SINGAPORE: The decision to leave a four-party alliance is one that Red Dot United (RDU) made as a party and will stick by, said secretary-general Ravi Philemon on Sunday (Apr 13).
He was speaking after a walkabout at Chong Pang Food Centre, where he also introduced three potential candidates he could be fielding for the upcoming General Election. The food centre is in Nee Soon GRC.
“I think it’s not helpful to look back or to regret the decisions that we have made,” he said.
“It is a decision that we have made as a party and it is a decision that we will stick by.”
RDU on Saturday announced its exit from an alliance called The Coalition consisting the National Solidarity Party (NSP), the Singapore United Party (SUP) and the Singapore People’s Party (SPP).
The withdrawal was due to NSP’s refusal to back down from a three-way fight with the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the People’s Action Party (PAP) in Sembawang GRC.
RDU highlighted how NSP’s decision to remain in Sembawang violates the alliance’s shared commitment to prevent multi-cornered fights.
Mr Philemon said in a statement on Saturday that the right to contest “should not come at the strategic expense of giving the PAP an even greater advantage”.
He said on Sunday that there are different views that will emerge from the decision from the different political parties involved.
“We do not want to comment on why they said certain things, but for Red Dot United, we have decided that we will walk alone in this journey.”
Red Dot United’s secretary-general Ravi Philemon speaking to the media at Chong Pang City on Apr 13, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan)
In a joint statement on Saturday evening, the remaining coalition members expressed "profound disappointment" at RDU's abrupt exit.
RDU's claim that NSP had violated its shared principle by refusing to back down from a three-way contest in Sembawang "is a misrepresentation of their actions", according to the statement.
The parties added that the alliance’s memorandum of understanding "calls for mutual support to secure constituencies, not retreat under pressure".
Asked by CNA if this means that there could be more three-cornered fights now that they are no longer part of The Coalition, Mr Philemon said that it is “ridiculous that this question is asked”.
“We left the coalition because we are not for three-cornered fights, we believe in opposition unity and that’s what we stand for as a party.”
RDU’s team leads for Nee Soon GRC, (from left) Pang Heng Chuan, Sharon Lin and Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan)
On Sunday, the party chief also introduced three “team leads” for its Nee Soon GRC campaign, which has the theme “Listening, Lifting, Leading”.
One of them is 56-year-old company director Pang Heng Chuan, who was previously spotted during a walkabout at Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.
He said that he seeks to improve the lives of Singaporeans not with “grand speeches or top-down solutions, but really just to listen carefully, to lead where people are suffering, and also to lead with compassion and clarity”.
The other is Sharon Lin, 40, a senior consultant in the IT services sector.
She said to the media that there are some residents in Nee Soon who are not thriving, and are “struggling to survive”, and that she will fight to ensure no one needs to make the choice between “dignity and survival”.
The third team lead is Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad, a 57-year-old teacher with a PhD in physics from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the United States.
He told the media that the cost of living issue is felt sharply for some communities, and that the “same old, same old won’t cut it anymore”.
If the trio are fielded as candidates, it will be their first time contesting in an election.
Following the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee’s report in March, RDU announced plans to contest six constituencies: Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, Jurong Central SMC, Nee Soon GRC, Jalan Kayu SMC, Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas SMC.
It had similarly introduced three team leads for Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.
RDU earlier this month announced its intention to contest at Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, introducing a further three team leads there.
However, Mr Philemon then stated that if RDU chooses to field a team in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, it would not contest in Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas SMC.
Nee Soon GRC MP Derrick Goh seen at Chong Pang hawker centre on Apr 13, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan)
During the walkabout, the RDU team met two incumbent Nee Soon Members of Parliament (MPs) - Derrick Goh and Carrie Tan - and their volunteers, who were also conducting walkabouts in the area.
Speaking briefly to the media, Mr Goh, who is concluding his maiden term as MP, said that he welcomes a contest with RDU in the upcoming election.
“Residents (will) have a choice, and so we welcome them … we put in a lot of effort over the last many years, and so the results are for residents to see. And this is what a democracy is like.”
The opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP) contested Nee Soon GRC during the last election.
PSP garnered 38.10 per cent of the vote, losing to the PAP team led by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam as well as Mr Goh, Ms Tan, Mr Louis Ng and Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
Both Mr Goh and Ms Tan did not confirm if they would be fielded again in Nee Soon.
PAP’s Carrie Tan meeting diners at Chong Pang Food Centre on Apr 13, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan)
CNA asked Ms Tan about the imminent departure of Assoc Prof Faishal from Nee Soon, after he indicated that he would be fielded at Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC for the upcoming election.
“I think the residents are definitely going to miss him a lot, but what I think we’ve been building here in Nee Soon is a strong community and our residents recognise the PAP brand,” she said.
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He was speaking after a walkabout at Chong Pang Food Centre, where he also introduced three potential candidates he could be fielding for the upcoming General Election. The food centre is in Nee Soon GRC.
“I think it’s not helpful to look back or to regret the decisions that we have made,” he said.
“It is a decision that we have made as a party and it is a decision that we will stick by.”
RDU on Saturday announced its exit from an alliance called The Coalition consisting the National Solidarity Party (NSP), the Singapore United Party (SUP) and the Singapore People’s Party (SPP).
The withdrawal was due to NSP’s refusal to back down from a three-way fight with the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the People’s Action Party (PAP) in Sembawang GRC.
RDU highlighted how NSP’s decision to remain in Sembawang violates the alliance’s shared commitment to prevent multi-cornered fights.
Mr Philemon said in a statement on Saturday that the right to contest “should not come at the strategic expense of giving the PAP an even greater advantage”.
He said on Sunday that there are different views that will emerge from the decision from the different political parties involved.
“We do not want to comment on why they said certain things, but for Red Dot United, we have decided that we will walk alone in this journey.”
Red Dot United’s secretary-general Ravi Philemon speaking to the media at Chong Pang City on Apr 13, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan)
In a joint statement on Saturday evening, the remaining coalition members expressed "profound disappointment" at RDU's abrupt exit.
RDU's claim that NSP had violated its shared principle by refusing to back down from a three-way contest in Sembawang "is a misrepresentation of their actions", according to the statement.
The parties added that the alliance’s memorandum of understanding "calls for mutual support to secure constituencies, not retreat under pressure".
Asked by CNA if this means that there could be more three-cornered fights now that they are no longer part of The Coalition, Mr Philemon said that it is “ridiculous that this question is asked”.
“We left the coalition because we are not for three-cornered fights, we believe in opposition unity and that’s what we stand for as a party.”
RDU’s team leads for Nee Soon GRC, (from left) Pang Heng Chuan, Sharon Lin and Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan)
THREE NEW FACES
On Sunday, the party chief also introduced three “team leads” for its Nee Soon GRC campaign, which has the theme “Listening, Lifting, Leading”.
One of them is 56-year-old company director Pang Heng Chuan, who was previously spotted during a walkabout at Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.
He said that he seeks to improve the lives of Singaporeans not with “grand speeches or top-down solutions, but really just to listen carefully, to lead where people are suffering, and also to lead with compassion and clarity”.
The other is Sharon Lin, 40, a senior consultant in the IT services sector.
She said to the media that there are some residents in Nee Soon who are not thriving, and are “struggling to survive”, and that she will fight to ensure no one needs to make the choice between “dignity and survival”.
The third team lead is Dr Syed Alwi Ahmad, a 57-year-old teacher with a PhD in physics from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the United States.
He told the media that the cost of living issue is felt sharply for some communities, and that the “same old, same old won’t cut it anymore”.
If the trio are fielded as candidates, it will be their first time contesting in an election.
Following the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee’s report in March, RDU announced plans to contest six constituencies: Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, Jurong Central SMC, Nee Soon GRC, Jalan Kayu SMC, Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas SMC.
It had similarly introduced three team leads for Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.
RDU earlier this month announced its intention to contest at Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, introducing a further three team leads there.
However, Mr Philemon then stated that if RDU chooses to field a team in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, it would not contest in Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas SMC.
Nee Soon GRC MP Derrick Goh seen at Chong Pang hawker centre on Apr 13, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan)
INCUMBENT MPS WALKING THE GROUND
During the walkabout, the RDU team met two incumbent Nee Soon Members of Parliament (MPs) - Derrick Goh and Carrie Tan - and their volunteers, who were also conducting walkabouts in the area.
Speaking briefly to the media, Mr Goh, who is concluding his maiden term as MP, said that he welcomes a contest with RDU in the upcoming election.
“Residents (will) have a choice, and so we welcome them … we put in a lot of effort over the last many years, and so the results are for residents to see. And this is what a democracy is like.”
The opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP) contested Nee Soon GRC during the last election.
PSP garnered 38.10 per cent of the vote, losing to the PAP team led by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam as well as Mr Goh, Ms Tan, Mr Louis Ng and Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
Both Mr Goh and Ms Tan did not confirm if they would be fielded again in Nee Soon.
PAP’s Carrie Tan meeting diners at Chong Pang Food Centre on Apr 13, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Raj Nadarajan)
CNA asked Ms Tan about the imminent departure of Assoc Prof Faishal from Nee Soon, after he indicated that he would be fielded at Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC for the upcoming election.
“I think the residents are definitely going to miss him a lot, but what I think we’ve been building here in Nee Soon is a strong community and our residents recognise the PAP brand,” she said.
Continue reading...