'We're not playing to lose': RDU's Liyana Dhamirah on contesting Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC

Liyana Dhamirah, CEC member and treasurer of Red Dot United is part of the team that will be contesting Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC in the upcoming General Election.

The 38-year-old overcame numerous challenges when she was younger, including sleeping in a tent for a period of time when she was kicked out of her own house, to becoming an advocate for a range of social causes in Singapore.

Dropping by the Mothership Help Desk podcast, Liyana shared her thoughts on different aspects of the upcoming General Election. Here's a taste of what she told us:

How did you get involved with Red Dot United?

When [Ravi, the secretary-general of RDU asked me to be part of the party in 2020]...life was pretty much settled for me. So I think there was a tinge in me [that said], "I don't want to rattle a safe boat right now."

And then something that my friend said kind of stayed with me:

"You can retire at a farm, but you have this thing in you, where as you're farming, and you see all the other farmers get ill-treated, get taken advantage of, you know, like slave labour for some commercial interests, and then you will set up a union, and then you will fight for these farmers. Then when will you retire?"

So that part of me was what made me say yes.

Why did the party call itself "Red Dot United"?

We had different permutations before we agreed on Red Dot United.

We agreed on Red Dot United because [we wanted some relevance] for the younger ones.

We want to attract youths to be part of the political discourse. We want to have more young voices give their contribution or ideas to what can be ideal for the country. We want the younger ones, or those who may usually be ignorant about policies to find an interest in them.

Why did RDU choose to run in Jurong GRC, a PAP stronghold, in GE2020?

No other opposition parties seem to be — I'm just going to be candid — brave enough to put their foot into Jurong GRC because it's ingrained with, back then, Tharman (to be honest, he's one of my favourite ministers as well).

And to us, it would have been such a waste if Jurong GRC was going to get a walkover. Because what it means is that voices by the voters would not have been heard. You do not create the opportunity when a GRC has a walkover, when there is no contest.

What do you think success would look like for you this time around?

Of course success is to win. We are not playing to lose.

We did our work. We put boots on the ground. We were there. We didn't break our promise, even when the boundaries are updated to a different GRC.

And with the newest slate of PAP candidates, and two new faces also, I would say we have some confidence that we can put up a good fight.

For the full podcast episode with Liyana, watch it here: