‘Tis the season for songs, holiday goodies and photo ops

Singapore—With Christmas Day at the end of the week, many political leaders from the different ends of the political spectrum have been spotted around the country spreading holiday cheer.

They’ve also let the public share their endeavours via their social media accounts.

People’s Action Party’s (PAP), Dr Amy Khor started early, distributing face masks to residents, highlighting volunteering opportunities, and even showing the Christmas decor in one of the blocks at Hong Kah North.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam highlighted a Christmas Tree Hunt that the Nee Soon Town Council organised, posting a photo of himself beside one of the trees. Participants in the hunt must find and post photos of themselves beside all six trees for the chance to win a prize.

Melvin Yong, the MP for Radin Mas SMC, moved this week’s house visit to Tuesday night (Dec 21), as well as invited residents to the Radin Mas Year-End Celebration over Facebook live at 10.00 on the evening of Dec 31.

MP Alvin Tan, from Tanjong Pagar GRC, handed out Christmas cookies to the children during his MPS this week. He also posted a photo of two early Christmas gifts he received, US President Barack Obama’s A Promised Land and S Jayakumar’s Governing.

As for the Worker’s Party, at East Coast GRC, Nicole Seah, Terence Tan and Kenneth Foo paid special attention to the children at the different blocks, giving out candy canes and toys that had been donated.

Raeesah Khan wrote that she and some volunteers put together holiday packs for Compassvale seniors.

Workers’ Party head and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh highlighted the holidays with a photo of a gift of panettone, an Italian cake traditionally served at Christmas.

His fellow WP MP Dr Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) had received backlash from some for posting about enjoying panettone. Mr Singh wrote that he had been unaware of the Italian delicacy until Dr Lim mentioned it, “But word is spreading,” he added.

A resident had gifted the panettone to the Eunos Meet-the-People Session volunteer team.

As for Dr Lim, he and party chair Sylvia Lim seem to have a holiday treat coming, as both MPs posted a teaser on their social media pages of a song they’ll be singing along with two residents, on Christmas Eve, decked in Santa hats and all.

Dr Lim wrote, “Apparently, I’m not very good with following convention, even for something as innocuous as the opening note of a Christmas carol….”

Christmas came a little early this year for the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) with Secretary General Tan Cheng Bock and assistant secretary-general, Mr Francis Yuen, headlining a virtual fundraising concert on Dec 20 that raised more than S$100,000 that, as one of the hosts said, will go toward its efforts to build “a more just and compassionate society”.

Mr Yuen sang a rousing rendition of Feliz Navidad, and ended the  evening with an original Christmas-themed song. -/TISG