GE2025: Are independent candidates a new force to be reckoned with?

[LaksaNews]

For the first time in 53 years, an independent candidate received more than 35 per cent of vote share, performing better than some smaller opposition parties.

Jeremy Tan, who ran in Mountbatten SMC, and Darryl Lo who contested in Radin Mas SMC, join Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards to talk about lessons learnt from their campaigning and their future after GE2025.

(From L-R) Otelli Edwards, Steven Chia, independent candidates Darryl Lo and Jeremy Tan. (Photo: CNA/Junaini Johari)

Here is an excerpt of the conversation:

Steven Chia, host:

Are there other parties wooing you guys? Have you been talking to them?

Darryl Lo, independent candidate for Radin Mas SMC:

Just smaller parties for now. Because I think insofar as my campaign (went), it probably didn't hit the mark whereby bigger parties are interested in my candidacy.

Jeremy Tan, independent candidate for Mountbatten SMC:

For myself, just having conversations with just generally everybody. I don't think, other than the PAP, everybody is very satisfied with their performance in general. I think they are mostly quite disappointed in their performance.

If it was an ideal situation, we wanted to see the Workers’ Party increase its vote share. We wanted to see PSP, SDP, maybe get a seat or two, then some NCMP (seats) for people like us. But that totally did not happen. We kind of went back to status quo.

Steven:

How do you read that? The results, we got to admit, were surprising for many, but it basically is a clear sign that the population is choosing to go in this direction. How do you feel about that?

Jeremy:

I read that in terms of how in places where the Workers’ Party contested, the absolute votes increased and was higher than the PAP, but yet the PAP still has more seats, and the Workers’ Party didn't gain any additional (seats).

So going forward, I will do some political advocacy on the boundaries, because we want to be able to speak directly to our residents, walk the grounds, but we don't know which wilderness we are walking to, honestly.

Mr Jeremy Tan and Mr Darryl Lo. (Photos: CNA/Nuria Ling, CNA/Liew Zhi Xin)

Otelli Edwards, host:

So you're worried about 2030. Is it going to your decision whether you're going to stand in the next election? It hinges on the electoral boundaries?

Jeremy:

Yes, because I'm a resident of Marine Parade (Braddell Heights GRC) and that is where I experienced a walkover. So now I must consider honestly how to tackle Marine Parade and also Mountbatten at the same time, because I don't know if Mountbatten would be part of Marine Parade. Anything could happen. MacPherson has been in and out of Marine Parade multiple times.

Steven:

And you have a similar view on that right, Darryl?

Darryl:

Yeah. Because I've been living in Radin Mas for most of my life. And I think in this (election) for instance, part of West Coast was also included in Radin Mas, so we wouldn't know how the boundaries are going to shift in 2030.

I think a lot of people are asking, 'Oh, why don't you walk the ground earlier? Why don't you do walkabouts earlier?' But you won't know which ground you're walking.

The next time Radin Mas might be inside Tanjong Pagar. We wouldn’t know as well.


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