GE2020: Red Dot United unveils final GE candidate, theatre director Alec Tok

[能田]

(Singapore Today Friday 26 June 2020)

GE2020: Red Dot United unveils final GE candidate,

theatre director Alec Tok

By Latasha Seow

Mr Alec Tok, a local theatre director, is the final addition to Red Dot United, the newest political party

in Singapore. Red Dot United

Updated 26 June, 2020

SINGAPORE — Singapore's youngest political party, Red Dot United

Mr Tok, 55, has directed local films such as Twelve Storeys, and was heavily involved in theatre productions such as December Rains and Nanyang: The Musical.

Advertisement

He will be part of the five-person team that RDU plans to put up at Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the upcoming General Election

The four other candidates that RDU has formally introduced are its secretary-general Ravi Philemon, its chairman Michelle Lee, entrepreneur Liyana Dhamirah and legal engineer Nicholas Tang.

RDU was started by Mr Philemon and Ms Lee this year after they left the Progress Singapore Party headed by Dr Tan Cheng Bock

Mr Tok was previously from the Singapore Democratic Party, together with RDU founder Ms Lee. He contested in the 2011 GE as a candidate for Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency.

Mr Tok, who received a Master of Fine Arts degree in directing from Yale University, previously worked for the Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company as well as Safra Radio (now known as So Drama! Entertainment) before he produced and directed Singapore's first Chinese musical, December Rains.

The 55-year-old said he hopes to create awareness of the "challenges of bringing up a family in a fast-changing job-scape" if he gets elected, given that he is a father of young children.

He also wants to focus on increasing job prospects and wages for Singaporeans, especially for those who have lower educational qualifications in Singaporeans.

“I believe in Singapore and Singaporeans. We have come this far because different ideas were allowed to contest and compete to shape our economic, social and security landscape," he said.

GE2020: WP introduces five more candidates, including a 27-year-old social activist

By Navene Elangovan, Loraine Lee, Kenneth Cheng

Clockwise from top left: Mr Jamus Lim, Mr Ron Tan Jun Yen, Mr Dennis Tan, Mr Dylan Ng Foo Eng,

Ms Raeesah Khan. Workers' Party

Updated 26 June, 2020

• WP introduces second slate of five candidates for July 10 polls
• Their ages range between 27 and 49
• Party confirm‎s line-up for Aljunied GRC

SINGAPORE — The Workers’ Party (WP) unveiled another five of its General Election (GE) candidates on Friday (June 26).

They are:

Advertisement

• Outgoing Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Dennis Tan, 49, who previously contested Fengshan Single-Member Constituency (SMC) in 2015

• Social activist Raeesah Begum Farid Khan, 27, the party’s youngest candidate

• Finance professional Dylan Ng Foo Eng, 44, who contested in Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in GE2015

• Associate Professor Jamus Lim, 44, an associate professor of economics at Essec Business School

• Mr Ron Tan Jun Yen, 35, senior assistant manager at the National University Health System, who contested in Nee Soon GRC in GE2015

So far, the party would only confirm‎ its line-ups for the two constituencies that it held after GE2015: Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC.

For the coming polls, Mr Dennis Tan will be running in Hougang SMC, replacing Mr Png Eng Huat, who will not be fielded this time.

As for Aljunied GRC, the WP team retains party chief Pritam Singh, chairman Sylvia Lim and Mr Faisal Manap, but there will be two replacements to its previous slate: Mr Leon Perera and Mr Gerald Giam.

Mr Perera and Mr Giam replace former WP chief Low Thia Khiang and Mr Chen Show Mao, who will also not contest in GE2020.

The party has not said where its other candidates would contest in the coming GE.

At an online press conference to introduce the candidates on Friday, Mr Singh said that the party’s medium-term aim of winning a third of parliamentary seats still remains, even though it is fielding only 21 candidates this GE.

Asked by the media for an update on this goal, Mr Singh said that much of this hinges on the quality of people who are prepared to contest for WP. “We have a good slate for this GE,” he said.

He said the party would continue to ensure that it can secure at least a third of parliamentary seats.

Based on the 93 elected seats to be filled this GE, that works out to about 31 seats.

On whether the rejuvenation of party ranks is happening fast enough, Mr Singh said: “It’s important to get people who are committed to public service.

“If we have people with that spirit, with that attitude, with that passion, then the speed of rejuvenation will take on a life of its own. But we should not force that process and force individuals who are not prepared to stand and represent the interests of Singaporeans strongly and fearlessly in Parliament if they are not ready to.”

With the continuing Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) court case, Mr Singh was asked if the party was confident about retaining Aljunied GRC.

Ms Lim, along with Mr Singh and Mr Low, had been found liable by a High Court judge last year in a landmark case investigating misuse of town council funds. They have filed an appeal.

In response, Mr Singh said that from 2015, the performance of the AHTC has not had any issues of concern that residents have had to worry about. Its financial performance, for example, is comparable to that of any other GRC in Singapore, he said.

“More importantly, residents and the MPs and the town councilors have all worked together to deliver good outcomes to the residents of Aljunied-Hougang.”

When asked about Dr Tan Cheng Bock’s Progress Singapore Party fielding more candidates than WP, Ms Lim said that her party was not in a competition with other opposition parties. “We have a common cause in enabling as many voters as possible in Singapore to vote,” she said.

To date, the party has introduced nine candidates. On Thursday, it unveiled its first slate of four candidates

WP will field 21 candidates across four GRCs and two SMCs: Aljunied GRC, Marine Parade GRC, East Coast GRC, Sengkang GRC, Hougang SMC and Punggol West SMC.

This is fewer than its last outing

NEW CANDIDATES

Raeesah Begum Farid Khan, 27

The party’s youngest candidate, Ms Khan has been helping in WP’s meet-the-people sessions as a case writer.

She is also the founder of the Reyna Movement, a regional organisation set up in 2016 to empower women through community engagement and upskilling programmes.

Ms Khan said during her introduction on Friday: “In the course of my work, I often ask myself why it is getting disproportionately harder for working-class families to live a decent life, why is it that when it comes to navigating our post-Covid future, only the elites get a seat at the table.

“This is not the Singapore we deserve. What we deserve is a country where the marginalised are cared for, including senior citizens and people with disabilities.”

Ms Khan is also the daughter of Mr Farid Khan, a presidential hopeful from the Presidential Election in 2017, which was reserved for Malay candidates.

When asked how he has influenced her, Ms Khan said that they shared a passion for public service and have many discussions about the community.

She has a bachelor’s degree in economics and marketing from Murdoch University.

Mr Dylan Ng Foo Eng, 44

Mr Ng joined the party in 2012 as a volunteer before contesting Marine Parade GRC in GE2015, where the party lost to the People’s Action Party (PAP) team.

He said that political competition will bring out the best in people, regardless of the party to which they belong.

“Coming forward to serve and provide more choices for Singaporeans is, for me, the right thing to do,” said Mr Ng, a director in a wealth advisory firm.

On his learning points from his last electoral outing, Mr Ng said that all feedback from residents is important.

“Once you receive residents’ feedback, do not put them aside. There is no feedback that is less important or more important,” said Mr Ng, who added that as a “responsible party”, WP will look into feedback regularly and as fast as it can.

Mr Ng has a degree in economics from the University of Western Australia, as well as a higher diploma in private banking from the Singapore Management University.

Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, 44

The associate professor of economics at Essec Business School is a first-time candidate, although he has been walking the ground with WP for some time.

A father of one, Assoc Prof Lim returned to Singapore after two decades abroad. He has a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics and a master’s in history from Harvard University in the United States. He also has a master’s in politics and doctorate in international economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Before joining academia, Mr Lim worked on international development at the World Bank. He was also lead economist at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which manages the sovereign wealth fund of the city, and worked on policy issues at the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies.

On Friday, he said that children here endure a “pressure cooker” education system, an environment steeped in tuition, supplementary classes and co-curricular activities. He questioned the consequences of the focus on outcomes, with young graduates often becoming private-hire car drivers or deliverymen.

He said the country’s education system is not preparing Singaporean children to take on good jobs, and wants to raise issues such as these in Parliament for the sake of his eight-month-old daughter and other children.

“We can only resolve these most difficult questions when there is a healthy, active debate — and an honest debate — about solutions,” he said.

Mr Ron Tan Jun Yen, 35

Mr Tan, a senior assistant manager at the National University Health System’s research office, started volunteering with WP in 2012. He contested in Nee Soon GRC in GE2015 as part of a WP team that lost to the PAP.

Mr Tan, who is married with a daughter, holds a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia.

Mr Tan said that he has been serving with the grassroots for the last nine years and believes that young Singaporeans should step up and speak for others, such as seniors and their children.

Mr Tan is a legislative assistant to outgoing MP and former party chief Low Thia Khiang, and is an executive committee member of the party’s media team.

As an aide to Mr Low, Mr Tan said that he learnt the importance of being responsible to the residents who voted WP into Parliament.

“You are elected to take on the responsibility to look after them, to manage the estate, to be the voice for them in Parliament, and to assist them in their day-to-day-issues,” he said.

Mr Dennis Tan, 49

First volunteering with the party in 2011, Mr Tan will be the party’s candidate in Hougang SMC, taking over from outgoing MP Png Eng Huat.

He is also an outgoing Non-Constituency MP, a post he has held since 2015.

Mr Tan, who is also WP’s organising secretary, made his political debut in the 2015 GE where he contested Fengshan SMC, which has since been absorbed into the East Coast GRC for the coming polls. He lost to the PAP’s Ms Cheryl Chan.

He is a shipping lawyer at the DennisMathiew law firm and a father of one.

He began helping Mr Png in Hougang, a seat WP has held since 1991, three years ago. As an NCMP, he has brought up a range of issues, including public transport, National Service training safety and climate change.

“My years as NCMP has made me even more convinced that a PAP supermajority in Parliament is bad for Singapore and bad for Singaporeans,” he said on Friday.

He added: “We, therefore, need more diversity of ideas and less groupthink in Parliament. We need a more balanced Parliament with a constructive elected opposition to deal with important issues affecting Singaporeans, such as jobs, fair hiring, cost of living, retirement adequacy and future economy.”

Asked whether he is established enough in Hougang to retain the seat, Mr Tan said: “I will do my best to win the mandate of the Hougang voters again... I really wish they would give me the opportunity.”

PAP unveils final batch of 8 new candidates, including S’pore’s first female general and Temasek director

By Natasha Meah, Nabilah Awang, DARYL CHOO

People's Action Party

Top row (from left): Mr Alex Yeo Sheng Chye, Ms Gan Siow Huang, Ms Rachel Ong Sin Yen, Mr Sharael Taha. Bottom row (from left): Ms Carrie Tan Huimin, Ms Chan Hui Yuh, Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong, Ms Mariam Jaafar.

Updated 26 June, 2020

• The People’s Action Party introduced its final slate of eight new candidates
• The candidates’ ages range from 38 to 47
• Four individuals have experience in the public sector while four are from the private sector
• Succession is critical, PAP must ensure to bring in diverse people from different walks of life, said Mr Chan Chun Sing
• PAP has to put ears on the ground and react appropriately to opposition changes, said Mr Masagos Zulkifli

SINGAPORE — The People’s Action Party (PAP) unveiled its final slate of eight new candidates on Friday (June 26), bringing the total number of candidates

The eight include one who had been named by the party in 2015 as a candidate before she subsequently pulled out for family reasons.

The first four candidates were introduced by the party’s vice chairman Masagos Zulkifli, and the second group by its second assistant secretary-general Chan Chun Sing.

The first set of candidates are deputy chief executive of the labour movement’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) Gan Siow Huang, 46; chief executive of consultancy firm Rohei Corporation Rachel Ong Sin Yen, 47; vice-president (strategy and project management office) at Singapore Aero Engine Services Sharael Taha, 39; and director of law firm Niru & Co Alex Yeo Sheng Chye, 41.

In the second session, the party introduced managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group Mariam Jaafar, 43; Temasek International's director for enterprise development Shawn Huang Wei Zhong, 38; Daughters of Tomorrow charity founder Carrie Tan Huimin, 38; and PAP’s Serangoon branch chairman Chan Hui Yuh, 44.

Ms Chan had previously been named by the party in 2015 as a new candidate to stand in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), but she subsequently pulled out, citing her struggles to keep up

Mr Chan said succession in the PAP is critical. 

“In the PAP, just as in Government, we will always have to plan for our succession, because the success of Singapore depends not just on the few people at a point in time. It depends on us being able to implement consistent and coherent policies, over the long term,” he said. 

In response to a question about diversity among PAP candidates, given that the Workers' Party (WP) slate seems more diverse

On former WP chief Low Thia Khiang’s decision to retire

“In any GE (general election), plans of opposition parties will evolve,” said Mr Masagos. “We have to keep listening, putting our ears on the ground and react appropriately.”

Eight candidates were introduced on Wednesday while another 11 were unveiled on Thursday. In the 2015 election, when 89 seats were contested, the PAP unveiled 24 new candidates.

When TODAY asked why all 27 candidates were introduced over just three days, Mr Chan said that due to this election being held “under very difficult circumstances”, political parties are “all working on compressed timing”. 

“We wanted to introduce our candidates as soon as possible, so that the public has as much time as possible to get to know them. While the introduction is done over three days, I'm quite sure over the next weeks and months and if they get elected, the public will have many more opportunities to get to know them more intimately, their personalities, their working styles and the causes that they believe in,” he said.

Mr Chan added that on Saturday, PAP secretary-general Lee Hsien Loong will launch the party’s manifesto. The party will progressively introduce the GRC and SMC teams over the next few days leading up to nomination day, said Mr Chan.

In a separate doorstop interview, Mr Chan said MPs who will be retiring will also be announced by Mr Lee “in due course”. 

NEW PAP CANDIDATES

Ms Gan Siow Huang, 46

Ms Gan was appointed deputy chief executive of the labour movement’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) in April.

She was in the Singapore Armed Forces for more than 25 years where she became the country’s first woman brigadier-general in 2015.

Ms Gan is one of the first four women to receive the SAF Merit Scholarship in 1993. She graduated in economics with first-class honours from the London School of Economics and Political Science and holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She has been volunteering with the Girl Guides Singapore for more than seven years and has been seen in walkabouts in the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

Ms Gan said serving in the military was one of the “best and fulfilling choices” that she had made as it is a place where men and women of different backgrounds “come together to serve a common goal — to protect Singapore”.

In her career in the SAF, Ms Gan was the commander of the largest formation in the air force and also involved in long-term planning, capability development, policy work, manpower, intelligence among other areas.

“So I have gathered... several building blocks that I think are critical to any good organising entity and I would say the leadership experiences that I gained and also the lessons I learnt in taking care of people will help me to be a good politician."

Ms Rachel Ong Sin Yen, 47

Ms Ong is the chief executive of consultancy firm Rohei Corporation and founder of Trybe, a charity that runs the Singapore Boys Hostel and the Community Rehabilitation Centre.

After graduating from CHIJ St Joseph’s Convent Secondary School, she did her post-secondary education at Columbia College in Canada before studying at Southern Illinois University. She received her master’s degree in business administration in a joint programme by Insead business school and Tsinghua University.

She is a member of the PAP’s Telok Blangah branch and is tipped to contest in West Coast GRC.

Ms Ong said that she hopes to see the youth succeed in life.

“In order for us to help the youth succeed we first must learn to listen, to see, to hear, to understand and to care for the needs of the youth. Then we are empowered to continue to challenge them and support them, given the rights and the trust by them,” she said.

“What I’ve learnt about the journey with the youth is that there is no quick fix. It takes time. It takes a lot of patience, but it's worth every minute. Often it is believing in them more than they believe in themselves.”

Mr Sharael Taha, 39

Mr Sharael is vice-president (strategy and project management office) at Singapore Aero Engine Services as part of a secondment from British aerospace company Rolls Royce.

He graduated with a master’s degree in business administration with distinction from the University of Oxford and an honours degree in mechanical engineering from the National University of Singapore.

Mr Sharael said that the transformation of the country “cannot be at the expense of others”, such as seniors, low wage workers and the less-abled. 

“We have to make sure that they are part of this journey together to ensure that we leave no one behind. For youths, the world ahead may be daunting but don't worry… I want to continue to work together with you to ensure this equal opportunity for each and every youth regardless of race, language, religion, or economic standing. And every child in Singapore, can be the best that they can be,” he said.

Mr Alex Yeo Sheng Chye, 41

Mr Yeo is a director at law firm Niru & Co. He was formerly a foreign service officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He is an economics and political science graduate from the National University of Singapore and also holds a law degree from the University of Sydney. He received a master’s degree in public administration from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Starting out as a party volunteer in Potong Pasir, he took over from Mr Murali Pillai in 2016 as the chairman of the PAP’s Paya Lebar branch within Aljunied GRC, after Mr Murali won in the Bukit Batok by-election that year. Since then, he has led a pro-bono legal and healthcare initiative for Paya Lebar residents.

“We go the extra mile to listen and help with a personal touch because we want to build a community that not only lives, works and plays together, but cares for each other, together,” he said at the PAP65 Awards and Conference last year.

Mr Yeo, who has served in the mature estates of Paya Lebar and Potong Pasir, hopes to enable “seniors to enjoy a higher quality of life”.

Asked about the PAP’s chances in Aljunied GRC, Mr Yeo said he could not comment on which candidates will be fielded there but hopes residents will give the party another chance to represent and serve them.

“It’s not about the elections, it’s about serving the residents and trying to regain and rebuild the trust and relationship that we have with the residents,” he said.

Ms Mariam Jaafar, 43

Ms Mariam is managing director and a partner at Boston Consulting Group. She has served on the Committee for the Future Economy chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and is also on GovTech's board of directors.

She has a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School.

She was introduced in a Facebook post on March 31 by Sembawang GRC’s Amrin Amin, who helms the Woodlands ward. 

Ms Mariam said what she cares about most is social mobility. 

“Singapore has always been a place where someone from a humble background can grow up to believe she can do anything she wants to do, be anyone she wants to be. But I think we all know that income inequality and technology disruption are real issues and they have been for some time,” she said.

“I want to help to give a voice to the needs and ideas of Singaporeans in order to help shape good policy as well as give a helping hand to residents on the ground. I'm an advocate for women. I'm a believer in youth, and I love Singapore,” she added.

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong, 38

Mr Huang is a director for enterprise development in Temasek International.

Before that, he was a fighter pilot and commanding officer in the Republic of Singapore Air Force, where he served for 19 years. He was the parade commander for the 2018 National Day Parade.

He is the first non-American to become the top graduate in military performance at the United States Air Force Academy, where he graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering.

“When I was 18, I joined the Air Force, with one powerful idea that I play a small part contributing to the country. It was my time in the military... that I've learned that a country can only be strong when its people are diverse, united, competent, compassionate, friendly to a fault and steadfast,” he said.

Mr Huang is a community volunteer in the Taman Jurong ward where he has mentored children from low-income homes and helped ex-offenders restart their lives.

“It is a fight that needs constant work and a whole of heart, and with that heart, there must also be a voice,” he said. 

Ms Carrie Tan Huimin, 38

Ms Tan is the founder and executive director of Daughters of Tomorrow, a charity incorporated in August 2014, which helps underprivileged women in Singapore find jobs.

She was seen accompanying Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam on March 24 to tour the HomeTeamNS clubhouse in Khatib.

Ms Tan said that by joining politics, she hopes to enhance policies “with a different perspective and more diversity”. 

“I hope that we can bridge the gap between those who are more under-served and under-represented so that the voices and the challenges can be heard,” she said. 

“I believe that we need innovation, perhaps in the way that the government and people work together... create a slightly different space where beyond the efficiency and the task-drivenness of solving problems we can create space for people's feelings to be valued and acknowledged.”

Ms Chan Hui Yuh, 44

Ms Chan is a marketing director at Jingslink Marketing and a long-time grassroots activist.

She is an adviser to the Aljunied grassroots organisations and the branch chairman for the PAP’s Serangoon branch in Aljunied GRC. She was initially slated to run as a PAP candidate in the 2015 generation election but pulled out to care for her two children.

Ms Chan began assisting then-MP Abdullah Tarmugi in Siglap in 2000, and subsequently helped Dr Maliki Osman. She has held various roles in the youth wing of the PAP, including as assistant organising secretary of the Young PAP Executive Committee.

She is also the voiceover talent behind the recorded announcements heard in MRT stations and trains.

Ms Chan said that although she withdrew from candidacy in 2015, she had never been away.

“I never left the party. I never left my position as chairman, and I ran the election for PAP Serangoon as a branch chairman for the candidates. Residents have never missed me because I've always been there the whole time,” she said.

Ms Chan added that she understands the needs and challenges of families with children and the elderly.

“The government must continue to listen and find new ways to meet the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans, and I look forward to being able to help make the system friendlier and easier for our citizens and businesses to get help to fulfil that daily needs, dreams and hopes,” she said.