SINGAPORE: The People’s Power Party (PPP) officially declared on Saturday (Apr 5) that it would contest Ang Mo Kio GRC in the upcoming General Election.
Its team will be led by party treasurer William Lim, with other candidates to be announced later.
The opposition party also introduced three new faces that “may or may not” be candidates, said party chief Goh Meng Seng following a morning walkabout at the Chong Boon Market and Food Centre in Ang Mo Kio.
Mr Goh said the party decided to run in the GRC as its manifesto takes aim at the “mismanagement” of population policies for the past 20 years under Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) team in Ang Mo Kio is currently helmed by Mr Lee. In the 2020 election, the PAP secured 71.91 per cent of the votes in Ang Mo Kio GRC against the Reform Party.
Mr Goh said PPP has a “pretty good chance” in the upcoming GE.
He also said Mr Lee “got a very good showing” in the last election as he was the prime minister and the country was facing a crisis then due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Singaporeans are very rational voters. If I don't vote for PAP, we may not have a prime minister (the) next day. So, I think most of his support comes from this group of people,” said Mr Goh.
“But now that he has stepped down, it is about time for him to take his real report card from the people … I will say that even if we don't win, we will get one of the best results in the Ang Mo Kio GRC history.”
Another opposition party, Singapore United Party, has indicated its interest in contesting Ang Mo Kio GRC, said Mr Goh, adding that he has made “some offer” to SUP’s secretary-general Andy Zhu to avoid a three-corner fight.
The PPP on Friday launched its manifesto with several proposals to address issues related to population and governance.
As part of its “pro-family policy proposals” aimed at tackling falling fertility rates, it suggested protecting “children from materials which promote lifestyles or narratives that are contrary to the basic fundamental definition of marriage between a man and a woman”.
“We shall not interfere with the LGBTQ community for their way of life. But for a pro-family society, we should prohibit the promotion of LGBTQ as a lifestyle choice to our impressionable young minds under the pretext of ‘inclusiveness’,” the manifesto said.
Elaborating on that, Mr Goh said the party feels “certain things like the LGBT agenda should not be pushed at this stage” in view of the country’s low total fertility rate.
“We do not agree with the DEI, the diversity, equality, inclusiveness system that the Western world is pushing. Even (US President Donald) Trump doesn’t agree with it,” he said, describing it as “detrimental” to Singapore’s “social construct as an Asian population” and its risk in starting a “cultural war”.
The party is also against the potential deployment of nuclear power in Singapore.
“We are against it simply because if we cannot even manage the MRT track … how confident are we for our government to manage a nuclear plant? It is a fundamental issue of safety,” said Mr Goh.
Nuclear power is also “not clean” as it generates nuclear waste that "lasts thousands of years", he claimed.
Mr Goh also reiterated his long-standing call against mandatory vaccination. The PPP had previously made several calls to suspend COVID-19 vaccination, drawing rebuttals from the Ministry of Health.
“All of us agree that no one should be forced to take any medical intervention against their will,” he said.
“Our body, we will decide. It’s about informed consent. It should not be mandatory. You should not send people into jail or fine them if they go against (it).”
If elected, the party will seek to raise these issues in parliament, said Mr Goh.
Speaking after Mr Goh, Mr Lim said he is “honoured” to be leading the PPP’s team in Ang Mo Kio.
The 43-year-old introduced himself as having a business degree and majored in economics and finance. If elected, he said he would look to improve “all the policies tabled in parliament” and oppose “aggressively” those that act against Singaporeans’ rights and interests.
Mr Lim, a limousine service provider, also highlighted concerns about the lack of protection for gig workers and how the country can improve its business ecosystem, which he said is currently “under the mercy of foreigners and MNCs”.
(Left to right) People’s Power Party treasurer William Lim, alongside two new faces - Mr Thaddeus Thomas and Mr Samuel Lee - seen at a walkabout at Chong Boon Market & Food Centre on Apr 5, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)
The party also introduced three other potential new faces who may stand in the upcoming polls.
One of whom is Mr Thaddeus Thomas, 43, who was previously from the Reform Party and has joined the PPP for “a few years”.
A professional in the construction industry, Mr Thomas called himself the “common man” who can relate to “what’s happening on the ground”. He said he will be interested in looking at policies for the working Singaporean, such as “salary disparity in the current system”.
The other new face is Mr Samuel Lee, who has been with PPP since late 2023 and is currently a Central Executive Committee member handling media-related matters.
The 33-year-old, with previous experience working in the IT sector, said he is keen on highlighting job security concerns facing the younger generation.
The party's youngest new face introduced thus far is 24-year-old Heng Zheng Dao.
Mr Heng, who is working as a horticulturist, said he joined the opposition “at such a young age” to push for transparency and accountability in the government.
“We need to have someone voice out for the people (and) who understand the (common man’s) life and their pains,” he said, citing his experience in taking on various part-time jobs since young.
People’s Power Party new face Heng Zheng Dao, 24 speaking to the media during a walkabout at Chong Boon Market & Food Centre on Apr 5, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)
Apart from Ang Mo Kio, the PPP has previously said it intends to contest new single seats in Jalan Kayu and Tampines Changkat and Tampines GRC.
It had also been keen to contest Nee Soon GRC but reversed that decision to allow the Red Dot United (RDU) to field a team there instead, the two opposition parties announced on Mar 22.
Mr Goh and the party’s new faces were accompanied by other party members and volunteers in Ang Mo Kio on Saturday morning, including 27-year-old Vere Nathan, who was introduced as a potential candidate at a walkabout in Nee Soon GRC on Mar 16.
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Its team will be led by party treasurer William Lim, with other candidates to be announced later.
The opposition party also introduced three new faces that “may or may not” be candidates, said party chief Goh Meng Seng following a morning walkabout at the Chong Boon Market and Food Centre in Ang Mo Kio.
Mr Goh said the party decided to run in the GRC as its manifesto takes aim at the “mismanagement” of population policies for the past 20 years under Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
The People’s Action Party (PAP) team in Ang Mo Kio is currently helmed by Mr Lee. In the 2020 election, the PAP secured 71.91 per cent of the votes in Ang Mo Kio GRC against the Reform Party.
Mr Goh said PPP has a “pretty good chance” in the upcoming GE.
He also said Mr Lee “got a very good showing” in the last election as he was the prime minister and the country was facing a crisis then due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Singaporeans are very rational voters. If I don't vote for PAP, we may not have a prime minister (the) next day. So, I think most of his support comes from this group of people,” said Mr Goh.
“But now that he has stepped down, it is about time for him to take his real report card from the people … I will say that even if we don't win, we will get one of the best results in the Ang Mo Kio GRC history.”
Another opposition party, Singapore United Party, has indicated its interest in contesting Ang Mo Kio GRC, said Mr Goh, adding that he has made “some offer” to SUP’s secretary-general Andy Zhu to avoid a three-corner fight.
MANIFESTO TARGETED AT POPULATION AND GOVERNANCE
The PPP on Friday launched its manifesto with several proposals to address issues related to population and governance.
As part of its “pro-family policy proposals” aimed at tackling falling fertility rates, it suggested protecting “children from materials which promote lifestyles or narratives that are contrary to the basic fundamental definition of marriage between a man and a woman”.
“We shall not interfere with the LGBTQ community for their way of life. But for a pro-family society, we should prohibit the promotion of LGBTQ as a lifestyle choice to our impressionable young minds under the pretext of ‘inclusiveness’,” the manifesto said.
Elaborating on that, Mr Goh said the party feels “certain things like the LGBT agenda should not be pushed at this stage” in view of the country’s low total fertility rate.
“We do not agree with the DEI, the diversity, equality, inclusiveness system that the Western world is pushing. Even (US President Donald) Trump doesn’t agree with it,” he said, describing it as “detrimental” to Singapore’s “social construct as an Asian population” and its risk in starting a “cultural war”.
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The party is also against the potential deployment of nuclear power in Singapore.
“We are against it simply because if we cannot even manage the MRT track … how confident are we for our government to manage a nuclear plant? It is a fundamental issue of safety,” said Mr Goh.
Nuclear power is also “not clean” as it generates nuclear waste that "lasts thousands of years", he claimed.
Mr Goh also reiterated his long-standing call against mandatory vaccination. The PPP had previously made several calls to suspend COVID-19 vaccination, drawing rebuttals from the Ministry of Health.
“All of us agree that no one should be forced to take any medical intervention against their will,” he said.
“Our body, we will decide. It’s about informed consent. It should not be mandatory. You should not send people into jail or fine them if they go against (it).”
If elected, the party will seek to raise these issues in parliament, said Mr Goh.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW FACES
Speaking after Mr Goh, Mr Lim said he is “honoured” to be leading the PPP’s team in Ang Mo Kio.
The 43-year-old introduced himself as having a business degree and majored in economics and finance. If elected, he said he would look to improve “all the policies tabled in parliament” and oppose “aggressively” those that act against Singaporeans’ rights and interests.
Mr Lim, a limousine service provider, also highlighted concerns about the lack of protection for gig workers and how the country can improve its business ecosystem, which he said is currently “under the mercy of foreigners and MNCs”.
(Left to right) People’s Power Party treasurer William Lim, alongside two new faces - Mr Thaddeus Thomas and Mr Samuel Lee - seen at a walkabout at Chong Boon Market & Food Centre on Apr 5, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)
The party also introduced three other potential new faces who may stand in the upcoming polls.
One of whom is Mr Thaddeus Thomas, 43, who was previously from the Reform Party and has joined the PPP for “a few years”.
A professional in the construction industry, Mr Thomas called himself the “common man” who can relate to “what’s happening on the ground”. He said he will be interested in looking at policies for the working Singaporean, such as “salary disparity in the current system”.
The other new face is Mr Samuel Lee, who has been with PPP since late 2023 and is currently a Central Executive Committee member handling media-related matters.
The 33-year-old, with previous experience working in the IT sector, said he is keen on highlighting job security concerns facing the younger generation.
The party's youngest new face introduced thus far is 24-year-old Heng Zheng Dao.
Mr Heng, who is working as a horticulturist, said he joined the opposition “at such a young age” to push for transparency and accountability in the government.
“We need to have someone voice out for the people (and) who understand the (common man’s) life and their pains,” he said, citing his experience in taking on various part-time jobs since young.
People’s Power Party new face Heng Zheng Dao, 24 speaking to the media during a walkabout at Chong Boon Market & Food Centre on Apr 5, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Mak Jia Kee)
Apart from Ang Mo Kio, the PPP has previously said it intends to contest new single seats in Jalan Kayu and Tampines Changkat and Tampines GRC.
It had also been keen to contest Nee Soon GRC but reversed that decision to allow the Red Dot United (RDU) to field a team there instead, the two opposition parties announced on Mar 22.
Mr Goh and the party’s new faces were accompanied by other party members and volunteers in Ang Mo Kio on Saturday morning, including 27-year-old Vere Nathan, who was introduced as a potential candidate at a walkabout in Nee Soon GRC on Mar 16.
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