SINGAPORE: Opposition parties were out in full force on Saturday (Jun 27) in the lead-up to Nomination Day for the upcoming General Election.
One day after confirming the party’s line-up for Aljunied GRC, prospective candidates from the Workers’ Party (WP) held walkabouts in their wards on Saturday morning.
All five – WP chief Pritam Singh, chairman Sylvia Lim, vice-chairman Faisal Manap, former Non-Constituency Members of Parliament Leon Perera and Gerald Giam – visited Bedok 538 Market and Food Centre located in Aljunied’s Kaki Bukit division at about 9am, where they gave out fliers and interacted with stall owners and residents.
Mr Singh also stopped for a selfie with a resident before wishing him great health in Mandarin.
The Workers’ Party’s Mr Gerald Giam, Mr Faisal Manap, Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Leon Perera are seen here during a walkabout at a wet market in Eunos on Jun 27, 2020. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
In line with safe distancing measures, the candidates wore masks and avoided shaking hands with those they met.
The hour-long walkabout at Bedok North Street 3 was the WP candidates’ second stop after visiting a wet market in Eunos earlier in the morning.
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During the party’s press conference on Friday, Mr Singh said he will be defending his seat in Aljunied – together with Ms Lim and Mr Faisal – in the Jul 10 election. They will be joined by Mr Giam and Mr Perera, who are replacing former party chief Low Thia Khiang and Mr Chen Show Mao.
The Workers’ Party’s chairman Ms Sylvia Lim listens to a resident during a walkabout on Jun 27, 2020. (Photo: Jeremy Long)
SDP TO CONTEST HOLLAND-BUKIT TIMAH GRC
Over at Bukit Timah Market, the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) chairman Paul Tambyah, together with members Alfred Tan and Benjamin Pwee, were seen distributing flyers and interacting with residents and stall owners at the hawker centre.
The market is located in the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC which the SDP will be contesting in the upcoming General Election.
READ: SDP’s Chee Soon Juan to contest Bukit Batok SMC in upcoming General Election: Report
Some residents were seen giving words of encouragement and support to Prof Tambyah during the walkabout, which lasted for about 20 minutes.
This was Prof Tambyah’s second stop after visiting Gangsa Road at Bukit Panjang SMC with SDP’s Khuang Wai Yeen.
Singapore Democratic Party chairman Paul Tambyah giving out flags and flyers at Ghim Moh Road hawker centre. (Photo: Goh Chiew Tong)
SDP chairman Paul Tambyah speaking to the media before a walkabout at Ghim Moh Road hawker centre. (Photo: Jalelah Abu Baker)
The opposition party has said it also plans to field a team in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC and the single-member constituencies of Yuhua, Bukit Panjang and Bukit Batok.
Its secretary-general Dr Chee Soon Juan has confirmed that he will be contesting in Bukit Batok.
PSP WALKABOUT AT WEST COAST MARKET SQUARE
The Progress Singapore Party’s (PSP) secretary-general Dr Tan Cheng Bock was also out and about at West Coast Market Square on Saturday morning along with a number of PSP personnel. Also present was prospective party candidate Jeffrey Khoo, who is also likely to contest in West Coast GRC.
The Progress Singapore Party’s secretary-general Tan Cheng Bock on a walkabout at West Coast Food Centre on Jun 27, 2020. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
The Progress Singapore Party’s secretary-general Tan Cheng Bock on a walkabout at West Coast Food Centre on Jun 27, 2020. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
Dr Tan spent about 30 minutes interacting with residents at the hawker centre. While a number of them were eager to shake his hand, Dr Tan reminded them of the need to keep a safe distance.
READ: ‘I’m quite confident of this area’: Tan Cheng Bock bullish about chances in West Coast GRC
He later said he was pleased with the reception given to him and his team.
“I was quite cheered today by the reception,” said Dr Tan. “When I came in, I could feel the vibe that many of them still recognise me and many of them asked me to come back and I said: ‘Okay, I’ll try.’”
Reform Party’s Andy Zhu speaks to a resident at a hawker centre in Ang Mo Kio, Jun 27, 2020. (Photo: Christy Yip)
Meanwhile members from the Reform Party, led by party chairman Andy Zhu, visited a hawker centre in Ang Mo Kio.
Two potential candidates – Gurdev Singh and Charles Yeo – were among the group as they mingled with people and handed out leaflets at the food centre at Block 341 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
READ: Reform Party unveils potential candidates for Singapore General Election
Mr Zhu said the party will reveal its manifesto and which constituencies its candidates are standing in at a later date. He declined to make any further comment on discussions with the Progress Singapore Party, saying that both sides have already given responses on the matter.
A Reform Party member hands out leaflets during a walkabout in Ang Mo Kio, Jun 27, 2020. (Photo: Christy Yip)
Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam is serving a 14-day stay-home notice after returning to Singapore from England, and the process is “rather smooth”, said Mr Zhu. He should be allowed to leave his place of accommodation around polling day.
The walkabout came soon after the party announced its campaign slogan of “Build Back Better, Fairer” and highlighted some of its key policy plans.
Specific policy proposals it unveiled on Facebook on Friday night include unemployment benefits, universal healthcare and suspension of GST.
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