'Time for us to move on & let RDU fight': Goh Meng Seng's People's Power Party not contesting Nee Soon GRC

The People's Power Party (PPP) announced on Mar. 22 that it will back out of the upcoming electoral fight in Nee Soon GRC (Group Representation Constituency) for the "well-being of Nee Soon voters".

This leaves Red Dot United (RDU) as the sole opposition party that has indicated an interest thus far in contesting in Nee Soon GRC.

Speaking to the media in Yishun Town Centre on Mar. 22, Goh Meng Seng, the secretary-general of the People's Power Party said that he has had "several conversations" with Ravi Philemon, his counterpart in Red Dot United.

"We have come to the conclusion that it is time for us actually to move on, and let RDU and the PAP fight in Nee Soon. And we have come to the agreement that we will not touch Nee Soon, and allow RDU to carry on contesting in Nee Soon."

Red Dot United has 25 potential candidates

Philemon said his party has about 25 potential candidates who have been training since February 2024. The team has also been walking the ground in Nee Soon since National Day last year.

"Feedback (from residents) has been generally very positive.

People have come spoken to us, telling that they need checks and balances. They have told us that they would like the opposition to be invested in this area, to stay the course, and to continue to speak up for them."

Will Philemon be personally standing for election in Nee Soon GRC?

"That's a question that I may not be able to answer at this time," he replied, attributing it to the uncertainty of the current timeline to Polling Day.

Biggest misconception is that opposition has "big egos": Philemon

Speaking about multi-cornered fights, Philemon said that these are not in the interests of opposition parties because, "in the context of Singapore, it always benefits the incumbent".

Engaging in multi-cornered fights makes the opposition seem "so full of ourselves, so full of ego, that we just want to go and contest to prove something", he said.

"Prove something for what? Prove something to who?"

An electoral fight is too costly to turn into a vanity project, as evidenced by the component costs that Philemon went on to highlight:

"If you take Nee Soon GRC as an example, it's a 5-MP GRC. The cost of contesting—just the deposit alone—is about S$70,000.

And let's not forget that there are other expenses that have to be incurred...we have to print posters, we have to print banners. We have to make print flyers and mailers to reach out to the voters.

There's a lot of money that is involved. Of course, we don't want to raise S$70,000 to S$150,000 and just wash it down the drain just because we have big egos."

PPP's quest against the "LGBT agenda"

In early March, Goh announced his party's intention to run in Nee Soon GRC on a pro-family platform, and indicated his desire to take a firm stance against the "LGBT agenda".

While he did not drop names, his announcement came shortly after the PAP unveiled a new face, lawyer Deryne Sim, at a walkabout with Nee Soon GRC MP K Shanmugam at Chong Pang Market.

Sim is a former committee member of the LGBTQ+ activist group Pink Dot.

To date, the PAP has not confirmed that Sim will be fielded in the upcoming election.

Top image: Joshua Lee.