Deep Dive GE2025 Podcast: PAP's Jasmin Lau on saying 'yes' to politics but staying true to herself
PAP new face Jasmin Lau, who is contesting in Ang Mo Kio GRC, went from government scholar to rising up the ranks in the civil service.
She tells Otelli Edwards on this special series of the Deep Dive podcast how she copes with self-doubt and why she said yes to joining politics.
Here is an excerpt from the conversation:
Otelli Edwards, host:
So just going back to that big decision to be in the public eye, to potentially be an office holder. Firstly, you said that you are an introvert and that it takes quite a bit out of you, for instance, to meet and greet (people) and to really open yourself up. But you have to in this position. As a matter of fact, you rejected the (PAP) a few times.
Jasmin Lau, PAP candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC:
Yeah ... now people know I rejected (them) so many times.
Otelli:
So what was it that made you say: 'Okay yes, I'm just going to go ahead with it, although I have to make a lot of sacrifices.'
Jasmin:
This word about sacrifice is used very often by candidates from every party. Everybody says it's some sacrifice.
Actually it's not that we as political candidates are making a much bigger sacrifice than other people. There are many others out there who make sacrifices in their life to do (their) jobs.
Some do multiple jobs and they sacrifice the time away from the kids too.
So I feel bad and guilty using that word because no matter what, we are still fortunate and comfortable. We live in relatively sheltered lives, even though now it's public, but there are many others who have real unseen sacrifices.
So while you may frame it as a sacrifice, to me I see as this as a responsibility.
If we have been blessed with either (the) skills, experience, intelligence, and you are asked to go and do something, it's responsibility and not so much of a sacrifice.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
Thousands show up in support of LGBTQ community at annual Pink Dot rally
SINGAPORE: Heavy rainfall on Saturday (Jun 28) afternoon halted just in time as the 17th edition of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rally Pink Dot began. Thousands of supporters brought Hong Lim Park to life with bold outfits in different hues of pink. They lounged on picnic mats, reconnected with old friends and made new ones, while children ran around with balloons in hand and pet dogs trotted alongside their owners. This year's theme, "Different Stories, Same Love", aims to celebrate love in all its forms as the LGBTQ community comes together to share hopes for a more inclusive future. This is the third year of Pink Dot since Section 377A, a decades-old law criminalising gay sex, was repealed in November 2022. Two Members of Parliament (MPs) from the People's Action Party (PAP) were spotted visiting booths and engaging with committee members from Pink Dot. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event, MP for Potong Pasir SMC Alex Yeo said he was 'very happy' to be at the rally to engage and listen to the concerns of the LGBTQ community. 'They are part of the Singaporean community, very important part of our community, our overall social compact in our community. And so therefore we are very happy to be here,' Mr Yeo said. MP for Sembawang GRC Ng Shi Xuan said Pink Dot has deepened understanding and created more awareness surrounding topics of inclusivity. 'Conversations will help us to understand each other better. And conversations means two-way right? You talk and you listen. So that's very important,' Mr Ng said. Workers' Party MPs for Sengkang GRC Louis Chua and He Ting Ru were also seen at the rally, but declined to speak to the media. STRONGER ACCEPTANCE, BUT STILL WAYS TO GO Members of the LGBTQ community told CNA they felt more accepted in recent years, with some saying they no longer shy away from attending the rally. Ms Ann, who attended Pink Dot for the fourth time, said she used to feel scared and would only walk outside of Hong Lim Park, but has gained the courage to show up in recent years. 'I know a lot of people who exist very separately from issues that are happening in the queer community,' she said. 'Showing up just helps people remember that there is a community here.' Mr Benjamin Lee, who has been with his male partner for 25 years, said he feels that Singaporeans are more accepting towards the gay community compared to more than two decades ago. 'We had to be more prudent 25 years ago, but we're more open now,' the 53-year-old said. Accompanied by her husband and five-year-old son, 35-year-old Ms Gladys said they attended the rally on Saturday to spend 'family time' together. 'I always believed in freedom to love and to show support towards friends and family. These are the lessons I want to teach my son.' However, others said that more acceptance of the LGBTQ community is needed. Ms Diana said Singapore is a lot more tolerant, which is a "good step forward". "(But) I think Singapore is still conservative. It still takes time for the older generation to get used to us," she said. Ms Diana added: "The inertia, the resistance, is a normal state of mind. But if you close yourself up from the onset, the only person who loses out is you." For Ms Cally Cheung and Ms Ching Sia, two women who are raising a daughter together, having her at Pink Dot with them gives them hope for a future where their family will be legally accepted. 'Someone recently asked me, 'What is the hope for the future?' She is the hope. Just looking at her and thinking about how we are raising her, she is the hope for us,' Ms Cheung said. 'It's a privilege to be able to raise a child and to be able to have a family. And we don't take that privilege lightly,' Ms Sia added. A big part of this year's rally is also aimed at sending a message to Singaporeans of the future, 'to let them know that we are thinking about them, that we are fighting for a future where they can feel more free and more equal and more included than our own community today', said Pink Dot spokesperson Clement Tan. This message was showcased in the form of a time capsule at Hong Lim Park, where almost 70 objects ranging from jewellery to clothing items were placed inside and sealed until 2050. The night ended with attendees holding up pink lights as they enjoyed a performance on stage. 'Pink Dot here exists today because we can prove that what was impossible is possible. In 25 years' time, who knows what may change," said Mr Tan.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Poland says arms race could lead to Putin's fall
Russian President Vladimir Putin is "waging a very expensive war" in Ukraine, said Poland's foreign minister. PHOTO: AFP WARSAW - Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said June 26 that a new arms race could lead to the fall of Russian President Vladimir Putin's 'regime', just like it toppled the Soviet Union. The Nato member's top diplomat spoke after the Western defence alliance agreed to massively ramp up defence spending, seen as vital to counter the threat from Russia. 'Putin should understand that he is on the path of (Soviet leader Leonid) Brezhnev. He himself once said that the Soviet Union collapsed because it spent too much on armament, and now he is doing exactly the same thing,' Mr Sikorski said, in an interview with AFP, the Polish news agency PAP and German agency DPA. 'He is waging a very expensive war... scared the whole West into reinforcing its defence spending,' Mr Sikorski said, adding: 'We are doing it because Putin is threatening us'. 'This means that from an economy the size of Texas, Putin will have to squeeze out even more defence funds. Hopefully with a similar result for the regime (to that of the Soviet Union), but faster.' Nato's 32 countries agreed to US President Donald Trump's headline target of 5 per cent of GDP on defence spending following two days of talks in The Hague. The compromise hatched by Nato sees countries promise to dedicate 3.5 per cent of GDP to core military spending by 2035, and a further 1.5 per cent to broader security-related areas such as infrastructure. Underpinning the leaders' discussions on defence was Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, with the summit's final statement referring to the 'long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security'. Mr Trump also signed off on a final declaration confirming an 'ironclad commitment' to Nato's collective defence pledge that an attack on one is an attack on all – a reassuring move for European countries worried about Russia. 'Trump understands' Fearing threats from neighbouring Russia, Poland has for several years rapidly modernised its military, with a string of arms contracts, mainly with the United States and South Korea. It has already earmarked 4.7 per cent of its GDP for military expenditure this year, and in 2026 it aims to raise it further. Mr Sikorski said 'Trump understands now that it is Russia that does not want an end to the war' in Ukraine, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022. He said that at the Nato summit, 'I drew attention to the fact that this shows a lack of respect on the part of Vladimir Putin towards the peace initiatives of President Trump'. Poland's foreign affairs minister, Mr Radoslaw Sikorski, said US President Donald Trump understands that Russia does not want an end to its war in Ukraine. PHOTO: AFP Mr Sikorski also hailed Germany – Europe's biggest economy – for its efforts to boost its military. This week Germany revealed plans to reach the 3.5 per cent level for core spending six years early, in 2029, with the vast extra outlays necessary made possible after the country eased its rules on taking on debt. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has vowed to build Europe's 'strongest conventional army' to counter the growing threat from Moscow. Mr Sikorski said 'we are good allies and we need to build a kind of force that will not scare anybody but that will deter Putin'. 'And I would see the need to counter the Russian missile threat from the Kaliningrad exclave as an urgent Polish-German challenge,' he added. Poland shares a border with Russia's heavily militarised Kaliningrad exclave. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
4 days ago
- AsiaOne
WP wants to be 'insurance' for Singapore should PAP suffer 'major malfunction': Pritam in Malaysian podcast, Singapore News
SINGAPORE — The Workers' Party wants to get to a position where it is ready to step in and govern, should the ruling PAP suffer a "major malfunction", said Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh. "You want to be in a position where you can say: 'Look, we're ready because we've got these years of experience under our belt,'" he added. This would be a "great insurance for Singapore", said Singh, who has been party chief since 2018. "I'm not saying me and my colleagues today will be in that position, but we certainly want to put the party in that position," he added. Singh, who was making his first podcast appearance, was responding to a question by former Malaysian health minister Khairy Jamaluddin on whether he could see a Singapore without the PAP at the helm. Khairy and former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan are hosts of popular Malaysian political podcast Keluar Sekejap, which translates to "out for a moment". [embed] In an almost two hour-long session uploaded to YouTube on June 24, Singh also said he would not want to be prime minister of Singapore. "I think my role is to normalise the idea of an opposition in Singapore," he said. He hopes to bring more like-minded people on board to achieve a "functioning and effective" parliamentary democracy. His comments — filmed during a family holiday to Malaysia — come about two months after the 2025 General Election held on May 3. In that outing, the WP held on to its 10 seats in Aljunied, Hougang and Sengkang. It also picked up two Non-Constituency MP seats for its Jalan Kayu and Tampines GRC candidates, following close fights in those constituencies. They form the WP's largest contingent in Parliament, after the party fielded 26 candidates in eight constituencies out of the 97 seats and 33 constituencies available. The podcast covered a wide range of topics, including Mr Singh's background and motivation to join politics, the party's strategy at the recent election, and its role in Singapore's political landscape. Throughout the podcast, Singh reiterated his view of WP's role as a check and balance to the ruling party, given the appetite of Singapore voters today. This came through in his response to comments referenced by Khairy, that suggested Singh's strategy in the general election showed a "lack of ambition" — for instance, by not contesting outside the "bunker" of Aljunied GRC where he has been since 2011. Khairy also asked if the party should pivot away from Singh's medium-term goal, set in 2019, of contesting and winning one-third of the seats in Parliament. The one-third goal is tied to Singapore's laws, which state that constitutional amendments require two-thirds majority support in the House. Singh said he has to understand what Singaporeans want and how they respond to language which reflects ambition. "I have to have a good finger on the pulse of Singaporeans... If that language is not in sync with their broad understanding of what they want out of politics in Singapore, then ambition can be a death knell for any politician in Singapore," he said. "If we accept that Singaporeans are pragmatic and there's no demand for a change of government, then going out there, flying a flag which says 'I'm your Prime Minister-in-waiting' is probably, with respect, an act of foolishness." The party's strategy is determined by its sense of the pulse of Singaporeans, Singh said. If the public has an appetite for something else, the party should be sensitive to it. "If not, it's a gamble and gambles don't work very well in Singapore politics," he added. But the party did have a "complete change" of strategy as compared with in 2020 — in Tampines and Punggol GRCs and Jalan Kayu SMC, in particular, where the party presented strong cases, said Singh, who did not elaborate on the change. Those three constituencies were the WP's closest losses. Singh said this sense of what Singaporeans want is also why much of the party's work is done at the margins — to bring the voices of people who fall between the cracks to Parliament — rather than to present a radically different vision of Singapore. He added that on a day-to-day level, Singapore is a decent place to live, thrive, grow and raise a family, "and that's not what we are trying to destroy". "But in spite of all that, there is a desire amongst many Singaporeans for political balance, and we know that, and we try and tap that." Shahril pointed to other opposition political parties in Singapore that appear to have a different view of the opposition's job, as they offer policy ideas that are "more radical than the WP's", which has sometimes been described as a half-step to the left. Singh acknowledged those views, but said that while everyone wants a successful Singapore, the question is how to get there. "Ultimately, one view will prevail, and I think that's the view that the public can relate to most naturally. And hence, in comparison to the other opposition parties, we present this particular vision for this moment in time," he said. If that view changes, the WP wants to be in a position to pivot very quickly. But the party cannot pivot or talk about change if it does not have a position in Parliament, he added. Shahril asked if WP had "missed the trick of trying to get into the emotional register" as opposed to being managerial and technocratic, by not raising issues of discontent among Singaporeans such as the cost of living. Singh said the party had talked about cost of living and housing during the election, but "the PAP didn't take the bait". The PAP ran a "very, very tight campaign" where there were no gaffes, and the strategy was not to talk about the pain points, he said. "The Singaporean voter is very sophisticated, and accordingly, we have to align our politics in a way which can ensure that the opposition continues to grow and thrive in the Singapore context," he added. Singh was also asked about how he dealt with his court case, where he was fined in February for lying to a parliamentary committee during its 2021 inquiry into former WP MP Raeesah Khan's conduct. He has appealed against his conviction and sentence. He said: "When your conscience is clear, and you do not agree with what has been done to you, there's a certain clarity of mind, clarity of thought, clarity of purpose, that keeps you focused on what you are in this for, and that really has been my lodestar." He pointed to a BBC report that said the case had almost no impact during the elections, adding that "without going into details, I did fairly respectably in my constituency". Singh was also asked how Singapore manages multiracialism and multiculturalism. The ruling government in Singapore takes this very seriously, said Singh. "I cannot think of any other way to manage a society with different races than telling all of them that all of you are important and everybody has a place at the table." While it is not perfect, the fundamental building block of any society is to respect one another, he said. Asked if he would do it any differently, he said: "I wouldn't, because I am passionately race neutral about things." This does not mean he ignores reality, but being race neutral is how he views Singapore and aspires the country to be, he added. Multiracialism is something Singapore continues to work at, and "as an opposition member, I want to be part of the solution in that", he said. Asked if there was data to show electoral support by ethnic groups, Singh said that as residential areas have a mix of people, "you can't really tell which community voted in which particular direction". Whether one is a member of the Singapore government or an opposition politician, the approach to race is that it is not something to be brought into the political realm — not something to score political points on, added Singh. [[nid:719134]] This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.
