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Independent Singapore
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
"When you vote for RDU, you are voting for yourself" - RDU makes resounding final appeal at Nee Soon GRC rally
GE2025: After nine days of walking the ground, knocking on doors, reaching out in the heartlands with rallies and holding heartfelt conversations across Singapore, the candidates of Red Dot United (RDU) have made one thing clear: this campaign is not about slogans, it is about service. It is not about theatrics, it is about trust. Tonight, on the eve of Polling Day, the full Red Dot United slate delivered their closing message to the people of Nee Soon: 'Vote for first-class citizens. Vote for a fairer Singapore.' A Campaign Grounded in Principles and People From the very first rally to the final walkabout, RDU's message has remained steadfast: Singapore needs renewal. It needs a Parliament that listens, lifts, and leads—not just manages. It needs voices that speak truth to power and policies that put people before prestige. In his electrifying speech, physicist and educator Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad challenged Singaporeans to question whether the moral compass of our nation is still intact. 'We used to have balance,' he said, invoking the concept of symmetry breaking from physics. 'But the system has tilted—because we gave the PAP more power than it needs.' He reminded voters that fairness is not a Malay, Chinese or Indian value—it is a Singaporean value. He argued that right now, that value is fraying. Dr Alwi's vision is one where policies like the Supporting EduFund Tuition Scheme (SETS) help all children, regardless of race, catch up—not because they lack talent, but because they lack opportunity. He called on voters to honour heroes like Leftenan Adnan not based on ethnicity, but on shared sacrifice. 'We don't honour him because he was Malay. We honour him because he was Singaporean,' he said. Fix the System, Serve the People His running mate Pang Heng Chuan brought a hard-nosed lens from the corporate world to local town council management. 'If a company ran like how some of our estates are managed, it would have folded long ago,' he said, citing long-unresolved issues like rodent infestations, broken lifts, and persistent ceiling leaks. His solution is simple: discipline, transparency, and action. RDU proposes a full audit of municipal services, a zero-wastage budgeting approach, and a 'residents-first' response protocol. 'You don't take two years to fix a leak. You don't let pests multiply until it becomes a health hazard. You act. You get it done,' Mr Pang said. The Chemistry of Change Chairman Dr David Foo, a chemist by training, shared, 'In chemistry, small changes create powerful reactions. Politics is no different.' He warned of entropy and stagnation under a single-party system, urging voters to see the opposition not as chaos, but as catalysts for accountability. Quoting both Barack Obama and Xi Jinping, Dr Foo noted: 'Fear of change is a luxury we cannot afford.' He reminded Singaporeans that Red Dot United is not here to burn down institutions—but to strengthen them with humility and resolve. 'Don't let anyone tell you your vote doesn't matter. It does,' he said. 'Be the drop that changes the solution.' From the Ground: Sharad Kumar and Harish Mohanadas Bring Heart to the Hustings The rally also saw speeches from RDU's teams for Jurong Central, Jurong East-Bukit Batok, and Holland-Bukit Timah. Sharad Kumar and Harish Mohanadas pointed out that constituents deserve better. They have been walking their estates at Holland Bukit Timah and Jurong East-Bukit Batok tirelessly over the nine day campaign period, speaking to families and listening to residents' frustrations. From issues of affordability to a lack of empathy in governance, they echoed a common concern: people, especially the new generation feel forgotten in their own country. Mr Sharad, championed the cause of inclusive housing. Mr Harish, spoke passionately about young families, stagnant wages, and how policies must reflect lived realities—not just GDP figures. Today, in their final appeal, both reminded voters that they are not just statistics, they are citizens who deserve leaders who work for them. RDU Chief's Speech Electrifies the Crowd Speaking about the work the RDU has done on the ground, as well as the many lives it has uplifted through its community and charity programmes, secretary-general Ravi Philemon expressed worry about the 'unprincipled' things the ruling party has done. Citing the case of NMPs resigning from Parliament to contest elections weeks later in party colours, as well as other controversies involving the PAP, he cautioned, 'A ruling party that is unprincipled is a danger to the people. They may do what they want to do, just to stay in power.' Mr Philemon called on voters to support his party and his candidates. He said, 'We are a party which believes in working across party lines. You have heard the comments the Ministers have made about me. They have said, he is a gentleman, he is reasonable. This is what we will bring to Parliament.' He added that RDU has worked across party lines to ensure it only goes into one-on-one fights with the ruling party. He said, 'In the past five years, Parliament looked like a gladiator's ring. The PAP must take the lion's share of the blame for this. This is where RDU is different from the PAP and the other opposition parties in Parliament. 'We do not believe in adversarial politics. Let me remind you what we did in Jalan Kayu: we gave up an easy win. An easy win. Only because it was in the best interest of the people.' He added, 'For us, it is always about the people. Never what's in our personal interest or what's good for the party. Always what is good for the people.' Stressing unity among Singaporeans, Mr Philemon called for support at the polls and said he worries about the divisive politics in Singapore and asserted that this brand of politics does not augur well for Singaporeans. He said to a crowd filled with cheers and applause, 'On 3rd May, when you go to the polling booths, vote for yourself. When you vote for RDU, you are voting for yourself.' A Movement Bigger Than the Party In just five years, Red Dot United has grown from a fledgling party to fielding the second-largest opposition slate in this election. Its members are scientists, engineers, social workers, educators, and operations experts. What binds them is not ideology—but integrity. As the campaign closes, RDU has one final message to the people of Nee Soon: 'Let this vote be a signal—not just of frustration, but of hope. Let it say: we want a Singapore that works for all, not just for the well-connected. We want a future built on fairness, dignity, and courage. And we want to believe in our country again.'
Independent Singapore
22-04-2025
- Science
- Independent Singapore
GE2025: Why Red Dot United's scientists Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad and Dr David Foo could be game-changers in Nee Soon
SINGAPORE: Red Dot United (RDU) has unveiled its slate for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the upcoming elections, featuring a powerhouse lineup: Secretary-General Ravi Philemon, Chairman Dr David Foo, cybersecurity expert Sharon Lin, strategist Pang Heng Chuan, and physicist Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad. But who exactly is the physicist with a heart for the community? Meet Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad, a theoretical physicist who has spent years studying one of the most profound mysteries of the universe: black holes. These cosmic giants are so powerful that nothing—not even light—can escape their pull, but what truly happens to the matter and information that crosses the point of no return? That's the question Dr Ahmad set out to answer in his research, blending the abstract world of quantum mechanics with real questions about what it means to lose—whether it's data, matter, or trust. Today, he's bringing that same curiosity and integrity to the political arena. What Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad did Dr Ahmad's research zeroed in on fermions—the tiniest building blocks of matter, like electrons and neutrinos. These are particles that obey some of the strictest laws in nature, and they're essential to everything that exists. To study them, he used a tool called Quantum Field Theory—imagine applying chemistry's periodic table not to elements, but to energy. It's a way of understanding how particles form, move, and interact with forces in the universe. However, instead of applying this in normal space, Dr Ahmad did something more ambitious: He studied how these matter particles behave near and inside black holes. What he found Here's where things get really fascinating. In ordinary space, quantum fields—which describe how particles behave—are smooth and continuous, but Dr Ahmad found that when you approach a black hole, these fields for fermions don't stretch across like they should. Instead, they cut off at the event horizon—the invisible boundary beyond which nothing can return. Imagine watching a movie, but halfway through, the screen goes black. You can still hear the sound, but you can't follow the story anymore. That's what's happening at a black hole's edge. The 'story' of the object—its identity, its data—gets silenced, and all we see is thermal static. Because of this, the radiation coming from black holes looks like random heat—not a message, not a pattern, just noise. Why this matters This research gives us one possible answer to the age-old question: What happens to the past when it falls into a black hole? Dr Ahmad's work suggests that the information may not come back—not in any readable, recoverable way. That would mean black holes don't just eat matter—they erase memory. Or, it could mean that we're still missing a major piece of the puzzle and that our understanding of the universe needs to evolve. A Singaporean at the edge of space-time What's truly inspiring is that this work didn't just come from a top Ivy League lab—it came from a Singaporean physicist. Dr Ahmad's journey shows that world-changing ideas can come from anywhere, even the heartlands of Yishun. He approached one of the most difficult puzzles in physics not with sci-fi drama, but with cold, clear mathematics—and concepts most of us first encounter in O-Level physics and chemistry: energy, particles, and the conservation of information. His work doesn't just inspire scientists—it inspires young Singaporeans to ask bold questions, dream bigger, and know that the horizon of discovery is open to them too. Dr Ahmad has said: 'To truly understand what people are going through, you need both a microscope and a telescope — to see the fine details of daily struggle, and the wide horizon of possibility.' It's this same mindset he brings to politics. He believes unity doesn't mean conformity. It means listening deeply, lifting others, and leading with dignity. Only then, he says, can we bring out the best in Singapore—not by silencing difference, but by making space for it. What about the chemist who went from lab coats to the ballot box? Dr David Foo, chairman of RDU and the second scientist on the party's Nee Soon GRC slate, isn't your typical politician. He's a chemist, an educator, and a staunch advocate for civic awareness—all rolled into one. As Singapore heads toward GE2025, Dr Foo is once again stepping into the political arena, but he doesn't come armed with slogans alone. He brings a career built on inquiry, service, and reform. A Scientist first: Chemistry at his core Dr Foo earned his PhD in chemistry from the University of Idaho, laying the groundwork for a career that has spanned continents and disciplines. In the early stages of his career, he worked in high-level laboratories in the United States, later returning to Singapore where he became one of the founding scientists of the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES). His expertise also led him to Johnson & Johnson's regional research centre, where he contributed as part of their technical staff. A major highlight? Dr Foo became the first Singaporean to be awarded the Glenn T. Seaborg Fellowship at the prestigious Los Alamos National Laboratory in the US—a top-tier recognition in the field of nuclear and analytical chemistry. Championing science education However, Dr Foo didn't stay behind the lab bench. Believing strongly in the power of youth education, he founded Science Ventures Learning Hub, a platform dedicated to making science more interactive, engaging, and accessible to students. He played a significant role in Singapore's National Science Challenge, helping design chemistry challenges beyond rote learning—challenges that inspired curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking in young minds. From Political Awareness to Policy Making Dr Foo's political journey began in 2001, when he co-founded Think Centre, one of Singapore's earliest and boldest independent civic research organisations. At a time when political discourse in Singapore was still tentative, his move into civil society was both visionary and courageous. He contested in Jurong GRC during the 2015 General Election under the Singaporeans First party and later joined RDU, where he now plays a leadership role. Today, he is contesting Nee Soon GRC as part of RDU's diverse and forward-looking team—alongside figures like secretary-general Ravi Philemon and theoretical physicist Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad. Science meets policy Dr Foo represents the rare convergence of scientific precision and policy vision. Whether he's discussing climate action, energy sustainability, or public health, he brings to the table a calm, methodical approach rooted in data and evidence, but just as importantly, he pairs that objectivity with a belief in civic empowerment and transparency. To him, policymaking isn't about political theatre—it's about making sense of complex systems and finding solutions that work. Why it matters In a political landscape often shaped by bureaucratic inertia and risk-averse leadership, Dr Foo is a breath of fresh air. He reminds us that public service doesn't just belong to lifelong politicians. It belongs to scientists, teachers, and ordinary citizens with a commitment to truth and change. As Singaporeans head to the polls, figures like Dr David Foo raise a powerful question: What kind of leadership do we want? One that simply manages the status quo—or one that dares to innovate, educate, and elevate? Stay tuned to The Independent for more deep dives and human stories behind the headlines—as we journey together toward Singapore's next General Election.
