SINGAPORE: Multi-cornered fights are not in any of the opposition parties’ interests, said Red Dot United (RDU) secretary-general Ravi Philemon on Friday (Mar 21) night. 

Responding to a question about the multiple opposition parties who have come out to stake a claim on Jalan Kayu SMC after the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) report earlier in March, he added that there is “a lot of friendship and goodwill” among many opposition party members. 

When asked if RDU intends to avoid a multi-cornered fight in Jalan Kayu SMC, he said: “A multi-cornered fight is not in anyone’s interest, especially not in any of the opposition parties’ interests.

“For Red Dot United, we do understand the importance of opposition unity and we’ll do our part to observe that.” 

About 20 RDU members and volunteers visited Jalan Kayu SMC on Friday night, starting at 7.45pm at Seletar Mall. They handed out fliers to members of the public outside the mall, at Fernvale MRT station and at Fernvale Community Club and its hawker centre. 

After the release of the EBRC report, the People’s Power Party and the People’s Alliance for Reform both announced their intention to run in Jalan Kayu SMC, which was carved out of Ang Mo Kio GRC.

Last Sunday, labour chief Ng Chee Meng was spotted at a community event within the new single-seat ward alongside Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. 

When asked if he will represent the People’s Action Party (PAP) in Jalan Kayu or Ang Mo Kio, Mr Ng said on Sunday: “You’ll find out, I’m sure, in good time. We’ll see what happens, what the prime minister decides.” 

When asked about whether RDU was prepared to go head-to-head with Mr Ng if he stands in Jalan Kayu, Mr Philemon said it was “a bit premature” to comment since the PAP has yet to confirm who they will field there. 

“But regardless, we are ready for whoever the PAP fields. I think if it is Mr Ng or someone else, we’re ready for the challenge,” he added. 

According to Mr Philemon, the feedback from Jalan Kayu residents is that they “need better checks and balances”. 

“And that is what a serious political party like Red Dot United has come to offer the Single Member Constituency in Jalan Kayu,” he added. 

Singapore needs a “well-being economy” where its people and the planet, as well as gross domestic product growth, are equally prioritised, said RDU’s secretary-general. 

“We want to bring across that it’s been too long that Singaporeans have been treated, or there is this perception that they are being treated, as second-class citizens in their own homes,” he added. 

“We want Singaporeans to feel proud that they are citizens of Singapore. That they are first-class citizens in their own country, the only home we have. And we want Singapore to be a fairer place for all people who live here.”

Mr Philemon also introduced Ms Kala Manickam as the RDU member who will lead the party’s work on the ground in Jalan Kayu. 

When asked about what her strategy for the upcoming General Election is, Ms Manickam said that she will lean into her personal experiences to address voters’ concerns.

With her background in continuing education and training, she has noticed that some Singaporeans have undergone retraining but are still unable to find job opportunities, she said.

As a single mother to a 16-year-old son, she also can feel the pressure that parents go through in terms of bringing up children, she added. 

Ms Manickam is a former Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member who ran in Nee Soon GRC during the 2020 General Election. Her membership was terminated in December 2020, and she sued the party in late 2021.

The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court, said Ms Manickam on Sunday night. 

“We have gone in an amicable manner and I have nothing against the PSP, even in the past or in the present,” she said, wishing the party the best in the upcoming election.

Former human rights lawyer M Ravi was present at the walkabout, handing out flyers while wearing a lanyard that identified him as an RDU volunteer. 

When asked if he might join the RDU slate for the upcoming election, Mr Ravi clarified that he intends to continue volunteering for the party since he is a Jalan Kayu resident. 

“I live here and I was born in Jalan Kayu, so this place is very special to me … So I would like to pledge my support to RDU to have a strong alternative voice in parliament,” he added. 

Mr Ravi stood for election as part of the six-member Reform Party team that contested in Ang Mo Kio GRC in the 2015 General Election. The team lost to a PAP slate led by then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the constituency after garnering 21.36 per cent of the vote.