‘He’s my long time friend!’ — Auntie says of WP MP Faisal Manap

An especially happy greeting met Workers’ Party’s Muhamad Faisal bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied GRC), during a visit to a Hawker Centre at Kaki Bukit on Sunday (June 12).

This joyous greeting was noted in a post on the Aljunied GRC Facebook page on Sunday evening. The post also featured a number of photos from the visit of Mr Faisal with some WP volunteers talking to diners at the hawker centre. Upon seeing Mr Faisal, an elderly woman said, “He’s my long time friend!”

The post pointed out that he is an “Old friend indeed” to many in the area, since “it’s been 11 years since En Faisal took on the MP role in Kaki Bukit.”

“The auntie was among a group who were fans of our KB overseas tours in the earlier days. They all laughed and said they now need help even in getting up buses, so forget the trips!,” the post added, noting that “Walking through the tables at 511 does bring back fond memories!”

Mr Manap became a Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC in 2011, when the Workers’ Party won the constituency for the first time.

It was the first GRC to be won by an opposition party since the concept was introduced in 1988. 

The WP won with 54.72 per cent of the vote against the incumbent team from the People’s Action Party and has held the constituency through the following elections in 2015 and 2020.

Former party chief Low Thia Khiang spearheaded the WP slate in 2011, with him then were party chair Sylvia Lim; current WP head and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh; Chen Show Mao; and Mr Faisal.

Mr Low, the longest-serving opposition MP with 29 years in service, left his seat at Hougang SMC in order to contest at Aljunied in 2011. 

Mr Low and Mr Chen have since retired from the political arena, and Mr Leon Perera and Mr Gerald Giam are now serving alongside Messrs Faisal and Singh and Ms Lim as the MPs at Aljunied GRC. 

Mr Faisal is also the Vice Chairman of the WP’s central executive committee (CEC), a position he has held since 2016.

Many netizens, commenting on the post, cheered Mr Faisal on.

/TISG

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