SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party’s (WP) announcement of updates to its top decision-making body was generally met with positive responses in online spaces, although a number of commenters had one question in common: “Where’s Michael Thng?”
Mr Thng, who was fielded by the WP as part of its slate at Tampines GRC in last month’s General Election, appears to have made quite a good impression with many in Singapore, to the point that some expected him to take a more visible place within the party.
On Wednesday (June 18), the WP announced that its four new Members of Parliament— Sengkang MP Abdul Muhaimin, Aljunied MP Kenneth Tiong, and Non-Constituency MPs Eileen Chong and Andre Low—had been co-opted into its Central Executive Committee (CEC).
The party also said that Ms Chong was its new Youth Wing head, taking over from Sengkang MP Jamus Lim.
Many of the commenters online praised the WP for its leadership renewal, especially since party chair Sylvia Lim turned 60 earlier this year, and speculation has spread that she may only contest in one more GE.
A lot of netizens expressed approval of Ms Chong’s new role in the party, saying that the 33-year-old is in the right place to represent the youth and begin to get ready for even bigger leadership roles.
However, across different social media platforms, and even on the WP’s Facebook account, netizens have been looking for Mr Thng, 37, who had made a splash during the campaign period when he said at a rally, “We don’t want to be told that the sky is white when we see it is blue.”
He had also performed well during a televised debate prior to the May 3 polls.
“What about Michael Thng?” a commenter asked.
“Why didn’t (the WP) include Michael Thng into the CEC,” another wanted to know, opining that Mr Thng is “brilliant in talking.”
“I think Michael Thng should be with Eileen Choong to promote more youth to join the WP,” wrote a Facebook user.
On Reddit, one asked, “Michael Thng no more?”
A commenter answered that “Historically, the WP has voted their sitting parliamentarians into their CEC,“ but added, “have to follow their socials to see if Michael is still on the ground, I hope he is. The ground game for GE2030 has already started.”
When one wondered if he had gone back to the United States, another replied that Mr Thng had just helped out at the Meet the People Session of Sengkang MP He Ting Ru the night before.
Mr Thng, the chief operating officer of a tech start-up, has been volunteering with the WP for at least 15 years.
“I was always struck by his passion for Singapore, for our democratic processes, and how despite spending much time in the US, he would always fly back to be involved in election campaigns,” wrote Ms He in a social media post in April, adding that Mr Thng had gone with her when she contested at Marine Parade for GE2015 and then again at Sengkang for GE2020./TISG
Read also: WP’s Michael Thng: ‘We don’t want to be told that the sky is white when we see it is blue’