PAP's Low Yen Ling responds to PSP harrassment allegations in Bukit Gombak, says her volunteer was slapped

Progress Singapore Party (PSP) members accused some People's Action Party (PAP) members of "harassment" during a recent walkabout in Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

S Nallakaruppan, a founding member of PSP, posted on Facebook on Jan. 4 to detail what he and his team encountered as they went around Bukit Gombak distributing party flyers and greeting residents.

"Is it the right thing for PAP members to demonstrate such unprofessional behaviour?" asked Nallakaruppan, who stood as a candidate for Nee Soon in the 2020 general election.

On Jan. 8, PAP Member of Parliament (MP) for Chua Chu Kang GRC, Low Yen Ling, accused PSP of twisting the truth and giving "an untrue picture of what happened".

"These untrue accounts have also led to doxxing and considerable distress to my volunteers," Low added.

PSP's account

Nallakaruppan said his team went to Goodview Gardens at Bukit Gombak when they noticed some people were following them closely during their block visits.

He identified them as PAP members.

He said they told the group to continue their outreach efforts at other blocks and not follow them so closely. However, they claimed that it was "their territory" and that they had the right to follow them.

"We lived with it and went on to do our outreach efforts with residents and whenever we managed to reach out to a resident, they quickly handed out their flyers as well. It was really unprofessional of them to do so but we did not want to have any confrontation and went about doing our job," he said.

When Nallakaruppan and his team were talking in the lobby of one of the blocks, the group began to take photos and videos of them.

"Like we were some sort of criminal," he added.

Despite being told to stop, the group continued to take their pictures.

They apparently followed the PSP team back to the carpark, and Nallakaruppan told the "PAP members" not to follow them as they "may report it to the police for so blatant stalking and harassment".

Nallakaruppan added that it was not the first time something similar had happened. In November 2024, he said they were walking around Hillview Landed Estate in Chua Chu Kang GRC when he claimed a group of PAP members followed them.

He said they brushed off the encounter as "a one-off incident" and let it go.

He called for the PAP to not engage in “unprofessional behaviour”, saying:

"My humble request to PAP is not to use such unprofessional behaviour to harass PSP members who have not done anything wrong other than to sincerely connect with Chua Chu Kang GRC residents and serve them to the best of our ability."

Photos up close

In the comment section, a user, Stella Stan Lee, shared that at the event that day, a man in a black shirt stood near to her, with a camera in her face.

She then shared a photo showing how close the man was to her.

The user shares the same name as one of the new faces PSP introduced in a Dec. 2, 2024 clip, Stella Stan Lee, according to The Straits Times.

Another comment asked Nallakaruppan if he plans to write to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chua Chu Kang GRC, to which Nallakaruppan said that they would "let the public decide whether this is acceptable behaviour by PAP members".

PSP, led by its former secretary-general Francis Yuen, contested at Chua Chua Kang GRC in the last GE. The incumbent PAP team won with 58.6 per cent of the votes.

Tan Cheng Bock weighs in

PSP Chairman Tan Cheng Bock posted on Facebook on Jan. 8 that the PSP "will not fear bullies".

Tan shared that one of their female volunteers, who was filmed by a man in a black shirt in close proximity, felt unsafe and filed a police report the next day.

"Political disagreements will always exist, but we can always be civil. Everyone should have a chance to put their case forward so that Singaporeans can consider their options. However, to physically bully and intimidate someone you disagree with – this is totally unacceptable."

Tan concluded his post by stating that he will visit Chua Chu Kang GRC on the weekend of Jan. 11 to "show [his] support for [PSP's] hardworking volunteers".

"We will continue to stand up against bullies in whatever size or form. This shameful behaviour cannot be tolerated."

Chua Chu Kang MP responds

In her Facebook post, Low shared that she had asked her volunteers for their accounts of what happened on Jan. 4 and "PSP has twisted the truth and has given an untrue picture of what happened".

Low confirmed that on Jan. 4, at around 3pm, a team of PAP volunteers was conducting their regular outreach efforts at Goodview Gardens.

At around 4pm, the PAP volunteers encountered a group of PSP members who started to walk around the estate.

Low said that on one occasion, a male PAP volunteer was held back by a PSP member when he tried to exit the lift to join the team.

Two other male PSP members then entered the lift and began to "intimidate" the PAP volunteer and allegedly slapped his face twice, one in the lift and another time in the corridor. The PAP volunteer was also insulted during the whole encounter, Low said.

That same afternoon, another male PAP volunteer was taunted by the same PSP member who had allegedly attacked and insulted the first volunteer. He used his phone to record the PSP member's actions and insults.

Low said the second male PAP volunteer was also confronted by another two male PSP members.

One PSP member apparently reached towards the PAP volunteer and "forcibly pulled him by his shirt to forcibly take a wefie and video with him", Low said.

At the same time, a group of female PAP volunteers noticed that other PSP members were recording their movements, and they did the same.

At around 5:30pm, the PAP volunteers encountered the PSP members again at a sheltered walkway on their way to a nearby coffeeshop where the PSP members reportedly shouted at them, taunted them and took a photo of them, Low said.

Some of the photos from the day were posted online by Nallakaruppan, Low added.

Low shared that the photos have led to some female PAP volunteers who appeared in the photo to have been doxxed, and that some are undergoing counselling and extra care to protect them from online harm.

"These recent developments are concerning. When the incidents were brought to my attention, I was alarmed that two of our male volunteers were physically manhandled. We considered filing a police report but had then decided not to do so. We hoped that PSP will not repeat such conduct in future.

We now see that despite the conduct above, it is PSP which has chosen to make allegations and file a police report. We look forward to a full police investigation, and for the whole truth to become public. That way, the public can know what actually happened."

Top photos via Tan Cheng Bock/Facebook & Stella Stan Lee/Facebook