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The Workers’ Party’s Youth Wing held an outreach programme in downtown Singapore on Sunday to celebrate Youth Day with young Singaporeans.
The team of about 20 WP members from the Youth Wing strolled down Orchard Road handing out specially-designed pens and cards to the public.
The team was led by its Youth Wing President, Perry Tong, vice president Abdul Salim and secretary Glenda Han. Salim and Glenda were part of the WP Ang Mo Kio GRC team which challenged prime minister Lee Hsien Loong’s PAP outfit in the elections last May.
The team was divided into two groups, covering both stretches from Orchard MRT station to Somerset station, and from the Marriot Hotel to HMV.
“This outreach today is to show Singaporeans, and youths in particular, that the WP Youth Wing is active and would like to invite them to join us”, explains Abdul Salim.
Besides celebrating Youth Day, Sunday’s programme was also intended to attract new members. The cards which were handed out had the party’s email address and an invitation to join the Youth Wing.
“It’s important for Singapore’s youths to be aware of what’s going on in the country. We hope that by having such outreach programmes Singaporeans, particularly the youths, will be encouraged to step forward,” adds Salim.
Some members of the public stopped and chatted with the team, asking questions about the party and discussing the WP’s performance in the last general elections.
“These outreach programmes bring about some positivities, one of which is raising awareness amongst the youths through such personal contact. Another is that, it also serves as a reminder that we are still active even after the elections and we will continue to engage the community,” says its secretary Glenda Han.
Asked about what she thought of our youths’ political awareness, she explains, “I wouldn't make sweeping statements about their level of political awareness. But i do notice that they are more so if they reside in areas where there have had been contests during the previous elections.”
Is this Youth Day outreach going to be an annual event, given how the party also conducted a similar programme last year?
“We did something similar last year minus the pens, so yes, the public can expect us to carry out some form of outreach every year.”
Besides this activity on Sunday, the party also held a Community Awareness Day in Hougang last week. Hougang is the constituency of the party's secretary-general Low Thia Khiang. The event was targeted at the family and children.
The party is in the midst of preparing for its 50th anniversary celebrations in November, which will culminate in a dinner on the 3rd of November, as is announced on its website.
The above report is by Andrew Loh, who is a member of The Workers’ Party.
