview
FB screengrab/ Alexis Dang SINGAPORE: Alexis Dang, who contested under the Worker's Party (WP) banner in the May 3 polls and was one of the candidates who received a lot of attention from Singaporeans, talked at greater length on the health scare that changed her life last year in a Jul 13 interview in the luxury lifestyle publication August Man. Ms Dang, 39, together with the WP candidates, did very well in the General Election at Punggol GRC, but the ruling party slate headed by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong proved to be too formidable an opponent. Her life leading a group of business development professionals has gone back to normal, and on Jun 25, the WP team at Punggol had gone back on the ground, although this is no guarantee that she will contest again the next time the elections come around. Ms Dang had first talked about her health scare in late April, after she had been announced as a candidate, but went into depth about it in the August Man interview. In April 2024, she went for a regular check-up, which showed that she had high levels of CA 19-9, a tumour marker. This meant a strong chance that Ms Dang might have pancreatic cancer. This type of cancer is very often incurable, especially because by the time it is detected, it's too late for it to be addressed with surgery, and even with an operation, there's still a chance of the cancer's recurrence. Little wonder, then, that Ms Dang 'freaked out,' as she said in the interview. After a second blood test showed even higher levels, she went for a CT scan. The results of the scan were scheduled to come out at 4:30 p.m. on the same day, and the hours when she did not hear from her doctors were the scariest in her life, she said in the interview. Luckily, everything turned out well. To make a long story short, further testing revealed that a bacterial infection was responsible for her high levels of CA 19-9, which was fortunately treatable with antibiotics. While there appear to be no lasting effects on her health, her life was changed forever. 'After the health scare, I started thinking about the meaning of life and why we are here. The messaging might be different across different spiritual philosophies, but they all return to the same message… that it's important to be who you are and to follow your highest excitement, which means taking actions based on what brings you the most joy, passion, and enthusiasm. There is no objective reality, in the sense that you apply your perspective to any life event,' she told August Man. /TISG Read also: 'Chio pro max,' WP Punggol candidate Alexis Dang makes waves online () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
AsiaOne
12-07-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
'Can we have a date?': 'Task force man' Gan Kim Yong invites Punggol North residents to dinner, Singapore News
Do you live in Punggol and are looking to meet new people? Well, we have just the right candidate for you, albeit an unexpected one. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and MP for Punggol North (Punggol GRC) recently posted an invitation on his Instagram on July 10 which read: "Can we have a date?" The 66-year-old wrote: "I would like to get to know more about residents in Punggol North. So I thought of inviting you and your family to join me for dinner." He also said that he hopes to do so one family at a time so he can "really really" get to know the residents. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gan Kim Yong (@gankimyong) As there are a total of nine precincts, the first session, which is on July 19, will be for residents of Parc Terraces. The venue will be at either Leong Ji Kitchen (non-halal) from 6.30pm to 8pm, or at House of White Bee Hoon (halal). Those keen on joining DPM Gan for a meal will need to register themselves for the event by scanning a QR code on the Instagram post. This dinner is the first of a nine-part series of Can We Have A Date - where a randomly selected family of four from Punggol North will get a chance to dine with DPM Mr Gan, according to a Facebook post by the Punggol Parc Terraces Residents Network. In the comments, some netizens expressed interest in the initiation, including some non-Punggol residents. One said they hoped this initiative would extend to other parts of Punggol and Singapore. Another who lives in Pasir Ris asked if she could still register for the event despite not staying in Punggol North. "We are neighbours," she rationalised. 'Task Force Man' During the recent General Elections, DPM Gan and his PAP team won the freshly minted Punggol GRC with 55.17 per cent of the votes over a Workers' Party team. The four-member team for Punggol GRC also includes Dr Janil Puthucheary, Sun Xueling and Yeo Wan Ling. Punggol GRC was created after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee recommended carving out the Punggol estates in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, to merge with Punggol West SMC in their March report. DPM Gan was given the nickname Task Force Man during the General Elections after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spoke highly of him chairing Singapore's task force. DPM Gan is reportedly planning a US visit to discuss tariffs, business opportunities for Singapore in July. [[nid:718005]] melissateo@
CNA
23-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
MAS rejects Tan Suee Chieh's request to meet Gan Kim Yong over Income-Allianz issue
SINGAPORE: The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it has rejected former NTUC Income CEO Tan Suee Chieh's request to meet its chairman Gan Kim Yong over the aborted Income-Allianz deal, as the issues had been debated extensively in parliament. In a statement on Monday (Jun 23), MAS noted that Mr Tan had written three open letters between August 2024 and April 2025 to the financial regulator and Mr Gan, who is also the deputy prime minister. On Jun 9, 2025, he wrote to MAS seeking a response to his third open letter, as well as to request a meeting with Mr Gan or a senior representative. The third letter, dated Apr 27, was published during the hustings period for the General Election. The aborted deal became an election campaign issue and talking point, with Mr Gan in the spotlight amid his candidacy in the battleground of Punggol GRC. Mr Tan had been among the prominent voices who spoke out against the proposed deal. While his third open letter again questioned MAS' regulatory oversight over the transaction, he also urged Mr Gan to address the concerns, given his election bid in Punggol. MAS on Monday addressed why it did not accede to Mr Tan's request to meet Mr Gan or a senior management, and reiterated the timeline of events. It said the matters relating to MAS had been addressed at the parliament sitting on Oct 14, 2024, in a ministerial statement by then-Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and then-Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong. Further explanations were provided by then-Second Minister for Finance, Mr Chee Hong Tat as part of the parliamentary debate on Oct 14 and 16, 2024. "These are a matter of public record and are available in the Hansard,' MAS said. 'Given that the proposed transaction and amendments to the Insurance Act had been extensively debated in parliament, and addressed again in this open reply, we have not acceded to Mr Tan's request to meet with chairman or senior representatives from MAS,' said the authority. 'Nevertheless, if Mr Tan has further feedback or information to share with us, we will duly consider them.' TIMELINE German insurer Allianz withdrew its offer last December to acquire a majority stake in Income Insurance after the government stepped in to block the transaction over concerns that it would not be able to continue its social mission. Income, a former co-op, was corporatised in 2022. In doing so, it sought to be exempted from Section 88 of the Co-operative Societies Act, which allowed it to carry over approximately S$2 billion in surplus to the new corporate entity, said the minister. The proposed capital reduction in the Income-Allianz deal 'runs counter' to the premise for why the exemption was given, Mr Tong said in October. The government said it was open to new arrangements if the concerns highlighted were fully addressed. Allianz said at the time that it would consider revising the deal, but eventually decided not to go ahead. MAS reiterated on Monday that on Jul 17, 2024, Allianz made a pre-conditional voluntary cash general offer to acquire at least 51 per cent of the shares in Income, subject to regulatory approval. In order to make this pre-conditional voluntary cash general offer, Allianz and NTUC Enterprise had received approval from MAS under section 27(2) of the Insurance Act 1966. This allowed NTUC Enterprise and Allianz to enter into an agreement or arrangement to act together to acquire an interest of 5 per cent or more of Income's voting shares. MAS said the proposed transaction was subject to further regulatory approval from MAS for Allianz to obtain effective control and become a substantial shareholder of Income. 'At this point, the regulatory approval process was not completed and would have taken a few months for MAS to complete its assessment. Minister Chee explained at the Aug 6, 2024 parliamentary sitting that 'the proposed deal was still subject to MAS' regulatory approval' and there was 'due process for this',' added MAS. Mr Chee also said on Oct 16 that there was no formal application yet by Allianz to obtain effective control and become a substantial shareholder of Income. MAS had received Allianz's preliminary business plan for Income by mid-July 2024. 'This included a set of business and financial projections, which included a plan for capital efficiency and reduction. There was no application to MAS to approve the capital reduction plan, neither did MAS give any such approval. Any capital reduction would need separate and specific MAS approval,' it said on Monday. MAS also noted Mr Chee's explanation in parliament on Oct 14, that MAS had reviewed the 'high-level submitted information based on prudential grounds, focusing on whether Allianz was fit and proper, looking at its financial strength and track record, and looking at the interests of Income's policy-holders and ensuring that this will be safeguarded with a new strong substantial shareholder'. Mr Tong also said that MAS considered the planned capital optimisation from a prudential point of view in accordance with its regulatory mandate, and that the authority did not have reason for concern. This was because Income was projected to continue to meet regulatory capital requirements with a healthy margin, even with the capital reduction. While MAS did not have prudential grounds for concern about the transaction after the Aug 6 parliament sitting, it noted that the planned capital reduction could be relevant to MCCY's considerations, taking into account Income's prior status as a co-operative society. MAS noted that Mr Chee explained on Oct 16 that it was then that MAS surfaced this to its board and shared it with MCCY. Before then, MAS said it had not been aware of the representations that Income had made to MCCY when it was allowed to carry over S$2 billion in surplus to the new corporatised entity. MAS said the government decided to amend the Insurance Act and stop the transaction after it shared the information with MCCY. During the parliament sitting on Oct 14, Mr Tong explained that: 'When we first saw the announcements, we accepted the intent of the transaction, which is to strengthen Income.' He also said the government did not have concerns over Allianz's standing or suitability to acquire a majority stake in Income. However, MCCY found it 'difficult to reconcile the proposed substantial capital reduction, soon after the transaction is completed, with Income's representations to MCCY during the corporatisation exercise that it was aiming to build up capital resources and enhance its financial strength'. MAS said MCCY was also 'not satisfied' that Income would be able to continue fulfilling its social mission after the proposed transaction. Parliament passed the Insurance (Amendment) Bill under a Certificate of Urgency on Oct 16. This was so that there would be a clear statutory basis for MAS to consider MCCY's views when approving or rejecting such applications, noted the authority. 'The government also stated its view that the transaction in its then-current form could not proceed,' MAS added. Mr Tan welcomed the government's decision, saying on social media that it "underscores the importance of speaking up on matters of public interest". Mr Tan was CEO of NTUC Income from 2007 to 2013 before becoming Group CEO of NTUC Enterprise from 2013 to 2017. He had also led Prudential from 1994 to 1999. Other figures who were against the Income-Allianz deal included Mr Tan's predecessor Tan Kin Lian and Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh. Their concerns were mainly over how Allianz, a large multinational company, would not be fully aligned with the original mission of the Singapore entity, which is to serve the needs of low-income workers.
AsiaOne
13-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
'You're not getting rid of me that easily': WP's Harpreet Singh says Punggol team will continue groundwork, Singapore News
The Workers' Party (WP) Punggol team will continue their groundwork and outreach initiatives, Harpreet Singh Nehal said in a Facebook post on Friday (May 9). The 59-year-old senior counsel also responded to a comment that said he probably has one general election left in him due to his age. "I'm sorry, but you don't know me, bro," Singh said, adding that he is in good health. "Let's just say — you're not getting rid of me that easily." In the recent election, Singh contested Punggol GRC with WP teammates Alia Mattar, Jackson Au and Alexis Dang, earning 44.83 per cent of total votes. They 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, who garnered 55.17 per cent of votes. Singh said in his Facebook post that the response in Punggol and throughout Singapore has been "overwhelming", with his team being told to "come back" and "continue the fight". He pledged to continue walking the ground in Punggol during the weeks and months ahead. Meaningful change takes years of commitment, presence, and continuity, Singh said, adding that is "the WP way". "We ran this race to serve our country. And that calling doesn't end with the election. We do not just turn up every five years." The WP team in Punggol is just getting started, he added. In an earlier Facebook post on May 4, Singh said the results in Punggol show that "something is shifting". "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." [[nid:717690]]
