During the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) walkabout yesterday (21 June), Dr Tan Cheng Bock was at Teck Whye market with fellow party members Abdul Rahman, Francis Yuen, Tan Meng Wah, Choo Shaun Ming, and Gigene Wong.
A 23-year-old lawyer-in-training, Choo Shaun Ming, was interviewed due to his participation in Singapore’s political scene at a young age.
Being one of the youngest party members in PSP, the reporters at the scene were curious about how the young party members could contribute to the people and country.
Mr Choo was asked, “What do you feel, being one of the youngest members in the party, what can you bring to the table?”
In response, he stated that PSP has “a lot of young people”, many of whom were also present at the walkabout. He noted that these younger party members stepped forward to participate and “bring their expertise” in various forms.
“Well, first of all, I want to say the party has a lot of young people. And, if you see today, many of the younger ones have also come out together and bring their expertise. Whether it’s in the social media side or taking photographs for us.”
Apart from acknowledging the presence of other younger party members, Mr Choo asserted that the young party members are “keen” and have proven that “they have a stake in the country”.
Posing as a representative for them, he mentioned that these young people in PSP believe that the elections will impact their lives due to the Government policies. He described that the Government policies would directly influence the job opportunities, housing, as well as the cost of living.
“They believe that what happens in the elections will affect them because the Government policies will affect their lives, especially when it comes to job opportunities, housing, cost of living etc.”
Being able to identify the impending issues that the young people will face in the near future, Mr Choo believed that the best way to approach them is “talking and engaging” with them about the current affairs in their context, such as climate change, workplace discrimination, as well as equality.
“How to reach out to young people? I think it’s about talking and engaging with them about the issues that they are concerned with. So, whether it’s about climate change or making sure there’s no discrimination in the workplace. Making sure that it is an equal society, where the disenfranchised and those underprivileged – like our migrant workers – are taken care of.”
He was confident that these topics would “resonate” with the young people in Singapore, adding that PSP has a “very constructive way forward”.
“I think many of these things will resonate with them when we introduce our policies and tell them that we do have a very constructive way forward that will help bring our nation further – into the next decade and beyond.”
One of the reporters proceeded to ask Mr Choo about his “feel of the ground” as he was walking around with his Party members.
In response, he said that the overall response during the walkabout was “positive”.
Mr Choo went on to say that the people he came across with were “very welcoming”, adding that many of them knew Dr Tan Cheng Bock. He also mentioned that Dr Tan holds a strong presence in the people’s lives, and that he had made a difference when he served as their doctor many years back.
The young party member also recalled how one lady was moved by Dr Tan’s decision to step forward and make a difference despite his age, so much so that she wishes to cast her vote for Dr Tan.
“She said, ‘Dr Tan, at his age, can step forward and help the country. I will definitely vote for him.”
