Red Dot United introduces ex-PSP member Kala Manickam as 'groundwork leader' for Jalan Kayu SMC

Red Dot United (RDU), a political party that contested the 2020 general election, introduced their "groundwork leader" for Jalan Kayu SMC on March 21, 2025, ahead of the upcoming election.

Kala Manickam, 57, and a former candidate for the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), will lead the RDU team as it looks to compete in Jalan Kayu.

Kala Manickam, RDU member

Kala is a specialist educator and business owner, and a single mother of a 16-year-old.

She holds a Masters in Lifelong Learning, and was among the pioneer batch of commissioned women officers in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Back in GE2020, Kala was fielded as a candidate for PSP in Nee Soon GRC, losing to a PAP team headed by Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam.

She was then dismissed from the party and sued PSP in 2021 over her dismissal, alleging violation of due process rights.

Fernvale and Jalan Kayu SMC

RDU conducted a walkabout at Fernvale, near Seletar Mall.

The area falls within the newly created SMC, per the recommendation of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) report.

Jalan Kayu's current MP is PAP's Ng Ling Ling, who entered politics in 2020.

On Mar. 15, she was absent from the Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) Master Plan launch, where SM Lee spoke on plans for future improvements in Ang Mo Kio.

According to the report: "The Committee also recommended reducing the size of Ang Mo Kio GRC, which has the most electors of any ED (Electoral Division), by carving out some polling districts to form a new Jalan Kayu SMC."

Walkabout

Accompanying Kala were RDU Secretary-General Ravi Philemon, other RDU party members and volunteers. One of those volunteers was M Ravi, who contested in Ang Mo Kio GRC in 2015 under the Reform Party banner.

They walked about the Fernvale area, handing out flyers to passers-by and speaking to residents near Fernvale LRT and a nearby hawker centre at Fernvale Community Club.

Volunteers carried signs with the RDU logo and their slogan, "Towards a compassionate society."

During a doorstop interview, Philemon introduced Kala as the "groundwork leader" for Jalan Kayu SMC, together with a team that includes fluent Mandarin and Malay speakers.

However, RDU did not confirm that Kala will be the candidate they would field in Jalan Kayu SMC for the election.

"As a party, we will throw our fullest support behind Kala Manickam," he said. "If elected, we promise to be a credible voice for the people of Jalan Kayu in Parliament."

Focus on jobs, mental well-being

Kala said that what attracted her to RDU was looking into issues in a fairer manner for Singaporeans. She added that the party listens to people on the ground, and responds to any emails or calls they receive to attend to people on the ground.

She also highlighted RDU's open and consultative manner, particularly how the team listens to its younger volunteers.

On campaign issues, Kala mentioned lifelong learning and jobs, saying that there were hard-working Singaporeans who went through skills training, but don't seem to get job opportunities, facing "wage stagnation" and "no recognition" for the value of their work.

"And they are very experienced people. So that's something that we need to explore and expose in terms of getting job opportunities," she said.

Kala also shared that she noticed a lot of young families in the area, and the stress that young parents face with having to pay for tuition for their children, who also face stress in their studies.

She advocated for a more balanced education system to help the mental well-being of children.

Ng Chee Meng as the opponent?

Former PAP minister and Member of Parliament Ng Chee Meng was recently seen at an event in Fernvale, fuelling speculation that he could be fielded as a candidate for Jalan Kayu.

Philemon said it was "a bit premature" to say whether Ng would stand in Jalan Kayu, but regardless, they are "ready" for whoever the PAP would field.

When asked about the possibility of a multi-cornered fight, Philemon said they are talking with other opposition parties, and such a contest was not in the interest of the opposition parties.

"As for Red Dot United, we do understand the importance of opposition unity, and we'll do our part to work towards that," he said.

Experience with GE2020 campaign

In response to a question, Kala said that her experience campaigning in GE2020 would benefit her current team.

"Experience plays a part. I definitely want to say [I'm] thankful that I had an opportunity with PSP to contest in Nee Soon.

And that opportunity, with the experience I gained on the ground, was even more amazing because I was in Chong Pang against our Minister Shanmugam.

So I think that [was] really a courageous move that we took the step to [stand] in that constituency. So I feel that we are really prepared...and that will give us the edge in whenever we go."

With regards to her lawsuit against PSP, Kala shared that she had settled it with them out of court.

She said it was done in an amicable manner and she has "nothing" against the PSP, either now or in the past.

She also wished Tan Cheng Bock, CEC member of the PSP, all the best in the upcoming election.

Top image by Mikayla Lee Sayeon.