SINGAPORE: Former People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate and branch chairman in Aljunied GRC, Victor Lye, has claimed that the ruling party’s presence is “felt by online trolls hiding behind false identities,” as he called out commenters making “vile and rude” comments online.

Mr Lye was a member of what has been dubbed the PAP’s “suicide squad” for the Workers’ Party-held Aljunied GRC in both the 2015 and 2020 general elections. Despite his consecutive defeats at the polls, he serves as an unelected PAP branch chairman in the opposition ward and regularly leads grassroots events in the opposition ward.

On Friday (5 July), Mr Lye indicated that he considers vile comments from “online trolls” fuel that keeps him and his comrades going. He wrote on social media:

“We have consistently walked the ground at Aljunied GRC over the years. Our presence is felt by online trolls hiding behind false identities; also persons who make vile and rude online comments. Good for all to see. Thanks for the encouragement from those offended or unhappy with these unruly ones.”

He added, “Let’s focus our energy and attend to those who matter. We know why we do what we do.”

Back in 2019, Mr Lye asserted on social media that it is “not easy to keep trying to win the hearts and minds” of people.

Pointing to fake news, he said: “Echoing his ruling party colleagues’ warnings about fake news, he concluded: “In this age, we have to deal with new challenges, rising expectations and often, misguided or false information. Ultimately, we need to earn our place among our people by winning their trust. We accept our imperfections and must be able and willing to Advance Singapore Together.”

In another Facebook post that same year, he warned people about “those who are truly politicians” while asserting that PAP activists should first and foremost be “community and political leaders”.

Noting that PAP activists “walk among our people, even when we are not in Parliament” and “care for our seniors, our young and those with needs,” Mr Lye painted his job as a non-elected PAP representative as one that is unenviable.

Mr Lye appeared to paint his work as a non-elected PAP branch chairman as something that is perhaps looked down upon but, WP’s Pritam Singh has a different view to this.

The Aljunied GRC MP, Pritam Singh, has revealed in the past that grassroots advisers have the power to disburse the millions of dollars that are made available to all town councils for community upgrading projects and have the authority to approve or reject community improvement projects the WP proposes.

Decrying how unfair the practice of installing defeated PAP candidates as grassroots advisers in opposition wards is, Mr Singh that this practice makes defeated ruling party members “relevant for residents” and allows them to “campaign for votes well before the General Elections” since their appointments as grassroots leaders gives them the authority to dispense “large sums of taxpayer dollars.”

No opposition party that has been defeated in other wards have the opportunity to place their representatives and branch chairmen to run grassroots activities in the wards they hope to contest, in between election terms.

TISG/