In a press release earlier today (26 June), Red Dot United (RDU), Singapore’s newest political party, introduced the final candidate to its five-member team as it aims to contest Jurong GRC in the upcoming General Election.
Theatre director Alec Tok Kim Yam joins the fold alongside two other recent addition, entrepreneur and author Liyana Dhamirah and legal engineer Nicholas Tang – both of whom were introduced on Wednesday (24 June).
If and when Mr Tok is elected into Parliament, he plans to bring “a keen awareness of the pressures and challenges of bringing up a family in a fast-changing job landscape”.
According to him, the daily living costs in Singapore are high and holding on to a job is difficult because Singaporeans are facing strong competition due to the Government’s hyper-globalisation approach.
Mr Tok, 55, has a master’s in fine arts (directing) from Yale University, and had lived abroad for fifteen years in the US.
“(My) exposure to and experience with living and working in America and China gives (me) a wider perspective of Singapore’s difficult position in a region of increasing geopolitical complexity,” he noted.
“I believe in Singapore and Singaporeans. We have come this far because different ideas were allowed to contest and compete to shape our economic, social and security landscape. We should retain and protect this strength,” said the theatre director.
“The Government’s method of ‘ownself check ownself’ is neither effective nor accountable. It is our collective responsibility as Singaporeans to check on our Government. Singapore is ours. We must care for it, take charge of it and guide it to a future that we want for ourselves, our children and their future generation. Only we have this privilege, because we are Singaporeans,” Mr Tok remarked.
The five-member team for Red Dot United will be secretary-general Ravi Philemon, chairperson Michelle Lee, and members Liyana Dhamirah, Nicholas Tang, and Alec Tok. The party plans to only contest in Jurong GRC if People’s Voice (PV) does not, so as to avoid a three-cornered fight with the People’s Action Party (PAP).
“We are confident that this team accurately represents our Red Dot United values and principles, as we put the people of Singapore at the centre of all we do,” noted Ms Lee.
“We are also so pleased that we have been able to include a range of ages in our team, as well as field two female candidates to serve the residents and citizens to the best of our ability,” she added.