SINGAPORE: The four-party opposition alliance known as ‘The Coalition’ held its first-ever political outreach program on Saturday, Dec 15, at the Holland Village area.
Red Dot United announced the details of ‘The Coalition’ walkabout on their Facebook page on Friday; “RDU will be joining our coalition partners, tomorrow (16 December) at about 7pm for an end-of-the-year joint walkabout at Holland Village. The theme of our outreach will be ‘Uniting Hearts & Sharing Hope.’”
The party also shared that they will be having quizzes, prizes and lucky draws with members of the public during their outreach programme. The walkabout won’t be just about politics. The Coalition will add spice to the evening by bringing the Gingerbread Man for a special appearance to brighten up the festive holiday season.
The Holland Village area, including the Holland Village Market and Food Centre, the bustling shopping and dining area, and the popular lively nightlife area, falls under the Tanjong Pagar GRC. Previously contested by the Progress Singapore Party in the 2020 elections, the constituency was returned to the People’s Action Party (PAP) with a 63.10% win. Education Minister Chan Chun Sing currently helms it; Indranee Rajah, Second Minister for Finance and National Development; Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Ministry of Trade and Industry; Eric Chua and Joan Pereira.
Red Dot United has been one of the most active among the four parties in The Coalition, actively reaching out to residents in key constituencies. Their efforts are mainly focused on Jurong GRC, where they contested in the 2020 elections, and recently in Tanjong Pagar GRC, where they’ve been diligently laying the groundwork for nearly a year.
During an outreach activity at Jurong GRC earlier in the month, the party was met with several supportive and enthusiastic residents who offered to help spread the party’s message around the neighbourhood.
“Did our usual walkabout at the Bukit Batok East ward of Jurong GRC on Friday, and we were kind of embarrassed when residents – not volunteers or members, yet! – actually wanted to help us distribute them. Told us they wanted to see change and fully supported RDU. We are encouraged by their enthusiasm and compassion; it warms our hearts and spurs us on,” posted Red Dot United on their Facebook page on Dec 4.
One of the youngest political parties in Singapore and part of The Coalition is the Singapore United Party. Most of the members were formerly from the Reform Party (RP). The party was officially registered on 24 Dec 2020, and they held their First Party Conference on Dec 2 2023, to elect their central executive committee (CEC) members.
Chandran Sanmugam and Andy Zhu remained the party’s chairman and secretary-general, respectively, while Darren Soh, is the deputy secretary-general. Noraini Yunus has been re-elected as the treasurer, and Tyeisha will be the deputy treasurer. There are two other members in the CEC, Affendy Abdul Rahim and Kenneth Zhang, with the latter appointed the party’s organising secretary.
SUP’s CEC members Andy, Soh and Noraini contested the 2020 election in Ang Mo Kio GRC alongside former political partners Kenneth Jeyaretnam and Charles Yeo from RP. They received 28.09% against the PAP’s team led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the five-person constituency.
“Over the years, we have achieved significant recognition and support from residents during our usual Outreach Sessions and Seasonal events. These recognitions and support received were in the form of donations and through communication during outreaches, we greatly appreciate and thank these donors,” shared SUP’s secretary-general Zhu following the election of their new CEC.
“Being part of The Coalition with the National Solidarity Party, Red Dot United, and the Singapore People’s Party, we are dedicated to crafting a common manifesto for GE 2025. This commitment is founded on Synergy, Support and Mutual Respect,” added the SUP party leader.
Since the party’s formation, SUP has been working the ground their party leaders and members are familiar with within the Ang Mo Kio GRC. Their recent activities were at Block 226H Ang Mo Kio Street 22 and Kebun Bahru Market and Food Centre. They also visited residents at blocks around Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10.
Red Dot United, National Solidarity Party, Singapore People’s Party, and Singapore United Party officially cemented their informal political pact earlier this year in October through a signed memorandum of understanding. They agreed to maintain their own political identities and branding while collaborating on shared resources and developing a joint manifesto for the upcoming General Election.