logo
Reform Party to leave opposition group People's Alliance for Reform, two parties remain

Reform Party to leave opposition group People's Alliance for Reform, two parties remain

Straits Timesa day ago
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
The Reform Party's resignation from the People's Alliance for Reform takes effect at the end of July.
SINGAPORE – The Reform Party will withdraw from the People's Alliance for Reform, leaving the opposition group with two of its four founding members.
The People's Power Party
did the same in February ahead of the general election on May 3, while the Peoples Voice and Democratic Progressive Party remain.
RP secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam announced his party's resignation, which takes effect at the end of July, in a post on the party's Facebook page on July 7.
'We thank Lim Tean for his leadership and wish him and the other remaining parties in PAR all the best in the future,' he said, referring to Mr Lim, secretary-general of Peoples Voice and the PAR.
Mr Jeyaretnam was the chairman of the alliance.
Mr Lim told The Straits Times that the alliance, which will retain its current name, will continue into the next election 'much bigger and stronger'.
Many new members and volunteers have joined since the polls, and the party's principles and message resonate with many, he added.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August
Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses
Singapore Singapore's second mufti Shaikh Syed Isa Semait dies at age 87
Singapore Fewer marriages in Singapore in 2024; greater marital stability for recent unions
Business OCBC sets loan target of $5b and covers more territories in boost for serial entrepreneurs
Singapore Shell heist: Second mastermind gets more than 25 years' jail for siphoning $100m of fuel
Asia 72-year-old man on diving trip to Pulau Tioman in Malaysia found dead on the beach
The party intends to 'greatly increase' its numbers in the coming years.
'We wish the Reform Party well in their future endeavours and thank them for having been part of the Alliance,' said Mr Lim.
The alliance's formation was
announced in June 2023 with hopes of 'opposition unity' and reducing three-cornered fights.
But in February 2025, the People's Power Party led by Mr Goh Meng Seng withdrew from the alliance, citing 'irreconcilable strategic differences'.
Mr Lim said then that the remaining alliance members did not agree with the PPP's insistence on contesting Tampines GRC in a four-cornered fight, and also disagreed with the
PPP's position on the Covid-19 vaccine .
The PAR eventually fielded 13 candidates in six constituencies: Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar GRCs and Potong Pasir, Queenstown, Radin Mas and Yio Chu Kang SMCs. Both Potong Pasir and Radin Mas saw three-cornered fights in which PAR candidates lost their deposits.
The alliance received 19.1 per cent of the votes across the six constituencies.
The bulk of the candidates fielded were from the Peoples Voice, a party founded by Mr Lim in 2018. RP had one candidate in Queenstown – Mr Mahaboob Batcha.
PV contested 10 seats in the 2020 general election.
The PAR held a meeting for volunteers and supporters on July 6, according to Mr Lim's Facebook page.
He said the party was 'quietly rebuilding' and had learnt from the recent election.
After the session, which involved a number of PAR candidates from the 2025 election, Mr Lim said in a post that the alliance had come up with a plan which would be put into effect immediately.
'A plan is of no use to a political party unless it is able to win elections. We are confident our plan will work and you will see its implementation in the coming years,' he said.
The Straits Times has contacted RP for comment.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Canadian police charge 4, including active military members, in alleged extremist plot
Canadian police charge 4, including active military members, in alleged extremist plot

Straits Times

time33 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Canadian police charge 4, including active military members, in alleged extremist plot

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox TORONTO - Canadian police have charged four men, including active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, with planning to forcibly take over land in the province of Quebec. Three of the men have been charged with facilitating a terrorist activity, accused of plotting to create an "anti-government militia," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said on Tuesday. "To achieve this, they took part in military-style training, as well as shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises," police said in a statement. "They also conducted a scouting operation. A variety of firearms, some prohibited, as well as high-capacity magazines and tactical equipment were allegedly used in these activities." The fourth suspect was charged with possession of firearms, prohibited devices and explosives, and possession of controlled items. Police said they seized 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, approximately 11,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, nearly 130 magazines, four pairs of night vision goggles and military equipment. They did not say how many of the four were members of the Canadian military. Such militia activity has been rare but growing in Canada, which is dealing with burgeoning right-wing extremism and, since the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-government sentiment. In the U.S., militia members were among those convicted and later pardoned for their role in the January 6 2021 riots. Anti-government militia members were also charged with plotting to kidnap the governor of Michigan. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, Asean has little choice but to play on Asia PM Anwar called out by his own lawmakers as Malaysia's judicial crisis heats up Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Sport Speeding likely cause of Diogo Jota car crash: Police Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's exit offer lapses Canada's Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree thanked police on X for their "decisive action." "These are serious charges. They show that Canada is not immune to acts of ideologically motivated violent extremism." REUTERS

Chinese man held in Italy on US warrant claims mistaken identity
Chinese man held in Italy on US warrant claims mistaken identity

Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Chinese man held in Italy on US warrant claims mistaken identity

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox MILAN - A Chinese man arrested in Italy on a U.S. warrant over alleged industrial espionage has opposed extradition, claiming he is a victim of mistaken identity, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Xu Zewei, a 33-year-old IT manager at a Shanghai company, appeared on Tuesday before an appeals court in Milan, which will decide whether to send him to the United States. The man was arrested last week after he arrived at Milan's Malpensa airport for a holiday in Italy with his wife. U.S. authorities allege that he was part of a team of hackers who tried to access a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Texas in 2020. "He told the judge that he had no reason to do what he is accused of and suggested that someone may have hacked into and used his account," his lawyer Enrico Giarda told reporters at the end of the hearing, which was held behind closed doors. The lawyer added that his client said his surname is quite common in China and that his mobile phone had been stolen in 2020. "We are now waiting for the U.S. authorities to send us the investigation files so that we can understand how they came to identify him as the perpetrator," Giarda said, adding that Washington has 40 days to send the documents. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, Asean has little choice but to play on Asia PM Anwar called out by his own lawmakers as Malaysia's judicial crisis heats up Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Singapore New Draft Master Plan could reignite developers' interest to buy land Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's exit offer lapses The lawyer specified that they plan to request house arrest, but only at a later stage. In the meantime, he said he expects the next hearing to be scheduled after the summer break. The charges listed on the arrest warrant are wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and unauthorised access to protected computers. REUTERS

Eligible Singaporeans to receive up to S$850 in GST Voucher cash payouts from Aug 6 and up to S$450 in MediSave top-ups from Aug 11
Eligible Singaporeans to receive up to S$850 in GST Voucher cash payouts from Aug 6 and up to S$450 in MediSave top-ups from Aug 11

Independent Singapore

time4 hours ago

  • Independent Singapore

Eligible Singaporeans to receive up to S$850 in GST Voucher cash payouts from Aug 6 and up to S$450 in MediSave top-ups from Aug 11

Photo: Depositphotos/Mizkit SINGAPORE: From Aug 6, more than 1.5 million eligible adult Singaporeans will receive up to S$850 in cash payouts, depending on their assessable income for the Year of Assessment 2024 and the annual value of their home. About 690,000 seniors will also receive up to S$450 in MediSave top-ups from Aug 11 as part of the Goods and Services Tax Voucher (GSTV) scheme, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on Monday (Jul 7). As 'the incomes of lower- and middle-income Singaporeans have improved,' the assessable income threshold for GSTV – Cash will be raised from S$34,000 to S$39,000 starting this August, the ministry said. GSTV – Cash Payouts Eligible adult Singaporeans will receive: S$850 if they live in homes with annual values of S$21,000 or below S$450 if they live in homes with annual values between S$21,000 and S$31,000 Cash payouts will be disbursed from Aug 6 for PayNow-NRIC, Aug 15 for GIRO, and Aug 22 for those receiving the payouts through GovCash. GSTV – MediSave top-ups Eligible seniors will receive the following amounts from Aug 11 based on their age and the annual value of their homes: Aged 65 to 74: S$250 if they live in homes with annual values of S$21,000 or below S$150 if they live in homes with annual values between S$21,000 and S$31,000 Aged 75 to 84: S$350 if they live in homes with annual values of S$21,000 or below S$250 if they live in homes with annual values between S$21,000 and S$31,000 Aged 85 and above: S$450 if they live in homes with annual values of S$21,000 or below S$350 if they live in homes with annual values between S$21,000 and S$31,000 Singaporeans who own more than one property are not eligible for the cash payouts and MediSave top-ups. Eligible recipients who have signed up for the GSTV – Cash and MediSave will automatically receive their payments and be notified via SMS once the money has been credited. Those without a Singpass-registered mobile number will receive a letter at the address listed on their Singapore identity card. Citizens can check their eligibility and sign up for the benefits at using their SingPass. Those who sign up by Jul 13 will receive their GSTV – Cash or MediSave top-ups in August. However, for sign-ups made from Jul 14 to Jun 20, 2026, they will get their cash payouts and MediSave top-ups within the next two months after signing up. 'Lower- to middle-income Singaporeans and households have been receiving help to defray their GST and daily expenses through the permanent GSTV Scheme,' said MOF. About S$1.5 billion will be disbursed under this year's GSTV exercise, on top of other support measures Singaporeans will receive in FY2025. /TISG Read also: S$500 in Child LifeSG Credits, Edusave, and PSEA top-ups to be disbursed from today; some Singaporeans already received credits Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only) () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store