I wish all workers of Singapore a happy Labour Day! Residents’ of Aljunied, Hougang and Sengkang, five years ago, you gave the Workers’ Party the privilege to serve you. To all our dear residents — thank you for walking with us.
Tonight, I would like to report on what we have achieved together and explain why we are ready to go further, to serve in Punggol, Tampines, East Coast, Jalan Kayu and Tampines-Changkat — if you give us that chance.
All the candidates for Aljunied and Hougang — Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim, Dennis Tan, Fadli Fawzi, Kenneth Tiong and myself — have served as town councillors in Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC). Abdul Muhaimin, our candidate for Sengkang, is currently a senior property manager for projects and lifts.
Unlike most PAP town councils, AHTC and Sengkang Town Council are directly managed by our town councillors and staff — not a managing agent. We are hands-on, with real experience solving daily challenges of town management.
Despite rising costs across the board, both Town Councils ended the last term on solid financial footing. Both also received all-green ratings in MND’s latest Town Council Management Report.
These results are not just numbers. They reflect the hard work and professionalism of our town council staff, and the cooperation of residents who care deeply about their neighbourhoods.
We have plans to upgrade linkways, playgrounds and lifts – and make our town more liveable for all.
To voters outside Aljunied, Hougang and Sengkang — come take a walk through our towns. Talk to your friends living here. You will find that WP-run estates are clean, orderly and quietly well-managed.
Moreover, when you vote for WP candidates, you are not just choosing town managers. You are electing voices who will speak up for you in Parliament, without being bound by the Government Whip.
The Government Whip requires PAP MPs to vote with their party, even if they personally disagree.
You may have heard one of the PAP candidates say Aljunied has had “14 years without a PAP voice”. But let’s get real — Singaporeans already hear the PAP voice every day. The PAP held almost 90% of elected seats in the last term of Parliament. Their Ministers are featured daily in the news. The PAP voice is loud and ever-present.
What’s missing is your voice. A voice that asks tough questions. That proposes alternatives. That speaks up for you, even when it is inconvenient for the government.
That is the voice the Workers’ Party offers.
In Parliament, we have spoken up on the issues that matter to you — cost of living, job security, housing affordability, healthcare, and caregiver support. We have called for stronger worker protections, greater transparency, and more accountability. And some of these efforts have eventually helped shape policy.
Before I go on, let me address something that still weighs on some voters’ minds — the secrecy of your vote.
I want to assure you: your vote is secret. I’ve contested four general elections, and I’ve followed the entire voting process end to end — until the incineration of the ballot papers. At every stage, safeguards are in place to protect the secrecy of your vote.
So when you go to the polling station on May 3rd, vote with your heart. Vote with confidence. No one will ever know how you voted.
Let me address three more fallacies you may have heard during this campaign, so you can vote with greater clarity.
Fallacy No. 1: A stronger opposition will weaken the government.
A weak government is one that cannot pass laws without opposition support — that means winning fewer than half the seats in Parliament. Is that even possible in this election?
In GE2020, the PAP won 83 out of 93 seats. WP won 10. No other opposition party has won an elected seat after 2006.
This time, WP is contesting 26 seats. Even if we win them all, the PAP would still hold a supermajority, with 71 seats — well above the 49 seats needed to form the government.
Singapore will not end up with a weak or unstable government.
Fallacy No. 2: More opposition means more fighting in Parliament.
We do not fight, shout or name-call in Parliament. We debate with facts and logic. Yes, debates may take longer, but that’s how Ministers are held accountable and policies improved.
Even with a stronger Workers’ Party presence, the PAP will be able to pass any law or constitutional amendment. What a stronger Workers’ Party gives you is better scrutiny and a more responsive government.
Fallacy No. 3: The opposition is only talk.
WP has been running town councils for 34 years. For the past five years, we have cleaned and maintained all HDB estates in Aljunied, Hougang and Sengkang. We run house visits, Meet the People Sessions and events with our dedicated volunteers – many of whom are here tonight.
We do this all without the $634 million budget of the People’s Association that PAP MPs and defeated candidates can tap on.
During the Covid-19 crisis, we stepped up to work with the government and kept our residents informed and supported.
That is not “just talk”.
Yes, we do talk — in Parliament. That’s our job. And we have punched above our weight in numbers.
In the last five years, our eight WP MPs asked more than 2,300 parliamentary questions, debated 45 bills and motions, and sought clarifications on 34 ministerial statements — including the Ridout Road case, the ACRA-NRIC issue, and the Income Insurance bid from Allianz.
This is what you get when you elect a serious, responsible opposition.
Now, we are ready to do more.
We are fielding candidates who are qualified, grounded and committed to serving you. Give them your trust, and they will serve with dedication and heart.
If you have friends or family who are still undecided, share with them what you have seen, heard and felt tonight. Forward our social media posts. Tell them why a vote for the Workers’ Party is a vote for a more balanced Parliament — and a better Singapore.
Let us build on what we’ve achieved in Aljunied, Hougang and Sengkang — and take the next step up to send a clear message from Punggol, Tampines, East Coast, Jalan Kayu and Tampines-Changkat:
That Singapore wants a Parliament that listens – and a rational, responsible and credible opposition.
And that the Workers’ Party is ready to serve.
On May 3rd, let’s make history together.
Vote for the Workers’ Party.
Vote for the party that is Working for Singapore.
