In a packed election rally on Monday (April 28), the Workers' Party (WP) took aim at the People's Action Party (PAP) and Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong's surprise move to Punggol GRC in the General Election.

Gan had made the late switch on Nomination Day, where he moved from Chua Chu Kang GRC to anchor the ruling party's four-member slate in the newly-created Punggol GRC.

Leading the charge was WP party chief Pritam Singh, who, in a 27-minute speech at Yusof Ishak Secondary School, argued that voters should not be afraid to vote out Gan.

He noted Gan was not elected to the PAP's central executive committee last year, and said that it is "very strange for a deputy prime minister".

Singh said: "Could it be that he was ready to retire and did not plan to run in this elections? If so, can he be so critical to the PM's plans?

"You mean the PM has no one else in his Cabinet who can negotiate with the United States on tariffs?"

Gan, who is also the Minister for Trade and Industry, chairs the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce, which looks into the impact of US tariffs on Singapore.

Pritam then recalled how DPM Heng Swee Keat similarly made a surprise switch from Tampines GRC to East Coast GRC in the 2020 General Election.

"He was supposed to be our next prime minister, all lined up, ready to take off… but then the PAP tells us, 'sorry, runway too short'," said Singh to laughter from the crowd.

"Heng has now retired from politics… Mr Gan is older than him. If elected, in my view, he is going to be a one-term MP (in Punggol GRC)."

In Gan's team are Senior Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and Information Janil Puthucheary, Minister of State for Social and Family Development and Home Affairs Sun Xueling, and Yeo Wan Ling.

They will be fighting a WP team made up entirely of political newcomers — Harpreet Singh Nehal, Alia Mattar, Alexis Dang and Jackson Au.

In his speech, Harpreet, a senior legal counsel, questioned the PAP's decision to "parachute" Gan into Punggol GRC "if it is so confident that it has won the trust" of residents there.

"Why are they so insecure?" he asked.

Harpreet also pointed that Gan had "candidly admitted initially that he was not keen to accept the DPM role".

"So we can thank DPM Gan for his service, but he reflects the past, not the future," he said.

In a PAP rally at the same venue on Saturday (April 26), Gan said that while Punggol is "a shining model of Singapore's heartland" due to recent infrastructure developments, he acknowledged that improvements to the area are needed.

These include additional covered linkways, more green spaces, and improved connectivity for residents.

"I will talk to my good friend, Minister of Finance and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, to see whether we can get more money to build some of this necessary infrastructure for our residents," said Gan.

Harpreet hit out at Gan's comments, arguing that the "necessary infrastructure improvements" come from public funds, and it does not matter if "we are good friends with the Prime Minister".

"It does not matter whether he accepts our offer to play the guitar and saxophone together," he quipped.

Harpreet also called on Gan to respond to an open letter that former NTUC Income chief executive officer Tan Suee Chieh had posted on Facebook. 

In a letter addressed to Gan on Monday, Tan asked about his oversight in the scrapped Income-Allianz deal, given his role as chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. 

Tan listed 17 questions for Gan, which Harpreet said are important to be asked on behalf of Singaporeans. 

"DPM Gan, if you will not answer, please tell us why you will not answer. This is about accountability and real leadership never fears scrutiny, it welcomes it," he added.

Earlier in the evening, Singh's fellow Punggol GRC team member Dang claimed that Gan's comments "reflects a troubling reality about our politics today".

"Is this the kind of leadership we want to endorse… where success isn't about fairness, but about connections?"

The rally saw 12 WP candidates speaking up on a variety of issues, including the Government's decision to raise the GST, as well as high housing prices. 

At one point, Tampines GRC candidate Ong Lue Ping, who doubled up as an emcee for the three-hour rally, announced that the venue's capacity has reached its maximum limit, and no new attendees will be allowed.

Sengkang GRC candidate Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik said WP is proposing measures to support young parents, such as pre-school vouchers and more childcare leave.

"Vote for WP and you'll never walk alone," he added, referring to the newly-crowned English Premier League champions Liverpool's famous motto.

Meanwhile, Andre Low, the candidate for Jalan Kayu SMC, reiterated how his election opponent, labour chief Ng Chee Meng, "represents a party that has allowed issues to fester".

"On May 3, you can vote for more of the same, or you can vote for representatives who will fight for a more affordable Singapore, that truly supports families and cares about its people," he added.

Sylvia Lim, chairwoman of WP, urged voters to not dither about whether to vote for their party.

"In my 20-plus years with WP, I can confidently say that this batch of our candidates, both men and women, is the most promising batch that WP has fielded," she said.

The WP has fielded 26 candidates in this election, including new faces who are lawyers, former civil servants and entrepreneurs. 

"If these candidates do not get elected this time, there may be no next time. The electoral boundaries may change. So there is no time to waste on this… If you do not do it this time, you may not have a chance the next time."

Punggol GRC, with 123,557 voters, was created after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee recommended carving out the Punggol estates in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, to merge with Punggol West SMC.

And in a fiery speech, Pritam had a personal message for Punggol voters.

He said that Punggol GRC residents will be doing "an incredible service to the nation" by voting for his party, calling for a "fair and accountable” electoral boundary review process. 

"This is not mission impossible, it's mission possible," he added.

chingshijie@asiaone.com

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