The Workers’ Party (WP)’s team of candidates for Aljunied group representation constituency (GRC) in the coming general election mingled with residents of Serangoon Gardens on their second walkabout this weekend on Sunday morning (28 June).
Party secretary-general Pritam Singh, chair Sylvia Lim and central executive committee (CEC) member Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap were seen distributing flyers and chatting with hawkers, vendors and patrons at Serangoon Garden Market & Food Centre this morning.
CEC members Gerald Giam and Leon Perera — who are making their Aljunied GRC debut this year — were also present during this morning’s walkabout.
The WP team of candidates for Aljunied GRC were also seen interacting with hawkers, vendors and patrons on their Bedok North Market walkabout yesterday morning.
Mr Giam earlier this morning also shared that the team have also been “hitting the ground doing house visits in Aljunied GRC almost every day — sometimes twice a day” since the start of Phase Two of the COVID-19 circuit breaker.
“This is only possible because of our committed team of volunteers. They all share a common passion to see a more balanced Parliament which produces better outcomes for Singaporeans,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
In the previous general election in 2015, former secretary-general Low Thia Khiang and former CEC member Chen Show Mao stood for Aljunied GRC alongside Mr Singh, Ms Lim and Mr Faisal.
WP nearly lost Aljunied in GE2015 by a small margin of 1.9 per cent of votes against the People’s Action Party (PAP).
Mr Low became the first-ever alternative party leader in Singapore’s history to have won a GRC through his team’s victory in Aljunied GRC in the 2011 election.
Other than its stronghold Aljunied, WP, Mr Singh announced on Thursday, will be contesting the Marine Parade, East Coast and Sengkang GRCs.
The party will also field its candidates in the single-member constituencies (SMCs) of Hougang and Punggol West.
Organising secretary Dennis Tan will be contesting in Hougang after two-term MP Png Eng Huat’s decision not to contest in GE 2020. Mr Low and Mr Chen similarly decided not to do so.
Noting that their “collective” decision not to contest in GE 2020 — which was made “some time ago” — is not an indication of their retirement from politics, Mr Singh said that Mr Low, Mr Chen and Mr Png will still be involved in mentoring and training newer members to prepare to take up the mantle of the party’s leadership.
“For the party to grow, new and younger leaders require parliamentary and town council experience. If there is no renewal of Workers’ Party MPs, over time, the Party will not be able to attract new members to join and aspire to serve Singapore and Singaporeans as opposition MPs,” he stressed.