SINGAPORE: With a General Election looming, a glut of new faces have donned political party colours and popped up in social media posts as well as in neighbourhoods across Singapore.
Among them is Mr Lawrence Pek, who was secretary-general of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) trade body during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a leading voice for a sector accounting for approximately 20 per cent of Singapore’s GDP, Mr Pek during his tenure would frequently raise to government agencies key issues around business costs and manpower needs.
In 2023, he decided his next step would be to join politics in order to - in his own words - shape a better Singapore.
But instead of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), he looked to join the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP) after a conversation with founder Tan Cheng Bock and current secretary-general Leong Mun Wai.
“I concluded that my values were more closely aligned with the values of the PSP, compared to those of either the ruling or the other major opposition party in parliament,” he told CNA.
“The PSP, in particular, is attracting individuals who believe in constructive politics, who aren’t afraid of scrutiny, and want to make a difference.”
Mr Pek is not the only individual with an illustrious CV who's been seen walking the ground in recent months, and who's likely to contest in the upcoming polls under an opposition banner.
The Straits Times has reported that potential Workers' Party (WP) candidates for the coming election include Dr Ong Lue Ping, a senior principal clinical psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH); and Mr Michael Thng, a start-up co-founder who holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School.
Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh, too, had earlier drawn attention for all but confirming his intention to run for the WP in the newly formed Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.
These individuals are part of a clutch of top talent who, in recent years, have taken to politics outside of the ruling party. Yet the perception of a lower-quality opposition had resonated well into the turn of the century.
Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said during the 2006 hustings that if Singapore were to have a first-world parliament, then it needed a first-world government and first-world opposition.
The opposition, he said then, was "learning from the PAP, that to win they have to field credible candidates, people with ability, track records and the dedication to work ... However, none of them have yet found a credible core of such men and women to field”.
“I want a world-class opposition, not this riff-raff,” he also said a week before Singaporeans went to the ballot box.
Experts said the notion that opposition parties struggle to attract well-credentialed candidates has since eroded over the last few General Elections.
PSP's Lawrence Pek (right) at a walkabout at 505 Jurong West Market and Food Centre alongside PSP founder Tan Cheng Bock. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)
Prior to leading the Singapore Manufacturing Federation between 2020 and 2023, the 55-year-old had a 14-year career at Sony Electronics. He then started a surveillance and video conferencing camera manufacturing factory in China in 2008.
On LinkedIn, he's now listed as the CEO of Shenzhen Guard Technology, which produces radar sensors and Internet of Things routers; and the general manager of camera technology firm Bolin Technology.
Mr Pek has been engaging with residents in areas such as the new West Coast-Jurong West GRC and Chua Chu Kang GRC.
On his social media account, he said the PSP has maintained a steady presence for over a year in the new Tengah town, which is part of Chua Chu Kang GRC.
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In the post-independence decades, Singapore had a handful of opposition candidates with strong background, such as lawyer and former WP chief J B Jeyaretnam as well as the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) Dr Chee Soon Juan, who taught psychology at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
But an increasing number of "star" catches have turned out for the opposition since the 2000s.
During the 2006 election, academic Dr James Gomez and law lecturer Sylvia Lim contested in Aljunied GRC under the WP.
The next General Election in 2011 was a watershed moment, with a WP team of A-listers wresting Aljunied GRC from the incumbents.
Corporate lawyer Chen Show Mao, whose CV includes being a government scholar and graduate of Harvard, Oxford and Stanford; party chief Low Thia Khiang; Ms Lim; family counsellor Faisal Manap; and post-graduate law student and future chief Pritam Singh formed the first opposition slate to win a Group Representation Constituency since independence.
Former civil servant Tan Jee Say also made his political debut that year, as part of SDP’s team contesting in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. He was the principal private secretary to former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, and a government scholar who studied at Oxford University.
In the following 2015 election, more credentialed new faces were added to the mix - including infectious diseases expert Paul Tambyah who was fielded by the SDP in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, and sociologist Daniel Goh who ran in East Coast GRC for the WP.
Associate Professor Goh subsequently became a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP).
After the PSP was founded in 2019, government scholar and investment firm CEO Leong Mun Wai contested in the 2020 polls, entering parliament as an NCMP.
Associate Professor Jamus Lim also entered the fray that year as part of the WP’s winning team in Sengkang GRC. He holds master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and Harvard University, among other credentials.
Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh (second from right) has been walking the ground with Workers’ Party members in Marine Parade. (Photo: Facebook/Workers’ Party)
The managing partner at Audent Chambers LLC has a Master of Laws from Harvard, and began volunteering at WP's Meet-the-People sessions in 2021.
Mr Singh, 59, previously sought to join the ruling party in the 2000s and had attended several of the PAP’s elusive “tea session” interviews. He also applied to become a Nominated MP in 2007.
More vocal on social media than most other new faces, he wrote on LinkedIn last month about alternative political voices being "not just present but strong".
In a more recent post in light of the US tariffs debacle, he said: “In such a volatile environment, Singapore cannot afford a rigid political system that shuts out fresh thinking or diverse voices".
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The WP declined CNA's request to interview its potential candidates this year. But it said in a statement that it's long prioritised being a rational, responsible and respectable political party.
“Over the years, we believe that our principles, our work in parliament and our ground engagement efforts have resonated with many Singaporeans who share our vision for a more inclusive and balanced political system, including many party volunteers who have stepped up to contribute to the party in their own ways,” said a party spokesperson.
According to his LinkedIn, Dr Ong joined IMH as a psychologist in 2002 and climbed the institute’s ranks. He was head of psychology from 2015 to 2021; and director for allied health from 2022 to 2024.
The 47-year-old was a member of Community and Parents in Support of Schools (COMPASS), an advisory body to the Education Ministry, from 2021 to 2024.
From 2021 to 2023, Dr Ong was also a member of an Alliance for Action - an industry-led coalition working with the government - working on the areas of marriage, family and support for parents.
A source with inside knowledge of WP's operations told CNA that Dr Ong has been a party volunteer at Hougang SMC, and would likely be fielded in the newly formed Punggol GRC.
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One reason for the opposition increasingly attracting highly credentialed candidates? The traditional challenges that might have been deterrents are diminishing, said Dr Teo Kay Key, a research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Social Lab.
These include perceived possible career setbacks from associating with the opposition and a substantially lower chance of being elected compared to joining the ruling party.
Dr Teo added that star opposition candidates in past elections have also demonstrated that theirs is a possible path.
“It speaks to a maturing of the political landscape where there are a number of political parties one can consider, if there is a wish to contribute to Singapore via politics,” she said.
“These parties also hold different ideas about various policy issues compared to the PAP, so (potential candidates) are able to take a look and decide which party is a better fit.”
Assoc Prof Goh, who left the WP in 2023, said that when he first made a public appearance in the party's blue colours, many friends reached out asking if he was going to run into issues with his employer NUS.
“What I did on my part was to make sure I cleared with my head of department, and they were very supportive, they (said) that we do have folks who join the PAP and then become a candidate, and they can still remain as academics or lecturers,” he said.
“If the university is to be fair and equal to everybody, if you enter the political ring, you can enter as opposition or as the ruling party; it doesn’t matter."
He added that “the time was right, because by then, we already had Chen Show Mao join the party”.
Any increase in credentialed opposition candidates has also been largely limited to larger and more established parties like WP, PSP and SDP.
Dr Felix Tan, an independent political analyst, said the likes of the WP have built a credible reputation over the past few elections. The PSP, while younger, has gained credibility from chairman Tan Cheng Bock’s political history, he said. The latter was a former PAP MP from 1980 to 2006.
“It’s always been a challenge for (the smaller political parties) because the individual leaders tend to be shifting alliances,” he said, adding that a lack of clear direction or focus makes it harder to attract top talent.
Assistant Professor Elvin Ong of NUS said larger parties simply have “better resources, better organisational structure, better leadership, and better logistical and communications execution”.
Nonetheless, joining opposition politics overall has become more “normalised” in the past 20 years, said Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan.
“The fear factor does not exist anymore,” he said. “Most critically, they are also winning seats … It would be a different scenario if the opposition were to be confined to one or two elected seats in parliament."
He cautioned, however, against a blanket notion that credentialed individuals were choosing to join the opposition rather than the PAP.
"Such individuals are still more commonly identified with the PAP than with the opposition,” said Assoc Prof Tan. “In terms of CVs, the evidence would show that the PAP still attracts more top-tier talent as well as 'high-calibre' talent.”
The PAP’s potential lineup for the upcoming election includes ex-Chief of Army David Neo, former CEO of the Agency for Integrated Care Dinesh Vasu Dash and Mr Shawn Loh, the former Finance Ministry director who oversaw the last two Budgets, among other leading public and private sector names.
Some voters CNA spoke to said they were more confident in credentialed opposition candidates holding their own in parliament, if elected.
A resident in Punggol GRC, who only wanted to be known as Mr Heng, said that growing up, he felt that majority of the opposition might not be able to make a difference, "especially when you juxtapose with the elite capabilities of PAP”.
Recent sightings of credible individuals donning opposition party colours is thus, to him, a “gamechanger”.
Accountant John Ng, who'll be voting in Bukit Gombak SMC, said such individuals "must see something really wrong with the system if they're willing to risk it all and run for the opposition parties.”
The 29-year-old added, however, that “paper credentials” should not be the sole determinant of who to vote for. For him, talking to the candidates and finding out which causes they champion would be better ways to come to a decision.
Political experts similarly talked up the importance of connecting with voters and understanding ground sentiments.
Assoc Prof Goh said that someone with good professional skill sets and experience could bring certain insights into parliament that could help shape discourse.
But if all of that expertise is not translated into helping address citizen concerns, "then there's no point".
When he was still a party member, former WP chief Low would make sure that all potential candidates, regardless of credentials, would walk the ground and connect with residents.
“It was not easy to become a candidate,” Assoc Prof Goh concluded. “For MPs who represent a political party … you have to triangulate with the ground, with the party’s mission and values and platforms. It’s not just the CV alone.”
NUS' Asst Prof Ong said however that having more highly credentialed opposition candidates, in itself, might have an effect on coming elections.
Singaporean voters typically first search for signs of credibility among candidates, possibly in terms of educational qualifications or professional background, he said. In this context, only after they perceive that what the PAP and the opposition candidate each offers is "fairly even, then ideological and policy competition comes to the fore”.
For Mr Pek from PSP, voters are fundamentally beginning to realise that loyalty to Singapore doesn't necessarily mean loyalty to any single political party.
“Many Singaporeans are now unafraid to contribute where they feel they can make the most difference,” he said. “For many of us, that means lending our voices to the opposition; to build a more resilient political system.”
That some talent is being drawn towards opposition ranks is a natural evolution of a more educated and socially aware electorate, he added.
“More professionals, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts are stepping forward, not because it is easy, but because it is necessary ... I am not the first, nor will I be the last."
Continue reading...
Among them is Mr Lawrence Pek, who was secretary-general of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) trade body during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a leading voice for a sector accounting for approximately 20 per cent of Singapore’s GDP, Mr Pek during his tenure would frequently raise to government agencies key issues around business costs and manpower needs.
In 2023, he decided his next step would be to join politics in order to - in his own words - shape a better Singapore.
But instead of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), he looked to join the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP) after a conversation with founder Tan Cheng Bock and current secretary-general Leong Mun Wai.
“I concluded that my values were more closely aligned with the values of the PSP, compared to those of either the ruling or the other major opposition party in parliament,” he told CNA.
“The PSP, in particular, is attracting individuals who believe in constructive politics, who aren’t afraid of scrutiny, and want to make a difference.”
Mr Pek is not the only individual with an illustrious CV who's been seen walking the ground in recent months, and who's likely to contest in the upcoming polls under an opposition banner.
The Straits Times has reported that potential Workers' Party (WP) candidates for the coming election include Dr Ong Lue Ping, a senior principal clinical psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH); and Mr Michael Thng, a start-up co-founder who holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School.
Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh, too, had earlier drawn attention for all but confirming his intention to run for the WP in the newly formed Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC.
These individuals are part of a clutch of top talent who, in recent years, have taken to politics outside of the ruling party. Yet the perception of a lower-quality opposition had resonated well into the turn of the century.
Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said during the 2006 hustings that if Singapore were to have a first-world parliament, then it needed a first-world government and first-world opposition.
The opposition, he said then, was "learning from the PAP, that to win they have to field credible candidates, people with ability, track records and the dedication to work ... However, none of them have yet found a credible core of such men and women to field”.
“I want a world-class opposition, not this riff-raff,” he also said a week before Singaporeans went to the ballot box.
Experts said the notion that opposition parties struggle to attract well-credentialed candidates has since eroded over the last few General Elections.
PSP's Lawrence Pek (right) at a walkabout at 505 Jurong West Market and Food Centre alongside PSP founder Tan Cheng Bock. (Photo: CNA/Lim Li Ting)
Who is Lawrence Pek?
Prior to leading the Singapore Manufacturing Federation between 2020 and 2023, the 55-year-old had a 14-year career at Sony Electronics. He then started a surveillance and video conferencing camera manufacturing factory in China in 2008.
On LinkedIn, he's now listed as the CEO of Shenzhen Guard Technology, which produces radar sensors and Internet of Things routers; and the general manager of camera technology firm Bolin Technology.
Mr Pek has been engaging with residents in areas such as the new West Coast-Jurong West GRC and Chua Chu Kang GRC.
On his social media account, he said the PSP has maintained a steady presence for over a year in the new Tengah town, which is part of Chua Chu Kang GRC.
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CHANGING OPPOSITION PROFILE
In the post-independence decades, Singapore had a handful of opposition candidates with strong background, such as lawyer and former WP chief J B Jeyaretnam as well as the Singapore Democratic Party’s (SDP) Dr Chee Soon Juan, who taught psychology at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
But an increasing number of "star" catches have turned out for the opposition since the 2000s.
During the 2006 election, academic Dr James Gomez and law lecturer Sylvia Lim contested in Aljunied GRC under the WP.
The next General Election in 2011 was a watershed moment, with a WP team of A-listers wresting Aljunied GRC from the incumbents.
Corporate lawyer Chen Show Mao, whose CV includes being a government scholar and graduate of Harvard, Oxford and Stanford; party chief Low Thia Khiang; Ms Lim; family counsellor Faisal Manap; and post-graduate law student and future chief Pritam Singh formed the first opposition slate to win a Group Representation Constituency since independence.
Former civil servant Tan Jee Say also made his political debut that year, as part of SDP’s team contesting in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC. He was the principal private secretary to former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, and a government scholar who studied at Oxford University.
In the following 2015 election, more credentialed new faces were added to the mix - including infectious diseases expert Paul Tambyah who was fielded by the SDP in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, and sociologist Daniel Goh who ran in East Coast GRC for the WP.
Associate Professor Goh subsequently became a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP).
After the PSP was founded in 2019, government scholar and investment firm CEO Leong Mun Wai contested in the 2020 polls, entering parliament as an NCMP.
Associate Professor Jamus Lim also entered the fray that year as part of the WP’s winning team in Sengkang GRC. He holds master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and Harvard University, among other credentials.
Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh (second from right) has been walking the ground with Workers’ Party members in Marine Parade. (Photo: Facebook/Workers’ Party)
Who is Harpreet Singh?
The managing partner at Audent Chambers LLC has a Master of Laws from Harvard, and began volunteering at WP's Meet-the-People sessions in 2021.
Mr Singh, 59, previously sought to join the ruling party in the 2000s and had attended several of the PAP’s elusive “tea session” interviews. He also applied to become a Nominated MP in 2007.
More vocal on social media than most other new faces, he wrote on LinkedIn last month about alternative political voices being "not just present but strong".
In a more recent post in light of the US tariffs debacle, he said: “In such a volatile environment, Singapore cannot afford a rigid political system that shuts out fresh thinking or diverse voices".
Collapse Expand
The WP declined CNA's request to interview its potential candidates this year. But it said in a statement that it's long prioritised being a rational, responsible and respectable political party.
“Over the years, we believe that our principles, our work in parliament and our ground engagement efforts have resonated with many Singaporeans who share our vision for a more inclusive and balanced political system, including many party volunteers who have stepped up to contribute to the party in their own ways,” said a party spokesperson.
Who is Ong Lue Ping?
According to his LinkedIn, Dr Ong joined IMH as a psychologist in 2002 and climbed the institute’s ranks. He was head of psychology from 2015 to 2021; and director for allied health from 2022 to 2024.
The 47-year-old was a member of Community and Parents in Support of Schools (COMPASS), an advisory body to the Education Ministry, from 2021 to 2024.
From 2021 to 2023, Dr Ong was also a member of an Alliance for Action - an industry-led coalition working with the government - working on the areas of marriage, family and support for parents.
A source with inside knowledge of WP's operations told CNA that Dr Ong has been a party volunteer at Hougang SMC, and would likely be fielded in the newly formed Punggol GRC.
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WHAT'S BEHIND THE SHIFT
One reason for the opposition increasingly attracting highly credentialed candidates? The traditional challenges that might have been deterrents are diminishing, said Dr Teo Kay Key, a research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Social Lab.
These include perceived possible career setbacks from associating with the opposition and a substantially lower chance of being elected compared to joining the ruling party.
Dr Teo added that star opposition candidates in past elections have also demonstrated that theirs is a possible path.
“It speaks to a maturing of the political landscape where there are a number of political parties one can consider, if there is a wish to contribute to Singapore via politics,” she said.
“These parties also hold different ideas about various policy issues compared to the PAP, so (potential candidates) are able to take a look and decide which party is a better fit.”
Assoc Prof Goh, who left the WP in 2023, said that when he first made a public appearance in the party's blue colours, many friends reached out asking if he was going to run into issues with his employer NUS.
“What I did on my part was to make sure I cleared with my head of department, and they were very supportive, they (said) that we do have folks who join the PAP and then become a candidate, and they can still remain as academics or lecturers,” he said.
“If the university is to be fair and equal to everybody, if you enter the political ring, you can enter as opposition or as the ruling party; it doesn’t matter."
He added that “the time was right, because by then, we already had Chen Show Mao join the party”.
Any increase in credentialed opposition candidates has also been largely limited to larger and more established parties like WP, PSP and SDP.
Dr Felix Tan, an independent political analyst, said the likes of the WP have built a credible reputation over the past few elections. The PSP, while younger, has gained credibility from chairman Tan Cheng Bock’s political history, he said. The latter was a former PAP MP from 1980 to 2006.
“It’s always been a challenge for (the smaller political parties) because the individual leaders tend to be shifting alliances,” he said, adding that a lack of clear direction or focus makes it harder to attract top talent.
Assistant Professor Elvin Ong of NUS said larger parties simply have “better resources, better organisational structure, better leadership, and better logistical and communications execution”.
Nonetheless, joining opposition politics overall has become more “normalised” in the past 20 years, said Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan.
“The fear factor does not exist anymore,” he said. “Most critically, they are also winning seats … It would be a different scenario if the opposition were to be confined to one or two elected seats in parliament."
He cautioned, however, against a blanket notion that credentialed individuals were choosing to join the opposition rather than the PAP.
"Such individuals are still more commonly identified with the PAP than with the opposition,” said Assoc Prof Tan. “In terms of CVs, the evidence would show that the PAP still attracts more top-tier talent as well as 'high-calibre' talent.”
The PAP’s potential lineup for the upcoming election includes ex-Chief of Army David Neo, former CEO of the Agency for Integrated Care Dinesh Vasu Dash and Mr Shawn Loh, the former Finance Ministry director who oversaw the last two Budgets, among other leading public and private sector names.
Related:
DOES A GOOD CV MAKE A GOOD MP?
Some voters CNA spoke to said they were more confident in credentialed opposition candidates holding their own in parliament, if elected.
A resident in Punggol GRC, who only wanted to be known as Mr Heng, said that growing up, he felt that majority of the opposition might not be able to make a difference, "especially when you juxtapose with the elite capabilities of PAP”.
Recent sightings of credible individuals donning opposition party colours is thus, to him, a “gamechanger”.
Accountant John Ng, who'll be voting in Bukit Gombak SMC, said such individuals "must see something really wrong with the system if they're willing to risk it all and run for the opposition parties.”
The 29-year-old added, however, that “paper credentials” should not be the sole determinant of who to vote for. For him, talking to the candidates and finding out which causes they champion would be better ways to come to a decision.
Political experts similarly talked up the importance of connecting with voters and understanding ground sentiments.
Assoc Prof Goh said that someone with good professional skill sets and experience could bring certain insights into parliament that could help shape discourse.
But if all of that expertise is not translated into helping address citizen concerns, "then there's no point".
When he was still a party member, former WP chief Low would make sure that all potential candidates, regardless of credentials, would walk the ground and connect with residents.
“It was not easy to become a candidate,” Assoc Prof Goh concluded. “For MPs who represent a political party … you have to triangulate with the ground, with the party’s mission and values and platforms. It’s not just the CV alone.”
NUS' Asst Prof Ong said however that having more highly credentialed opposition candidates, in itself, might have an effect on coming elections.
Singaporean voters typically first search for signs of credibility among candidates, possibly in terms of educational qualifications or professional background, he said. In this context, only after they perceive that what the PAP and the opposition candidate each offers is "fairly even, then ideological and policy competition comes to the fore”.
For Mr Pek from PSP, voters are fundamentally beginning to realise that loyalty to Singapore doesn't necessarily mean loyalty to any single political party.
“Many Singaporeans are now unafraid to contribute where they feel they can make the most difference,” he said. “For many of us, that means lending our voices to the opposition; to build a more resilient political system.”
That some talent is being drawn towards opposition ranks is a natural evolution of a more educated and socially aware electorate, he added.
“More professionals, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts are stepping forward, not because it is easy, but because it is necessary ... I am not the first, nor will I be the last."
Continue reading...