GE2025, SINGAPORE: At the midpoint into this year’s General Election, some candidates are already making quite an impression (*coughs in Harpreet Singh & Alexis Dang*), while others are, to put it mildly, not doing so well, at least judging from the cringeworthy things they’ve said or done.
Without further ado, here is The Independent Singapore’s list of candidates, some of whom may feel tempted to throw a rotten tomato or two at.
1. Wife exchange analogy from Spencer Ng (NSP)
Contestant number 1 is Spencer Ng, the secretary-general of the National Solidarity Party (NSP). The NSP is fielding candidates at Sembawang GRC, including Mr Ng, and is also part of the four-way fight at Tampines GRC.
On April 12, after the NSP and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) could not come to an agreement to avoid splitting votes for the opposition at Sembawang, Mr Ng came up with a rather unfortunate analogy, suggesting that the situation could be compared to a wife-swap.
“It’s like I have a friend who might treat me like a brother. One day, suddenly he told me: ‘Hey, I decided I don’t want my wife anymore,’” the NSP chief said. “I asked, but was not given any answer. The next day, I found that he came to my house and told me, ‘Hey brother, I think your wife is very beautiful. Do you mind, you want to exchange with mine?”
@channelnewsasia National Solidarity Party (NSP) secretary-general Spencer Ng gave an analogy for NSP’s talks with the Singapore Democratic Party to avoid a 3-cornered fight in Sembawang GRC. “It’s like I have a friend who might treat me like a brother. One day, suddenly he told me: “Hey, I decided I don’t want my wife anymore,” he said. #GE2025 #sgnews #singapore
2. Goh Meng Seng (PPP): “I’m not interested in Pritam Singh. I’m not gay.”
This list would not be complete without People’s Power Party (PPP) secretary-general Goh Meng Seng, who had the most outsize reaction to Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh announcing on Nomination Day that the WP would not contest at Marine Parade-Bradell Heights GRC, which gave the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) a walkover.
While the WP outlined its reasons at length and reassured residents of the constituency that it did not mean they’d been left behind, on Thursday night (April 24), Mr Goh, who had once been a WP member, brought up the issue once again, but with an unsavoury twist.
At a rally at Tampines, where the WP is also contesting, he said, “Don’t ask me about Pritam Singh again. I’m not interested in him. I’m not gay. If the Workers’ Party under Pritam Singh can do this to Marine Parade, can he do this to you, Tampines voters?”
In response, a very loud “No” can be heard in the video below. Ouch.
3. Hamster Society Singapore calls out Edward Chia (PAP)
After a biography in a campaign pamphlet said that Edward Chia, who is part of the PAP’s Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and is hoping for a second term, said that he had started his “entrepreneurial journey” at the age of 10 when he began breeding hamsters and selling them to pet shops, the Hamster Society Singapore (HSS) called him out.
“It’s not something to celebrate. It’s something we need to talk about,” wrote HSS in an Instagram post. “Animals are not products. Whether it’s hamsters, dogs, cats, or rabbits, lives should never be reduced to $dollar$ signs. Breeding without a license isn’t just illegal. It’s irresponsible.”
“With polling day just around the corner, let’s be more thoughtful about the people we vote for,” the group added.
4. Self-proclaimed ‘babyface’ Charlene Chen (PAP)
Last but not least on our list so far is new candidate Charlene Chen, who is part of the PAP team at Tampines. Dr Chen is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), is 43, and a mother of two, but seemed to rub netizens the wrong way when she kept talking about her youthful looks.
In an April 16 media conference, she said that some in Tampines have voiced concerns about her looks.
@channelnewsasia NTU assistant professor Charlene Chen and former army chief David Neo will be joining Tampines GRC as potential PAP candidates for GE2025, the party announced on Wednesday (Apr 16). Dr Chen spoke about how, despite her “classic baby face”, she’s ready to serve, while Mr Neo laid out what leaving the military means to him. #sgnews #singapore
“How is this little girl going to help represent my voice in Parliament? Just so you know, I have a classic baby face,” Dr Chen said, adding, “But while I may look young, I’ve walked several paths.” /TISG