Former WP volunteers join PSP ahead of next general election

Residents across Singapore and followers of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) on social media have, in recent months, been introduced to new faces in the party’s ranks.

Among them are a writer, a businessman and two former Workers’ Party (WP) volunteers.

The first two – Ms Stella Stan Lee and Mr Lawrence Pek, former secretary-general of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) – featured in a Dec 2 clip posted to social media.

Sporting batik tops, they were seen distributing reusable bags with party leaders Tan Cheng Bock, Hazel Poa and Leong Mun Wai at Geylang Serai Market and Food Centre.

Two other faces stand out in a video series the political party has been putting out, titled Volunteers of PSP.

They are Ms Angela Oon, who contested Nee Soon GRC in 2011 under the WP flag, and Mr Sumarleki Amjah, a former WP volunteer.

Like former Aljunied GRC MP Leon Perera, they appear to have switched their political allegiance in recent years. Mr Perera left the WP in 2023 and has since been spotted with PSP leaders at various events, including its 2024 National Day dinner.

Also featured in both the Dec 2 clip and in the video series is Ms Anna Ravichandran, a director with Singapore-based logistics and export firm Raj Global Enterprise. She is on the executive committee of PSP’s youth wing.

The series, which has three videos so far, shows PSP’s volunteers walking the ground alongside some of the party’s former election candidates. Much of the action takes place in Boon Lay, Teban Gardens and Telok Blangah, all of which are part of West Coast GRC.

The PSP contested and lost the constituency to the People’s Action Party in GE 2020. The ruling party won 51.69 per cent of the vote there, in the tightest race of the election.

When asked if those in the videos will stand in next year’s general election, PSP secretary-general Hazel Poa told The Straits Times that not all of them will be fielded.

“Definitely, potential candidates will have to walk the ground to meet residents and interact with them to get a better understanding of ground concerns,” she said. “But then, so do ordinary members and volunteers.”

Ms Poa declined a request to interview volunteers, saying the party will arrange these after candidates have been officially chosen.

Still, the videos give an inkling of each newcomer’s backstory, motivations and political ideals. 

 

In an Oct 23 clip, Ms Anna said she was inspired to join the PSP as she identified with its goal of a fair and transparent system of government.

In another video on Nov 10, Mr Pek said he met Mr Leong in August 2023, adding: “That’s how we started”. He also said jobs and wages are issues close to his heart, and called for Singapore to relook its stance on a minimum wage.

Ms Lee, a former television journalist who started volunteering with the party in February 2023, is concerned about housing, as “it governs everything we do in life”.

The two former WP volunteers feature in the same video, with Ms Oon saying she has been volunteering with PSP since 2020.

Mr Sumarleki, a martial arts instructor involved in the local silat scene, said he joined PSP in the last six months. He is the head of packaged food and business development at food and beverage company Del Monte Pacific.

New faces, familiar playbook

While PSP’s process of introducing new faces is fairly similar to what other local political parties have done, its practice of identifying its potential candidates on social media is not, said observers.

Other parties, including the PAP, have in recent months also posted photos and videos featuring their new faces, though rarely naming them.

The goal is for the public to be familiar with the candidates by the time the general election - due by November 2025 - is called, said Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan.

“In substance, (it is) not very different from the PAP, the WP, and the other opposition parties: walkabouts, house visits, party videos, party social media posts, and the like,” he said.

Parties have started campaigning and building up the tempo as the election deadline draws nearer, he added.

Putting names to faces goes a step further, by letting voters assess early potential candidates’ qualifications and suitability as MPs, said political observer Felix Tan.

Asked what the party is looking for in its potential candidates, Ms Poa cited the ability to empathise and connect with the ground.

It also considers candidates’ capacity to communicate, and their understanding of public policies and how they affect Singaporeans, she added.  

“Their track record in work or volunteering experience are also areas we look at to assess if they have the capabilities to serve residents well as MPs,” said Ms Poa.

But the “most fundamental requirement” is having the right heart and motivation, which is to make life better for Singaporeans, she said.

Attracting politicians from other parties

Observers noted that the PSP’s relative electoral success and perceived moderate alignment may be a factor in drawing politicians from other parties into its fold for a chance at a seat in Parliament.

One draw is that it holds two Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) seats, giving it an advantage over other smaller opposition parties, said National University of Singapore political scientist Chong Ja Ian.

He said: “The two seats give them a constant national profile and also suggest that they have a degree of electoral success.”

NCMP seats are awarded to the best-performing losing opposition candidates at a general election. In 2016, the Constitution was amended to give NCMPs the same voting rights as other MPs. The minimum number of opposition MPs, including NCMPs, was also raised to 12.

This was the pathway into the House for Mr Perera, who was involved with the WP for more than 10 years. He became an NCMP in 2015 after he stood in that year’s election in East Coast GRC, and was voted into Parliament in 2020 as part of the WP’s Aljunied GRC slate.

He left the party in 2023 after a past affair with fellow WP leader Nicole Seah came to light. Mr Perera has since been seen at PSP events, although the party has clarified that he is currently a volunteer and not a member.

Prof Chong noted that people see the PSP as having a more centrist position than some of the other opposition parties, given its association with party founder Tan Cheng Bock, formerly a longtime PAP MP.

Agreeing with this assessment, Prof Tan said it is thus unsurprising if most election aspirants would seek to contest under either the WP’s or PSP’s banner. 

“The banal political calculation is that the prospects of being elected or securing a NCMP seat is the highest on a WP ticket, followed by the PSP,” he said.

When asked about integrating members from other parties, Ms Poa said it is no different from a company integrating employees from other firms with different cultures.

“Party values, beliefs and the code of conduct are communicated to all our new members formally via briefings, the party handbook and townhall meetings,” she said.