SINGAPORE: The swing in votes towards the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) this General Election was not a surprise, but the results were encouraging for Red Dot United (RDU), party secretary-general Ravi Philemon said.
Speaking to reporters in the early hours of Sunday (May 4) near RDU’s office in Ubi Crescent, he said the world is in a time of turmoil, and it is reasonable for voters to look for a “safe harbour” in these times.
“I think in this GE, the people have spoken,” he said.
“The PAP has been the government for the past 60 years, and it is understandable why the people have given the PAP the kind of mandate that they have.”
Mr Philemon congratulated Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, describing the win as a “heavy responsibility”.
“I hope he keeps the trust of the people. Red Dot United will keep our prime minister on his toes in the next five years, that is for sure,” he said.
While RDU did not get the mandate in any of the constituencies it contested, the results were “very, very encouraging”, he added.
RDU fielded 15 candidates across three Group Representation Constituencies (GRC) and one Single Member Constituency (SMC). Nine of its candidates stood for election for the first time.
The party’s Nee Soon team performed best, receiving 26.19 per cent of the vote in the GRC. In Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, the RDU team finished with 23.34 per cent of the vote.
Its candidates in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC obtained 20.71 per cent of the vote, while Ms Kala Manickam got 19.49 per cent in Jurong Central SMC.
“I think the politics of Red Dot United is acceptable to the people of Singapore, and that is what we will continue to push in the next five years,” Mr Philemon said.
“A politics that is based on values, a politics that's very, very little based on personalities, a politics that is always for the people of Singapore.”
Mr Philemon said the "ground was uneven" for RDU from the beginning of the electoral race, but the results were an achievement.
"We were competing in a very unfair, in a very disadvantaged environment," he said.
"Considering the odds that were against us... the global events that were working against us ... the fact that some of the voters had very little time to get to know us, I think Red Dot United did very well in GE2025."
Pointing to Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan’s more than three decades of political experience, Mr Philemon said opposition politics is a marathon and not a sprint.
RDU will be “more than ready” when the next election comes around, and is prepared to run this marathon, he said.
Mr Philemon was part of the party’s Nee Soon GRC line-up. He said his team will remain engaged with residents in the five-member constituency even after the election.
“For Red Dot United, it is always about the people, and we will continue to stay engaged, all five of us,” he told reporters earlier on Saturday outside Yishun Town Secondary School, where he was observing the vote count.
“That is the promise that we give to the voters in Nee Soon GRC ... and you will see us again in the next five years. That's for certain.”
RDU’s Syed Alwi Ahmad, David Foo, Ravi Philemon, Sharon Lin and Pang Heng Chuan outside Yishun Town Secondary School after sample count results were released on May 3, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Clemens Choy) (edited)
RDU received 44 per cent of the votes at one of the polling stations, he said.
He added the message he received from voters is that they want RDU to be a “force to be reckoned with” in Singapore’s political scene.
“That’s what we’ll try our best to do and to be.”
He also noted that RDU only started walking the ground in Nee Soon last August, whereas Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has served in the GRC for more than 30 years.
“Mr Shanmugam is an indomitable opponent. He is banking on his 40 years of incumbency … and that should never be taken lightly,” said Mr Philemon.
The party’s other candidates also took turns to speak to the media. They said they were committed to continuing their work and walking the ground in the various constituencies, and highlighted the support they were able to garner despite the short campaigning period.
In particular, the candidates for Holland-Bukit Timah noted that their team was only formed about two weeks ago after SDP said it was unlikely to contest the GRC.
Ms Manickam also noted that she was initially going to stand for election in Jalan Kayu SMC.
RDU said it did not regret stepping away from Jalan Kayu or contesting Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.
“I think it was the right decision,” said Mr Philemon, adding it would have been challenging for the party to field candidates in Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas SMC, which was its original plan.
“We could have still perhaps pulled it off as well, but it could have been a stretch,” he said, pointing out that RDU is a “fairly new” party.
RDU was formed in May 2020, months before the General Election that year. It contested Jurong GRC against a PAP team led by then-Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and garnered 25.39 per cent of votes that year.
GE2025 is the party's second election.
"This is only the beginning. The people have not given us their mandate. We will continue to punch above our weight," said Mr Philemon, adding that the party will continue to make sacrifices for Singapore.
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Speaking to reporters in the early hours of Sunday (May 4) near RDU’s office in Ubi Crescent, he said the world is in a time of turmoil, and it is reasonable for voters to look for a “safe harbour” in these times.
“I think in this GE, the people have spoken,” he said.
“The PAP has been the government for the past 60 years, and it is understandable why the people have given the PAP the kind of mandate that they have.”
Mr Philemon congratulated Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, describing the win as a “heavy responsibility”.
“I hope he keeps the trust of the people. Red Dot United will keep our prime minister on his toes in the next five years, that is for sure,” he said.
While RDU did not get the mandate in any of the constituencies it contested, the results were “very, very encouraging”, he added.
HOW DID RED DOT UNITED DO?
RDU fielded 15 candidates across three Group Representation Constituencies (GRC) and one Single Member Constituency (SMC). Nine of its candidates stood for election for the first time.
The party’s Nee Soon team performed best, receiving 26.19 per cent of the vote in the GRC. In Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, the RDU team finished with 23.34 per cent of the vote.
Its candidates in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC obtained 20.71 per cent of the vote, while Ms Kala Manickam got 19.49 per cent in Jurong Central SMC.
“I think the politics of Red Dot United is acceptable to the people of Singapore, and that is what we will continue to push in the next five years,” Mr Philemon said.
“A politics that is based on values, a politics that's very, very little based on personalities, a politics that is always for the people of Singapore.”
Mr Philemon said the "ground was uneven" for RDU from the beginning of the electoral race, but the results were an achievement.
"We were competing in a very unfair, in a very disadvantaged environment," he said.
"Considering the odds that were against us... the global events that were working against us ... the fact that some of the voters had very little time to get to know us, I think Red Dot United did very well in GE2025."
RDU WILL CONTINUE ENGAGEMENT
Pointing to Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan’s more than three decades of political experience, Mr Philemon said opposition politics is a marathon and not a sprint.
RDU will be “more than ready” when the next election comes around, and is prepared to run this marathon, he said.
Mr Philemon was part of the party’s Nee Soon GRC line-up. He said his team will remain engaged with residents in the five-member constituency even after the election.
“For Red Dot United, it is always about the people, and we will continue to stay engaged, all five of us,” he told reporters earlier on Saturday outside Yishun Town Secondary School, where he was observing the vote count.
“That is the promise that we give to the voters in Nee Soon GRC ... and you will see us again in the next five years. That's for certain.”
RDU’s Syed Alwi Ahmad, David Foo, Ravi Philemon, Sharon Lin and Pang Heng Chuan outside Yishun Town Secondary School after sample count results were released on May 3, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Clemens Choy) (edited)
RDU received 44 per cent of the votes at one of the polling stations, he said.
He added the message he received from voters is that they want RDU to be a “force to be reckoned with” in Singapore’s political scene.
“That’s what we’ll try our best to do and to be.”
He also noted that RDU only started walking the ground in Nee Soon last August, whereas Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has served in the GRC for more than 30 years.
“Mr Shanmugam is an indomitable opponent. He is banking on his 40 years of incumbency … and that should never be taken lightly,” said Mr Philemon.
"ONLY THE BEGINNING"
The party’s other candidates also took turns to speak to the media. They said they were committed to continuing their work and walking the ground in the various constituencies, and highlighted the support they were able to garner despite the short campaigning period.
In particular, the candidates for Holland-Bukit Timah noted that their team was only formed about two weeks ago after SDP said it was unlikely to contest the GRC.
Ms Manickam also noted that she was initially going to stand for election in Jalan Kayu SMC.
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RDU said it did not regret stepping away from Jalan Kayu or contesting Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.
“I think it was the right decision,” said Mr Philemon, adding it would have been challenging for the party to field candidates in Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mas SMC, which was its original plan.
“We could have still perhaps pulled it off as well, but it could have been a stretch,” he said, pointing out that RDU is a “fairly new” party.
RDU was formed in May 2020, months before the General Election that year. It contested Jurong GRC against a PAP team led by then-Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam and garnered 25.39 per cent of votes that year.
GE2025 is the party's second election.
"This is only the beginning. The people have not given us their mandate. We will continue to punch above our weight," said Mr Philemon, adding that the party will continue to make sacrifices for Singapore.
Continue reading...