Follow our live coverage here.
SINGAPORE – The PAP has enough depth of talent on its bench to form a ministerial team even if it loses some ministers this election, said WP chief Pritam Singh on May 1, adding it is the WP that will run into problems with leadership renewal if its candidates are not elected.
Responding to a football analogy used by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Mr Singh said no football team would go into a game with only its starting 11 players, and that reserves were also integral parts of a football team.
PM Wong had said in his May Day Rally speech that if three to four members of the starting 11 are unable to play, the team will have backups and reserves but cannot function at the same level.
With Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong anchoring the PAP team in Punggol GRC against a WP team helmed by lawyer Harpreet Singh, the WP has sought to assure voters that Singapore would be okay even if DPM Gan was not elected.
Meanwhile, the PAP has said that losing key ministers like DPM Gan would weaken the Government, and by extension Singapore’s position in an increasingly volatile world, especially since DPM Gan is head of a taskforce set up to help Singapore navigate the uncertainties brought by American tariffs.
Speaking at an interview in Punggol, Mr Singh said every team has substitutes that can be deployed when strategies change and new formations are needed.
To this end, the PAP is like a football team with a bench of 10 reserves, while other parties like the WP are more like football teams with only two reserves, he said.
“Overall, I think the PAP has tremendous depth of talent. There are only 26 Workers’ Party candidates contesting in these elections,” he added.
In fact, it was the WP’s leadership renewal that would be affected if its candidates are not voted into Parliament, he said.
He added that for the WP to grow and become a “permanent part of (the) national firmament”, the party’s leaders needed to bring in people better than themselves.
They have done so in this election, fielding one of the party’s best slates, Mr Singh said.
“So I hope Singaporeans understand, if we want a more balanced Parliament, we also need to think actively about renewal in the Workers’ Party, too.
“I think we’ve got excellent individuals on every team, and you can see the future of Workers’ Party taking root, taking shape.”
Meanwhile, Mr Harpreet Singh said of losing ministers: “If the future of this country turns on one person being elected, it tells you something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.”
He added that it was time for the PAP to “right-size” the Government, suggesting that there were too many political office-holders.
He also said the Government should not treat difficult questions as personal attacks.
The WP’s primary objective is to represent Singaporeans in Parliament, and that means asking difficult questions even if they make some leaders uncomfortable, he added.
Mr Harpreet Singh speaking to the media during a walkabout in Punggol Central on May 1.ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
During the interview, Mr Pritam Singh was also asked about former chief executive of NTUC Income Tan Suee Chieh’s public endorsement of Mr Harpreet Singh. Mr Tan had declared his support on Facebook, several days after writing open letters critical of the Government and labour chief Ng Chee Meng.
To this, Mr Pritam Singh said: “We cannot stop Singaporeans from stumping for our candidates. If they wish to do so, that is their prerogative.
“But we don’t look for an issue and then needle them from behind or encourage them to speak. I don’t think that’s the right way to do things.”
Ms Alexis Dang, also on the WP’s Punggol GRC slate, was asked about some voters’ focus on the appearance of female candidates, and how this might affect young women.
Acknowledging that society tends to view women in a certain way and that there are expectations on how women should carry themselves, Ms Dang said: “I think it’s very important, at least for myself, to not let these ideas limit who I am, how I carry myself, and how I bring my message across.”
She added: “We appreciate all scrutiny and attention given to the team. I think it’s important for people to get to know us as individuals, and who will be representing them in Parliament.”
Ms Dang has been crowned the best-looking candidate in some online forums such as Reddit, and subjected to catcalls at WP rallies when on stage.
While he did not refer to these episodes, Mr Harpreet Singh said: “This is my message for men out there: Those types of comments are unacceptable, and they must stop.
“We must respect women. They’re absolutely, absolutely bright. We must, first and foremost, see them as individuals.”
Mr Pritam Singh also commented on the leaked text messages of WP candidate for Jalan Kayu SMC Andre Low. Mr Low had apologised on April 30 for the expletive-laden messages on topics ranging from local brands to journalism, and a resident at a meet-the-people session.
Noting the apology, Mr Singh said he was proud that Mr Low had taken ownership and responsibility for what he said in a private context.
“I meet many residents who have views that are said privately, and they hope it can be kept private. Obviously, somebody in this circle decided to bring it up at this time. I am not going to second guess this person’s motives, but I think the key point here is that we in the Workers’ Party are proud of him,” he added.
Join ST’s WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.