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Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
GE2025: High spirits, hoarse voices as new MPs hit the ground running at Meet-the-People Sessions
East Coast GRC MP Hazlina Abdul Halim (left) at her first Meet-the-People session at Lucky Haven senior activity centre on May 5. ST PHOTO: SHERMAINE ANG GE2025: High spirits, hoarse voices as new MPs hit the ground running at Meet-the-People Sessions SINGAPORE - After nine days of marathon campaigning for the 2025 General Election, seasoned MPs and newly elected ones alike hit the ground running at Meet-the-People Sessions (MPSes) around Singapore on May 5. The Straits Times spoke to 10 MPs from both the PAP and WP, who offered a glimpse into the issues residents raised to them, and what they were doing to help. In Chua Chu Kang GRC's Brickland ward, Mr Jeffrey Siow kicked off his first MPS 30 minutes ahead of the 8pm start time, having expected more residents to show up after an extended break. MPSes had been suspended since the Writ of Election was issued on April 15. By 10pm, Mr Siow estimated he had spoken to around 30 residents, who raised issues ranging from senior care to immigration. Among those seeking his help was a non-Singaporean divorcee with three Singaporean children who sought help to extend her employment pass, so she could keep working in Singapore. 'The husband, who is supposed to help her, is not supporting her, so what can she do since her (work) pass is expiring?' said Mr Siow. '(We have to) handle these sorts of issues, often those that do not completely fit the mould.' Other residents sought help with senior care, including one who needed assistance for an elderly relative whose usual caregivers were unavailable. Such issues will become more prevalent with Singapore's ageing population, and he expects to bring them up in Parliament in his new role as MP, Mr Siow said. Mr Siow, who was formerly permanent secretary at the trade and industry and manpower ministries, said: 'We need to think about where we want to draw the line on policies and think about whether the line needs to be shifted as there are more of these cases coming up.' In East Coast GRC, Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash tapped his experience as former head of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to refer one resident to an active ageing centre. The woman had wanted to help her elderly mother, who was recovering from a fall at home, stay socially connected. 'That's where I think we can try to help, by connecting (residents) to the right agencies for support,' Mr Dinesh said. Both he and his East Coast GRC counterpart, Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim, were hoarse by the end of the night. Madam Hazlina had pulled double duty with two back-to-back MPSes – one in Siglap and the other in Fengshan. In preparation for her first MPS, she had understudied former East Coast GRC MPs Cheryl Chan and Maliki Osman, as well as Ms Tin Pei Ling, who is currently an MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC. Of this experience drafting appeals for residents, Madam Hazlina said: '(It) has really helped me to understand how agencies work in how you advocate for residents.' Other newly elected MPs were no stranger to conducting MPSes . One of these was WP MP Kenneth Tiong, who has been volunteering at the party's MPSes since 2023, before coordinating the Serangoon MPS from 2025. The ward was left vacant when Mr Leon Perera stepped down in July 2023. 'MPS is the foundation of a big majority of the policy stuff that we do, so it's always good to do (them),' said Mr Tiong, who saw about 10 residents with issues ranging from scams to municipal issues. He hopes to bring up issues such as making sure Singaporeans have a strong social safety net, and that families have strong foundations. WP Aljunied MP Kenneth Tiong greets and listens to his residents at his Meet-the-People session at 146 Serangoon North Ave 1 on May 5. ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN In the west, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP Lee Hong Chuang is also familiar with how MPSes work. He has held similar sessions to meet residents since 2015, when he was the PAP's Hougang branch chairman. He was also the losing PAP candidate for Hougang SMC in the 2015 and 2020 elections. The newly minted MP, who has taken over former MP Amy Khor's Hong Kah North ward, said he intends to meet every resident who attends his MPS personally, and to understand their circumstances. 'My style is, when I walk around the area, I will pick up cases. Those are the people who may not even walk into your MPS, but they need help,' he said. Another seasoned hand, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, made his debut in Punggol GRC's new Punggol Northshore ward, where a crowd had gathered for face time with the 'Task Force Man'. During the campaign, DPM Gan – who was given the moniker by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for being on several task forces – had promised Northshore residents to address problems in the ward. He told reporters that residents raised issues such as poor phone connectivity in certain areas, which his team will work with the Infocomm Media Development Authority to tackle. DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, wore a mask and had a sore throat, which he attributed to the many engagements he had after the election. 'After the campaign... I had to attend to some of the urgent meetings, so therefore I've been talking the whole day. And tonight, I talked the whole night,' he said. Deputy Prime Minister and MP for Punggol GRC Gan Kim Yong taking a group photo with volunteers after his Meet-the-People session at 402 Northshore Drive on May 5. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM He wrapped up the session only at 11pm, after seeing around 70 residents. Over in the east, Tampines GRC's two new faces – Dr Charlene Chen and Mr David Neo – were seen at the Tampines East MPS, which Dr Chen has been helming for about a year. Mr Baey Yam Keng, who has served in Tampines since 2011, said Mr Neo, a former army chief, will tag along with other members before potentially helming a new division that has yet to be demarcated. The constituency may see a new Tampines Boulevard ward that will mostly comprise new Build-To-Order HDB estates north of Tampines Avenue 9. Mr Baey added that residents can expect an announcement on the new ward and MPS location by the end of May. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
High spirits, hoarse voices as new MPs hit the ground running at Meet-the-People Sessions
SINGAPORE - After nine days of marathon campaigning for the 2025 general election, seasoned MPs and newly elected ones alike hit the ground running at Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS) around the Republic on May 5. ST spoke to 10 MPs from both the PAP and WP, who offered a glimpse into the issues residents brought to them, and what they were doing to help. In Chua Chu Kang GRC's Brickland ward, Mr Jeffrey Siow kicked off his first MPS 30 minutes ahead of the 8pm start time, having expected more residents to show up after an extended break. MPS have been suspended since the Writ of Election was issued on April 15. By 10pm, Mr Siow estimated he had spoken to around 30 residents, who raised issues ranging from senior care to immigration. Among those seeking his help was a non-Singaporean divorcee with three Singaporean children who sought help to extend her employment pass so she could keep working in Singapore. 'The husband, who is supposed to help her, is not supporting her, so what can she do since her (work) pass is expiring?' said Mr Siow. '(We have to) handle these sorts of issues, often those that do not completely fit the mould.' Other residents sought help with senior care, including one who needed assistance for an elderly relative whose usual caregivers were unavailable. Such issues will become more prevalent with Singapore's ageing population, and he expects to bring up such issues in Parliament in his new role as MP, Mr Siow said. Mr Siow, who was formerly permanent secretary at the Trade and Industry and Manpower Ministries, said: 'We need to think about where we want to draw the line on policies and think about whether the line needs to be shifted as there are more of these cases coming up.' In East Coast GRC, Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash tapped his experience as former head of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) to refer one resident to an active ageing centre. The woman had wanted to help her elderly mother, who was recovering from a fall at home, stay socially connected. 'That's where I think we can try to help, by connecting (residents) to the right agencies for support,' Mr Dinesh said. Both he and his East Coast GRC counterpart, Madam Hazlina Abdul Halim, were hoarse by the end of the night. Madam Hazlina had pulled double duty with two back-to-back MPS – one in Siglap and the other in Fengshan. In preparation for her first MPS, she had understudied former East Coast GRC MPs Cheryl Chan and Maliki Osman, as well as Ms Tin Pei Ling, who is currently an MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC. Of this experience drafting appeals for residents, Madam Hazlina said: '(It) has really helped me to understand how agencies work in how you advocate for residents.' Other newly elected MPs were no stranger to conducting MPS . One of these was WP MP Kenneth Tiong, who has been volunteering at their MPS since 2023, before coordinating the Serangoon MPS from 2025. The ward was left vacant when Mr Leon Perera stepped down in July 2023. 'MPS is the foundation of a big majority of the policy stuff that we do, so it's always good to do (them),' said Mr Tiong, who saw about 10 residents with issues ranging from scams to municipal issues. He hopes to bring up issues such as making sure Singaporeans have a strong social safety net, and that families have strong foundations. In the west, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC MP Lee Hong Chuang is also familiar with how MPS work. Mr Lee has held similar sessions to meet residents since 2015, when he was the PAP's Hougang branch chairman. He was also the losing PAP candidate for Hougang SMC in the 2015 and 2020 elections. The newly minted MP, who has taken over former MP Amy Khor's Hong Kah North ward, said he intends to meet every resident who attends his MPS personally, and to understand their circumstances. 'My style is when I walk around the area, I will pick up cases. Those are the people who may not even walk into your MPS, but they need help,' he said. Another seasoned hand, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, made his debut in Punggol GRC's new Punggol Northshore ward, where a crowd had gathered for face time with the 'Task Force Man'. During the campaign, DPM Gan – who was given the moniker by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong for being on several task forces – had promised Northshore residents to address problems in the ward. He told reporters that residents raised issues such as poor phone connectivity and 'blind spots' in certain areas, which his team will work with the Infocomm Media Development Authority to tackle. DPM Gan, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, wore a mask and had a sore throat, which he attributed to the many engagements he had after the election. 'After the campaign… I had to attend to some of the urgent meetings, so therefore I've been talking the whole day. And tonight, I talked the whole night,' he said. He only wrapped up the session at 11pm, after seeing around 70 residents. Over in the east, Tampines GRC's two new faces – Dr Charlene Chen and Mr David Neo – were seen at Tampines East MPS, which Dr Chen has been helming for about a year. Mr Baey Yam Keng, who has served in Tampines since 2011, said Mr Neo, a former army chief, will tag along with other members before potentially helming a new division that has yet to be demarcated. The constituency may see a new Tampines Boulevard ward that will mostly comprise new Build-To-Order (BTO) HDB estates north of Tampines Avenue 9. Mr Baey added that residents can expect an announcement on the new ward and MPS location by the end of May. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Business Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
GE2025: With the hustings over, it's finally time for 2.63 million voters to do their duty
[SINGAPORE] After nine days of frantic campaigning, dozens of rally speeches and media interviews, and hundreds of walkabouts covering almost every inch of the island, the day of reckoning is finally here. On Saturday (May 3), as many as 2.63 million eligible voters will head to the ballot box to pick their preferred Members of Parliament. This general election (GE) takes place against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty, trade wars, inflation and housing concerns, among other issues. It is the first GE for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong since he was sworn in last year, and subsequently took over as secretary-general of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP). It was 18 days ago, on the afternoon of Apr 15, when PM Wong advised President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to dissolve Parliament and issue the Writ of Election – paving the way for the country's 14th GE. That quickly sent political parties into overdrive. The campaign – which was fought on the ground and on the Internet and social media – began on Apr 23 and ended just before midnight on Thursday. Friday marked the start of the mandatory cooling-off period that will only be lifted after the polls close on Saturday at 8 pm. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up A total of 211 candidates – including two independents – have been in the race to fill 97 seats across 33 constituencies in Singapore's next Parliament. Five of those seats were confirmed, with the PAP winning the Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC via a walkover – the first walkover in any constituency since 2011 – as there were no opponents on Nomination Day. This means that close to 132,000 residents there will not be voting. For the other 206 people still in the running, they spent each day of the campaign – often from the crack of dawn until late into the night – meeting residents, handing out flyers, taking wefies and speaking at rallies. The PAP is the only party that has fielded candidates for all 97 seats. The largest opposition party, the Workers' Party (WP), has fielded 26 candidates. The Progress Singapore Party, the only other party with a presence in the previous term of Parliament, has fielded 13 candidates. The polling stations will stay open for 12 hours, from 8 am to 8 pm. On Thursday, the Elections Department (ELD) issued an advisory to say that voters can check their polling station's queue status by scanning the QR code on their poll card before heading out. They need to bring either the physical or electronic poll card, as well as approved documents of identity such as their NRIC or passport. The voter turnout for the election in 2020 was 95.81 per cent. Some of the 18,389 eligible Singaporean voters living abroad were able to do their duty before Polling Day. At the Singapore High Commission in London, for instance, voting began on Friday at 8 am (3 pm, Singapore time). There are 10 overseas polling stations for this GE. These are located at the Singapore government's high commissions, embassies or consulates in Beijing, Canberra, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tokyo and Washington. A little over half of the registered overseas voters were eligible to cast their ballots by post. Once voting has ended and the local ballots have been tallied, all eyes will be on Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) director-general Han Kok Juan, the GE's Returning Officer. He will announce the total votes cast for the candidates and declare the winners for each of the constituencies. But before the official scores are out, the ELD will first reveal the 'sample-count' results for each of the 18 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and 15 single-seat wards. These sample scores have been tallied during several past elections and were first made public at GE2015. They are meant to prevent unnecessary speculation and reliance on unofficial sources of information before all the votes are accounted for, and the final results are out. Sample counts have a 95 per cent chance of being within four percentage points of the actual count. At the start of the counting process, a hundred ballot papers from each polling station will be randomly chosen by a counting assistant in the presence of the candidates and their counting agents. The votes will be added up and weighted accordingly to account for the difference in the number of votes cast at each polling station. The sample count for each constituency will be shown as a percentage of the valid votes earned by the candidates. The sample-count results will be published on the ELD's website. The department has said, however, that the final results could still be different. There is, of course, the possibility of a recount of votes in some constituencies. A recount will be automatically conducted if the difference in votes between candidates is 2 per cent or less of the total number of valid votes cast. In the past, candidates or their counting agents had to apply for a recount. The last time a recount was needed was in GE2015, when residents in Aljunied GRC had waited until after 3 am to find out that the WP retained the constituency with 50.95 per cent of the valid votes. With all the talking done and the hustings complete, all that is left to do is for citizens to head to one of more than 1,200 polling centres and mark that all-important 'X' on their ballot papers beside the candidate or group of candidates of their choice. For more election coverage, visit our GE2025 microsite
Straits Times
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
GE2025: What should I know before voting?
Voting is compulsory in Singapore, and those who fail to vote without a valid reason will be removed from the registers. PHOTO: ST FILE GE2025: What should I know before voting? Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE – Close to 2.75 million voters will head to the ballot box on May 3. This marks an increase of 104,153 voters since the electoral rolls were last updated in April 2020 and includes those voting for the first time. In the lead up to the polls, The Straits Times has put together a series of related explainers and listicles. Here is a guide to help navigate the voting process: Who can vote, and is it compulsory? Any Singapore citizen whose name appears on the Registers of Electors and is 21 or older as at the cut-off date – Feb 1, 2025 – can vote in the upcoming election. Those who turn 21 after Feb 1 but before Polling Day will have to wait until the next election to cast their vote. Voting is compulsory in Singapore. Those who fail to vote without a valid reason will be removed from the registers. How do I check if I can vote? There are four ways to check if your name is in the Registers of Electors: Online at the Elections Department (ELD) website using Singpass; In person at the ELD at 11 Novena Rise, with your identity card or passport; In person at any ServiceSG centre, community centre or community club, with your identity card or passport; At Singapore overseas missions serving as overseas registration centres, with your identity card or passport. What happens if my name is not in the Registers of Electors? Since the Writ of Election has been issued, those whose names are not on the registers will not be able to vote this general election. This applies to both local and overseas voters. Voters who were eligible but did not vote in the last election would have been removed from the registers. This makes them unable to vote in subsequent elections or stand as candidates in any presidential or parliamentary election, unless they restore their names by submitting an application on the ELD website. Restoring your name can be done only before the Writ of Election is issued. Applications made must include valid reasons for not voting in the previous election, such as being overseas or unwell. A $50 fee applies if no valid reason is provided. Those who have missed the deadline will have to wait for the registers to reopen after this election. Where do I vote on Polling Day? Voters will receive a poll card by mail two to three working days after Nomination Day, which was on April 23. It will indicate their assigned polling station, and they may vote only at that station. Voters can also access their ePoll card via the Singpass mobile app, which can be used in place of the physical copy. As the current Registers of Electors are based on voters' addresses as at Feb 1, those who change their address after that date will be assigned a polling station based on their previous address. The new address will be reflected only after the next register update. What do I need to have with me on Polling Day? Voters must have: Their physical or digital NRIC, passport or identity cards issued by the Ministry of Defence, Singapore Police Force or Singapore Civil Defence Force; Their poll card or ePoll card Photocopies of identification documents are not allowed. What happens if I am working on Polling Day? Polling Day is a public holiday, and voting hours are from 8am to 8pm. Voters can cast their vote at any time during this period. Employers are required by law to provide employees reasonable time off to vote. Employees who are required to work, and whose work hours coincide with polling hours, should request time off. What if I am living overseas? The deadline for overseas Singaporeans to register to vote was April 17 – three days after the Writ of Election was issued. Registration has closed. Those successful in their applications will receive an official notification from ELD confirming their status as a postal voter or informing them of the location of their assigned overseas polling station if they have opted to vote in-person at one of the overseas polling stations. Overseas polling stations are located at 10 Singapore high commissions, embassies or consulates in cities with a significant number of Singaporeans. These stations are in Beijing, Canberra, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tokyo and Washington. What help is there for senior voters, voters with special needs, or voters with physical disabilities? Polling stations will have: Designated vehicle drop-off points; Wheelchairs; Barrier-free access; Lower polling booths and lap-based portable booths for wheelchair users; Stencils and magnifiers for those with visual impairments Funnels for ease of dropping ballot papers into the ballot box Election officials will be around to assist, and a priority queue is available for these voters. For those with physical disabilities, election officials can assist in marking the ballot paper upon request. All election officials are under oath to maintain voting secrecy. Each person may cast only one vote. How do I track the queue at my polling station? VoteQ, a website activated on Polling Day, allows voters to check the queue status at their designated polling station by keying in their postal code. The site will be updated approximately every five minutes during peak polling hours in the morning and every 10 minutes during the off-peak period in the afternoon. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Independent Singapore
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Fearmongering? — PM Wong's comments on "formidable" opposition draw criticism
SINGAPORE: Concerns of fear-mongering have emerged online in the wake of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's first election rally speech of the GE2025 season, yesterday (24 Apr). Mr Wong, who faced his first election as PM, said there was already a 'sizeable' number of opposition members in Parliament. Noting that the number of opposition MPs has been increasing and 'almost doubled' in the last election, Mr Wong said, 'The opposition is here to stay; they are determined, and they really want to grow.' Aside from commenting on the WP's tactics of placing elected MPs in what he called 'safe seats' and deploying new candidates to 'break new ground' elsewhere, Mr Wong made special mention of how the Red Dot United (RDU) has launched the third-highest number of candidates, after his People's Action Party (PAP) and the WP. He said, 'You have a new opposition party. You may have heard of them, RDU, Red Dot United. They are mounting a strong fight. In fact, they have the second highest number of candidates after the WP.' He reiterated, 'RDU, a very new party, the second highest number of candidates, at 15.' Mentioning other opposition parties like the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), he continued: 'And then you have the other opposition parties, PSP, SDP, NSP. They all are pushing hard. Each one contesting at least 10 seats.' He stressed, 'You add them all up, WP, RDU, PSP, SDP, NSP, it is a formidable challenge. And that is why, from the beginning, I've said it will be a tough contest, and I don't assume the PAP will automatically win. And that is why we will work extra hard to earn your confidence and trust.' The head of government went on to note the opposition's call to refrain from giving the PAP 'a blank cheque.' He said, 'But I would also say, don't give the opposition a free pass. Apply the same standards to them as you do to the PAP, in terms of integrity, competence, and readiness to serve.' He cautioned that once the election ends, it will not be the PAP versus the opposition but Singapore versus a troubled world. The comments that the PM has made about the opposition have stirred some criticism online, with some netizens pointing out that the 'sizeable' opposition in Parliament Mr Wong was talking about comprises only eight opposition MPs compared to the PAP's 80. Others said that the way the PM characterised the number of candidates the opposition is putting out and how he characterised this as formidable does not accurately capture what an underdog the opposition is compared to the super-dominant ruling party. The number of candidates the opposition is fielding is not new – every election since 2011, save for this one, has seen every seat being contested. The opposition also has to grapple with a disproportionately uneven playing field, particularly in this snap election, with the electoral map undergoing severe changes and the Writ of Election being issued just about a week before Nomination Day. Given this reality, some observers ask why PM Wong seems to be following the old PAP playbook instead of charting his own approach. It remains to be seen whether this tactic of making the PAP appear embattled will translate at the ballot box.
