3 highlights from Workers' Party's GE2020 e-rally for young people

A lot of the conversation this General Election has surrounded the youths, young adults and issues affecting them.

After all, with GE2020, millennials (and a portion of Gen Z) are able to cast their votes. Recognising that this is an important demographic of voters, the Workers' Party (WP) organised their Next Generation e-rally on July 3.

Moderated by Nicole Seah, the panel consisted of fellow WP candidates Gerald Giam, Fadli Fawzi, Raeesah Khan and Nathaniel Koh. The Facebook Live video saw the panel discussing various issues pertaining to young adults, including HDB prices, the education system and climate change.

Too busy to watch? We've got you covered. Here's what you missed from the discussion:

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/workersparty/videos/715458925958492/[/embed]

Gerald Giam knows BTS

No, that's not a policy, but the K-pop boyband that has achieved international fame. During the introduction of the panelists, they were asked to reveal something about themselves that no one knows. For former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Giam, he confessed to this:

I know all seven members of BTS. Now I'm not a fan, but my wife and daughter are members of the Army (BTS fanclub).

Make the national pledge a key part of national education

In order to ensure that the younger generation truly feel and understand the meaning of the national pledge — especially the line "To build a democratic society, based on justice and equality" — Koh would like to make the national pledge a key part of national education.

Citing a government report released three years ago, Koh pointed out that the national pledge has been reduced to a "daily routine" and emphasised that it must change.

We can start by teaching our children what it means to live in a democratic society. A society based on justice and equality. We can teach our children what it means to vote, what it means to govern and what it means to have a check and balance in Government.

Theorising that dissenters might say that subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science are more important, Koh said that "democracy is a value we must hold dear" and we should "do democracy right from young".

Raeesah Khan felt stifled in local schools

When it came to the topic of diverse views during her schooling years, Raeesah revealed that she's bounced between international and local schools, and felt stifled in the latter.

The 26-year-old, who is also the youngest WP candidate, recounted: "What I remember was how stifled I felt in the local system. I really felt like I couldn't express myself and that my voice wasn't heard."

So I really feel in schools, we need to cultivate things like critical thinking, which is important in allowing children to express themselves and also actually has positive repercussions for our economy.

Additionally, Raeesah advocated for enabling future generations to "learn about the different political systems", especially in Singapore, as they're "our future voters".

"They should be empowered to make wise political decisions," she said.

bryanlim@asiaone.com