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CNA
03-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: ‘Opposition unity is an illusion,' says NSP after suffering heavy losses in multi-cornered fights
SINGAPORE: The National Solidarity Party (NSP) will be "more aggressive and vocal" when it comes to dealing with other opposition parties in future, its secretary-general Spencer Ng said on Saturday (May 3). 'In this particular GE, opposition unity is an illusion,' he said, speaking to reporters in a rented house on Jervois Road after sample counts for its two contested constituencies were announced. 'We are not going to abide by… gentlemen rules anymore, since the opposition party has used this as an excuse to walk over us." NSP entered into multi-cornered fights in Sembawang and Tampines GRCs in the May 3 polls, after other opposition parties staked late claims following electoral boundary changes. It had contested both constituencies in the previous election. This time, the party received a mere 2.32 per cent of votes in Sembawang GRC, which saw a three-way contest. The People's Action Party (PAP) won with 67.75 per cent of the vote, while the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) received 29.93 per cent. In the hotly-contested Tampines GRC, where four parties fielded candidates in, the NSP only garnered 0.18 per cent of the vote. The PAP retained the constituency with 52.02 per cent of the vote share, while the Workers' Party (WP) secured 47.37 per cent and the People's Power Party (PPP) took 0.43 per cent. As both NSP teams failed to clinch at least 12.5 per cent of the votes, their candidates will lose their election deposits. But Mr Ng said it was a 'small sacrifice'. Calling the results 'surprising', he said voters have rejected a more 'centralised and moderate' party like the NSP, opting instead for more 'radical' parties. 'Because of the political leanings that we have, maybe we are too moderate.' In a statement after the final results were announced, the NSP said it knew that contesting in Sembawang and Tampines would be a challenge, given that they would be multi-cornered fights. 'We knew that in an increasingly crowded opposition landscape, our voice risked being overshadowed,' said the party. 'But we chose to stand firm — not for ourselves, but for the voters we have never walked away from.' In the statement, the NSP called for greater mutual respect and coordination between opposition parties. The party also said it did not contest for the sake of ambition. 'We contested because we believe Singapore deserves better than a two-party system, better than last-minute decisions, and better than being left without choice,' said the statement. 'Throughout this campaign, we focused on what matters most to Singaporeans: the rising cost of living, housing pressures, job security, and the dignity of our elderly. 'But we also raised what few dared to: the need for deeper reform in our parliamentary system — to ensure that every voice, not just the loudest, is heard.' In its manifesto, the NSP called for the removal of goods and services tax (GST) on essentials, mandatory National Service for eligible new male citizens, and setting fixed dates to hold elections. WILL CONTINUE TO WALK THE GROUND Despite the party's heavy losses, Mr Ng said there are 'no regrets'. 'The original purpose is to serve the residents and to champion for them,' he noted, adding that the results do not reflect the efforts that his team has put in over the years. The party fared worse than it did in the previous election. In GE2020, the NSP faced the PAP in straight fights for both constituencies. Then, it received 32.71 per cent of votes in Sembawang and 33.59 per cent in Tampines. The party said in its statement early Sunday morning that it will continue to walk the ground and speak up for residents 'not just during elections, but every day after'. 'Because the work of building a fairer, kinder, and more inclusive Singapore does not begin or end at the ballot box,' said the party, adding that it will reflect on the results and regroup before moving forward. 'Don't worry, as I said, we are not going anywhere,' he said. 'We will still be around, and you'll be seeing more of us in the coming years.'
AsiaOne
03-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
PAP wins Sembawang GRC with 67.75% of votes over SDP and NSP, Singapore News
Results for Sembawang GRC in GE2025 People's Action Party (PAP) 67.75% Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) 29.93% National Solidarity Party (NSP) 2.32% The People's Action Party (PAP) has won Sembawang GRC with 67.75 per cent of votes over the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Solidarity Party (NSP). PAP received 83,946 votes while SDP received 37,082 votes. NSP received 2,872 votes, losing their deposit. The PAP's team for the five-member Sembawang GRC is led by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung alongside new faces Ng Shi Xuan and Gabriel Lam with incumbent MPs Vikram Nair and Mariam Jaafar. The SDP's team is led by party vice-chair Bryan Lim, Surayah Akbar, deputy head of policy James Gomez, Damanhuri Abas, and Alfred Tan. The NSP's Sembawang GRC candidates are Raiyian Chia, Verina Ong, Yadzeth Hairis, Spencer Ng and Lee Wei. Representatives from both SDP and NSP met last month, with SDP requesting that NSP contest in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC to avoid a multi-cornered fight in Sembawang GRC. NSP rejected that proposal and both parties failed to reach an agreement to avoid a three-cornered fight in this GRC. NSP secretary-general Spencer Ng likened the proposal to the "exchanging of wives", and said then: "I couldn't accept this kind of proposal where it goes against our party's integrity and the value of the work that we have done in Sembawang GRC and Sembawang West SMC." During a PAP's rally in Sembawang on Monday (April 28), Ong highlighted a list of completed projects in Sembawang over the years, including the Bukit Canberra community hub, the Yusof Ishak Mosque and the Woodlands Health hospital. He then said that Sembawang would not be what it is today without the contributions of past and present PAP MPs, and refuted claims by SDP that it does not matter who the MP on the ground is, as long as the PAP forms the Government. "Whoever is the MP, never mind. Choose (the SDP), and all these things that I just mentioned will still happen," he said then. "Really, I don't think they can come here for one month and make such sweeping statements." In GE2020, a PAP team led by Ong defeated a NSP team in Sembawang GRC, securing 67.29 per cent of the vote. This constituency has 133,919 electors. For our GE2025 microsite, visit here. editor@
Independent Singapore
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Rotten Tomatoes: Here are the cringiest GE2025 candidates so far
GE2025, SINGAPORE: At the midpoint into this year's General Election, some candidates are already making quite an impression (*coughs in Harpreet Singh & Alexis Dang*), while others are, to put it mildly, not doing so well, at least judging from the cringeworthy things they've said or done. Without further ado, here is The Independent Singapore's list of candidates, some of whom may feel tempted to throw a rotten tomato or two at. 1. Wife exchange analogy from Spencer Ng (NSP) Contestant number 1 is Spencer Ng, the secretary-general of the National Solidarity Party (NSP). The NSP is fielding candidates at Sembawang GRC, including Mr Ng, and is also part of the four-way fight at Tampines GRC. On April 12, after the NSP and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) could not come to an agreement to avoid splitting votes for the opposition at Sembawang, Mr Ng came up with a rather unfortunate analogy, suggesting that the situation could be compared to a wife-swap. 'It's like I have a friend who might treat me like a brother. One day, suddenly he told me: 'Hey, I decided I don't want my wife anymore,'' the NSP chief said. 'I asked, but was not given any answer. The next day, I found that he came to my house and told me, 'Hey brother, I think your wife is very beautiful. Do you mind, you want to exchange with mine?' @channelnewsasia National Solidarity Party (NSP) secretary-general Spencer Ng gave an analogy for NSP's talks with the Singapore Democratic Party to avoid a 3-cornered fight in Sembawang GRC. 'It's like I have a friend who might treat me like a brother. One day, suddenly he told me: 'Hey, I decided I don't want my wife anymore,' he said. #GE2025 #sgnews #singapore ♬ original sound – CNA – CNA 2. Goh Meng Seng (PPP): 'I'm not interested in Pritam Singh. I'm not gay.' This list would not be complete without People's Power Party (PPP) secretary-general Goh Meng Seng, who had the most outsize reaction to Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh announcing on Nomination Day that the WP would not contest at Marine Parade-Bradell Heights GRC, which gave the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) a walkover. While the WP outlined its reasons at length and reassured residents of the constituency that it did not mean they'd been left behind, on Thursday night (April 24), Mr Goh, who had once been a WP member, brought up the issue once again, but with an unsavoury twist. At a rally at Tampines, where the WP is also contesting, he said, 'Don't ask me about Pritam Singh again. I'm not interested in him. I'm not gay. If the Workers' Party under Pritam Singh can do this to Marine Parade, can he do this to you, Tampines voters?' In response, a very loud 'No' can be heard in the video below. Ouch. 3. Hamster Society Singapore calls out Edward Chia (PAP) After a biography in a campaign pamphlet said that Edward Chia, who is part of the PAP's Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and is hoping for a second term, said that he had started his 'entrepreneurial journey' at the age of 10 when he began breeding hamsters and selling them to pet shops, the Hamster Society Singapore (HSS) called him out. Screenshot 'It's not something to celebrate. It's something we need to talk about,' wrote HSS in an Instagram post. 'Animals are not products. Whether it's hamsters, dogs, cats, or rabbits, lives should never be reduced to $dollar$ signs. Breeding without a license isn't just illegal. It's irresponsible.' 'With polling day just around the corner, let's be more thoughtful about the people we vote for,' the group added. 4. Self-proclaimed 'babyface' Charlene Chen (PAP) Last but not least on our list so far is new candidate Charlene Chen, who is part of the PAP team at Tampines. Dr Chen is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), is 43, and a mother of two, but seemed to rub netizens the wrong way when she kept talking about her youthful looks. In an April 16 media conference, she said that some in Tampines have voiced concerns about her looks. @channelnewsasia NTU assistant professor Charlene Chen and former army chief David Neo will be joining Tampines GRC as potential PAP candidates for GE2025, the party announced on Wednesday (Apr 16). Dr Chen spoke about how, despite her 'classic baby face', she's ready to serve, while Mr Neo laid out what leaving the military means to him. #sgnews #singapore ♬ original sound – CNA – CNA 'How is this little girl going to help represent my voice in Parliament? Just so you know, I have a classic baby face,' Dr Chen said, adding, 'But while I may look young, I've walked several paths.' /TISG
AsiaOne
24-04-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Opposition unity 'close to impossible' in future elections after WP withdrawal: NSP chief, Singapore News
SINGAPORE - The eleventh-hour decision by WP to withdraw from Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC will make it near impossible for opposition parties to co-operate and avoid multi-party contests in future elections. Speaking during a walkabout at Kampung Admiralty Hawker Centre on April 24, National Solidarity Party (NSP) secretary-general Spencer Ng said that maintaining unity among opposition parties to avoid multi-cornered battles is going to be "extremely difficult, or close to impossible". "Some parties, in the name of opposition unity, demand that the other party make way for them. "They make use of this (idea of) opposition unity and try to barge their way through," said Mr Ng, who leads the five-member NSP team contesting Sembawang GRC. His comments echo the view of People's Power Party (PPP) secretary-general Goh Meng Seng, who said that he was angry that WP decided not to field a team for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC. "It is very ironic that the slogan of WP is working for Singapore. But do you really work for Singapore when you deprive 130,000 voters of their right to vote?" he reportedly said. NSP had earlier indicated its interest to contest Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC after the redrawing of boundaries. It last contested Marine Parade GRC in 2011. In the 2020 election, the PAP retained Marine Parade GRC with 57.74 per cent of the vote against the WP. This was down from 64.07 per cent in 2015. WP candidates, including senior counsel Harpreet Singh Nehal, had walked the ground ahead of the 2025 General Election, but NSP staked a claim to the GRC after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee released its report on March 11. However, on Nomination Day on April 23, WP withdrew from the constituency to focus on other contests. [[nid:717164]] It sparked anger among the leaders of opposition parties, especially when WP entered into a four-cornered fight for Tampines GRC against PPP, NSP and the incumbent PAP. Mr Ng said the NSP learnt the hard way that opposition unity is "extremely difficult" to secure. The party had on April 20 announced that it was not fielding candidates in Marsiling-Yew Tee and Jalan Besar GRCs, as well as withdraw from Sembawang West and Tampines Changkat SMCs, for the sake of opposition co-operation. Mr Ng said the NSP also faced calls from some quarters to step back from Sembawang GRC, after the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) announced its intentions to contest there. SDP suggested NSP contest Holland-Bukit Timah GRC instead. Both parties failed to reach an agreement to avoid a multi-party contest in Sembawang GRC, which means SDP and NSP will take on the incumbent PAP led by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. Mr Ng said the NSP is putting voters' interests before the party's interests in contesting two constituencies. "We are here to serve the people. We are not here to play board games," said Mr Ng, who added that NSP has been walking the ground in Sembawang GRC for over a decade now. "We have listened to (residents), taken in their feedback. From there we craft our policies and manifestos," he said. However, Mr Ng could not hold back his disappointment with WP and SDP. "On party interest and respect for ourselves, there must be a line. "If we move wherever you tell us to move, then what is the value of our existence? And to be treated by fellow opposition parties in this manner. "They should do some soul-searching," he added. During the Kampung Admiralty walkabout, his team encountered residents who said they prefer the "louder opposition parties", said Mr Ng. "They might champion for something that seems to be a bit more radical, but it's not our party's character," he added, saying the party is more constructive and rational with its policy proposals. One particular proposal that the party does not agree with is the lowering of GST. Over 2023 and 2024, Singapore's GST rose from 7 per cent to 9 per cent. Mr Ng said while he disagrees with the idea to lower GST, he does not want to see it rise above 9 per cent. He added: "The moment you (introduce the tax), it is very hard to take away... Even if you call for a reduction of GST to 7 per cent, people will say why not 5 per cent? Why not 3 per cent? "And even if you reduce GST, how are you going to make sure everybody brings down the prices?" Mr Ng said the party's manifesto released on April 23 proposes removing the GST for essential life items and baby supplies to reduce cost of living concerns, although it did not provide more information on what falls under "essential items". NSP also said it will unveil its proposed town plan for Sembawang in the coming days, with a focus on multi-generational living. "We envision Sembawang as a lifestyle destination, for young couples who want to apply for housing with their parents, and good amenities for retirement folks," said Mr Ng. This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Opposition unity ‘close to impossible' in future elections after WP withdrawal: NSP chief
(From left) NSP's Sembawang GRC candidates Verina Ong, Raiyian Chia, Spencer Ng and Yadzeth Hairis on a walkabout at Kampung Admiralty Hawker Centre on April 24. ST PHOTO: SHABANA BEGUM Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE - The eleventh-hour decision by WP to withdraw from Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC will make it near impossible for opposition parties to cooperate and avoid multi-party contests in future elections. Speaking during a walkabout at Kampung Admiralty Hawker Centre on April 24, National Solidarity Party (NSP) secretary-general Spencer Ng said that maintaining unity among opposition parties to avoid multi-cornered battles is going to be 'extremely difficult, or close to impossible'. 'Some parties, in the name of opposition unity, demand that the other party make way for them. 'They make use of this (idea of) opposition unity and try to barge their way through,' said Mr Ng, who leads the five-member NSP team contesting Sembawang GRC. His comments echo the view of People's Power Party (PPP) secretary-general Goh Meng Seng, who said that he was angry that WP decided not to field a team for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC. 'It is very ironic that the slogan of WP is working for Singapore. But do you really work for Singapore when you deprive 130,000 voters of their right to vote?' he reportedly said. NSP had earlier indicated its interest to contest Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC after the redrawing of boundaries. It last contested Marine Parade GRC in 2011. In the 2020 election, the PAP retained Marine Parade GRC with 57.74 per cent of the vote against the WP. This was down from 64.07 per cent in 2015. WP candidates, including senior counsel Harpreet Singh Nehal, had walked the ground ahead of the 2025 General Election, but NSP staked a claim to the GRC after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee released its report on March 11. However, on Nomination Day on April 23, WP withdrew from the constituency to focus on other contests. It sparked anger among the leaders of opposition parties, especially when WP entered into a four-cornered fight for Tampines GRC against PPP, NSP and the incumbent PAP. Mr Ng said the NSP learnt the hard way that opposition unity is 'extremely difficult' to secure. The party had on April 20 announced that it was not fielding candidates in Marsiling-Yew Tee and Jalan Besar GRCs, as well as withdraw from Sembawang West and Tampines Changkat SMCs, for the sake of opposition cooperation. Mr Ng said the NSP also faced calls from some quarters to step back from Sembawang GRC, after the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) announced its intentions to contest there. SDP suggested NSP contest Holland-Bukit Timah GRC instead. Both parties failed to reach an agreement to avoid a multi-party contest in Sembawang GRC, which means SDP and NSP will take on the incumbent PAP led by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. Mr Ng said the NSP is putting voters' interests before the party's interests in contesting two constituencies. 'We are here to serve the people. We are not here to play board games,' said Mr Ng, who added that NSP has been walking the ground in Sembawang GRC for over a decade now. 'We have listened to (residents), taken in their feedback. From there we craft our policies and manifestos,' he said. However, Mr Ng could not hold back his disappointment with WP and SDP. 'On party interest and respect for ourselves, there must be a line. 'If we move wherever you tell us to move, then what is the value of our existence? And to be treated by fellow opposition parties in this manner. 'They should do some soul-searching,' he added. During the Kampung Admiralty walkabout, his team encountered residents who said they prefer the 'louder opposition parties', said Mr Ng. 'They might champion for something that seems to be a bit more radical, but it's not our party's character,' he added, saying the party is more constructive and rational with its policy proposals. One particular proposal that the party does not agree with is the lowering of GST. Over 2023 and 2024, Singapore's GST rose from 7 per cent to 9 per cent. Mr Ng said while he disagrees with the idea to lower GST, he does not want to see it rise above 9 per cent. He added: 'The moment you (introduce the tax), it is very hard to take away... Even if you call for a reduction of GST to 7 per cent, people will say why not 5 per cent? Why not 3 per cent? 'And even if you reduce GST, how are you going to make sure everybody brings down the prices?' Mr Ng said the party's manifesto released on April 23 proposes removing the GST for essential life items and baby supplies to reduce cost of living concerns, although it did not provide more information on what falls under 'essential items'. NSP also said it will unveil its proposed town plan for Sembawang in the coming days, with a focus on multi-generational living. 'We envision Sembawang as a lifestyle destination, for young couples who want to apply for housing with their parents, and good amenities for retirement folks,' said Mr Ng. Shabana Begum is a correspondent, with a focus on environment and science, at The Straits Times. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
