The year is coming to an end, but the engagement does not stop for the political parties, especially the young ones, in particular, the Young Democrats, Singapore Democratic Party’s youth wing, and the Workers’ Party youth wing as they recently held an activity to keep the level of commitment and enthusiasm among their members high.
The Young Democrats gathered at Orange & Teal with their party leader Dr Chee Soon Juan on Human Rights Day which is commemorated globally on 10 Dec. The WP’s youth wing rounded up the year with a get-together with their members over a barbeque session at East Coast Park last weekend.
“As a key component of the SDP’s ethos, the issue of human rights has always been close to the party’s heart, and the Young Democrats share this stance. As a collective, we are dedicated to championing positions and causes that are aligned to our vision of a future characterised by hope, opportunities and inclusivity for all,” posted the Young Democrats on their Facebook page.
The session was attended by SDP’s youth wing head Min Cheong-Subramaniam, and CEC members Naresh Subramaniam and Manimaran Ashukumar.
The Young Democrats said that the world is currently seeing growth occurring at an unprecedented pace and that matters of fundamental importance to societal well-being may occasionally be forgotten. As such, in the hustle and bustle of modern life, one must ensure that we continue to make a concerted effort to keep our focus on the basic needs of people.
“The right to live, express, practice one’s faith, and be safe are all components of human rights that we should always fight to preserve. In every society, there exist actors that threaten to diminish some of these rights or have already contributed to their suppression,” added the SDP’s youth wing.
As for the politicians in blue, it was a more light-hearted and chill occasion for them as they brought out the chicken wings and hot dogs to grill over the slow-burning charcoal fire.
“It was a relaxing evening filled with camaraderie as WP members gathered to bond over food and drinks. The cohesion BBQ is a long-standing YW tradition organised annually, and this is the first cohesion BBQ since covid restrictions were lifted. Special thanks to Izahar and Jiekai from our cohesion committee for planning a sumptuous spread and cooking tirelessly to make sure that everyone was well fed!” posted the Workers’ Party youth wing on their social media page.
Their BBQ gathering was attended by CEC members Nicole Seah who is their youth wing president, including newly elected CEC members Ted Tan and Nathaniel Koh. Members of parliament Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) and Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) and veteran opposition politician Rahizan Yaacob were also present. Rahizan was the party’s vice-chairman from 2014 to 2016 and had contested in previous elections for the Workers’ Party.
The WP’s youth wing previously organised a beach clean-up with more than 40 participants at East Coast Park in November. Seah brought her four-year-old daughter while Koh had his two-year-old son along with him on that day.
“Many participants ended up bringing their family members along, from toddlers to teenagers. They also provided feedback that the activity was meaningful and made them more aware of how we dispose of waste, and the need to keep our environment clean. Zero waste may be a challenging ambition for many, but all it takes sometimes are little actionable steps such as minimising our use of one-off disposables as we move towards a more mindful direction as a community,” shared Seah on her Facebook after the successful beach clean-up.