2 weeks ago
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SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party (WP) looks set to contest in Jalan Kayu SMC for Singapore's May 3 General Election, after the Red Dot United (RDU) party announced on Tuesday (Apr 22) that it would step aside.
In a statement sent to the media, RDU's secretary-general Ravi Philemon said that his party had been in talks with WP leadership about the single-seat ward.
"During those exchanges, they expressed interest in contesting Jalan Kayu. As discussions progressed, it became clear they intended to field a candidate there. They requested for Jalan Kayu.
"After careful deliberation—both with the WP leadership and within our own election committee—we have made the difficult decision not to contest in this constituency. This decision was made with one guiding principle: to act in the best interest of the residents of Jalan Kayu, the best interest of Singapore citizens," said Mr Philemon.
WP has been active in its outreach efforts in Jalan Kayu SMC, amid intensifying buzz around a potential showdown with the ruling People's Action Party's Ng Chee Meng.
A source close to the party earlier told CNA that WP is likely to contest in the single-seat ward in the upcoming General Election (GE).
Residents living in the newly-carved out constituency northeast of Singapore have also seen the party in the area, while others have received flyers handed out by party volunteers recently.
News outlet 8world recently reported that WP volunteers had been seen distributing party pamphlets at the area hours after PAP's announced that Mr Ng would be contesting for Jalan Kayu SMC.
With 29,565 voters, Jalan Kayu SMC comprises districts that were under Ang Mo Kio GRC in GE2020.
These polling districts were carved out with recent changes to electoral boundaries to reduce the size of Ang Mo Kio GRC.
Contesting in Jalan Kayu SMC would be consistent with the WP's focus on northeastern parts of Singapore.
WP has so far kept silent on where it would contest but has revealed 14 new potential candidates in its lineup.
CNA has reached out to WP for comment.
PAP's Mr Ng was announced as a potential candidate for Jalan Kayu SMC on Saturday. The former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office was part of the PAP slate that lost Sengkang GRC to WP in GE2020.
WP's presence at Jalan Kayu SMC has been noted as early as last week, with residents describing how the party has been visiting door-to-door at housing blocks within the Single Member Constituency and leaving brochures.
These pamphlets detail the party's aim to win one-third of the seats in parliament in the medium term, its key proposals from its manifesto and contains the faces of WP's central consecutive committee.
Mr Samsudin Abdullah, 84, told CNA that three individuals from WP knocked on his door one evening last week to hand him the pamphlet.
The trio said the party was running in Jalan Kayu.
"But I asked which candidate they were going to field in Jalan Kayu and they said it is confidential. They did not tell me," said the retiree, who lives in a block at Sengkang West Way.
Retiree Tan Kim Soon, who lives in a housing block along Jalan Kayu, said a pamphlet was left at his front door on Sunday.
The 80-year-old heard from friends that the party had visited the coffee shop at Block 447A Jalan Kayu a few days ago, but they had gone by the time he arrived at about 11am.
Mr Lai Poh Chong, 94, who stays in the same block, said that a man who identified himself as from the WP handed him a brochure at a void deck at around 2pm to 3pm yesterday.
Mr Lai said the man was dressed in blue and accompanied a few others similarly decked in the party's colours.
The retiree added that all his neighbours living along the same floor had received the same brochure, which he showed CNA.
Residents could not identify the individuals seen but maintained that they were not WP's senior leaders.
A female resident, who did not want to be identified, said she received a flyer when WP came knocking at her door on Sunday afternoon.
"A man gave me a flyer and then asked for my support," she said in Mandarin.
