Latest news with #MichaelThng
Independent Singapore
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Where's Michael Thng? Commenters ask after WP announces CEC update
SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party's (WP) announcement of updates to its top decision-making body was generally met with positive responses in online spaces, although a number of commenters had one question in common: 'Where's Michael Thng?' Mr Thng, who was fielded by the WP as part of its slate at Tampines GRC in last month's General Election, appears to have made quite a good impression with many in Singapore, to the point that some expected him to take a more visible place within the party. On Wednesday (June 18), the WP announced that its four new Members of Parliament— Sengkang MP Abdul Muhaimin, Aljunied MP Kenneth Tiong, and Non-Constituency MPs Eileen Chong and Andre Low—had been co-opted into its Central Executive Committee (CEC). The party also said that Ms Chong was its new Youth Wing head, taking over from Sengkang MP Jamus Lim. Many of the commenters online praised the WP for its leadership renewal, especially since party chair Sylvia Lim turned 60 earlier this year, and speculation has spread that she may only contest in one more GE. See also Pritam Singh: PAP's One-dimensional perspective A lot of netizens expressed approval of Ms Chong's new role in the party, saying that the 33-year-old is in the right place to represent the youth and begin to get ready for even bigger leadership roles. However, across different social media platforms, and even on the WP's Facebook account, netizens have been looking for Mr Thng, 37, who had made a splash during the campaign period when he said at a rally, 'We don't want to be told that the sky is white when we see it is blue.' He had also performed well during a televised debate prior to the May 3 polls. 'What about Michael Thng?' a commenter asked. 'Why didn't (the WP) include Michael Thng into the CEC,' another wanted to know, opining that Mr Thng is 'brilliant in talking.' 'I think Michael Thng should be with Eileen Choong to promote more youth to join the WP,' wrote a Facebook user. On Reddit, one asked, 'Michael Thng no more?' A commenter answered that 'Historically, the WP has voted their sitting parliamentarians into their CEC,' but added, 'have to follow their socials to see if Michael is still on the ground, I hope he is. The ground game for GE2030 has already started.' When one wondered if he had gone back to the United States, another replied that Mr Thng had just helped out at the Meet the People Session of Sengkang MP He Ting Ru the night before. Mr Thng, the chief operating officer of a tech start-up, has been volunteering with the WP for at least 15 years. 'I was always struck by his passion for Singapore, for our democratic processes, and how despite spending much time in the US, he would always fly back to be involved in election campaigns,' wrote Ms He in a social media post in April , adding that Mr Thng had gone with her when she contested at Marine Parade for GE2015 and then again at Sengkang for GE2020./TISG Read also: WP's Michael Thng: 'We don't want to be told that the sky is white when we see it is blue'
Online Citizen
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Online Citizen
Eileen Chong may be WP's best choice for NCMP, not Michael Thng
Following the 2025 General Election, the Workers' Party (WP) secured 10 elected seats in Parliament. In addition to these, WP has also been offered two Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seats. This offer stems from the WP's narrow defeats in Jalan Kayu SMC and Tampines GRC — two contests where WP recorded the highest vote percentages among the losing opposition candidates. In Jalan Kayu SMC, WP's Andre Low garnered 48.53% of the vote, falling short by just 806 votes. In Tampines GRC, the WP team comprising Faisal Manap, Michael Thng, Ong Lue Ping, Eileen Chong, and Jimmy Tan secured 47.37% of the vote — the second-closest result for a losing team. Under Singapore's electoral framework, the NCMP scheme ensures that up to 12 opposition voices are present in Parliament, even if they are not directly elected. The scheme allows the 'best-performing' losing candidates from opposition parties to take up these seats. With WP having already filled its elected seats and coming closest in these two contests, the party is entitled to both of the available NCMP slots. It is expected that Andre Low will be offered one NCMP seat. The question now turns to who from the Tampines slate will take the other. Much attention has been focused on Michael Thng. Thng, 37, drew praise during the campaign after representing WP in Mediacorp's English-language live political roundtable, where he spoke confidently without notes. His educational background and polished delivery have made him a perceived frontrunner. However, there is a compelling argument for Eileen Chong to be considered instead. Chong, 33, represented WP in the Mandarin-language political debate — a platform WP could not participate in during the 2020 election due to the lack of Mandarin-proficient representatives. Her inclusion this year not only filled that gap but also underscored her strength in engaging Mandarin-speaking audiences. This matters deeply for WP, which already has a number of capable English-speaking MPs, including Jamus Lim, Gerald Giam, and its Secretary-General himself, Pritam Singh. What the party currently lacks is a parliamentary figure who is articulate in Mandarin — an increasingly vital skill in reaching both older Chinese voters and new citizens from China, who often consume Mandarin media. Chong's language skills are complemented by a cheerful, relatable personality and her prior experience in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her seven years of service as a diplomat suggest she is more than capable of engaging with policy matters and international affairs, qualities that would enrich parliamentary debate. Additionally, her selection would support WP's efforts toward gender diversity. At present, the WP has only two female MPs among its 10 elected seats — Sylvia Lim and He Ting Ru. Lim, speaking at a rally on 28 April, openly highlighted the need for more female representation, especially in the opposition. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Workers' Party, Singapore (@wpsgp) Adding Chong as an NCMP would be a concrete move in that direction. While Thng is undoubtedly competent and well-spoken, WP's long-term interests may be better served by broadening its demographic reach. Chong offers a rare combination: linguistic agility, policy experience, and the ability to resonate with a key voter base that WP must court more seriously if it hopes to expand beyond its current electoral strongholds. Choosing Thng would reflect a safe, conventional move. Opting for Chong, on the other hand, would show a party thinking strategically — one that understands that elections are not won solely through eloquent English debates, but by connecting meaningfully with every segment of the electorate. In the next general election, the ability to speak to Chinese-speaking voters in their preferred language — and with sincerity — could prove decisive in a tight race. Chong is uniquely equipped to do exactly that.
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
GE2025: WP's Michael Thng wants to focus on Singapore's future in final days of campaign
Workers' Party candidate Michael Thng said he hopes voters can look at the need for a more diverse Parliament. ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN GE2025: WP's Michael Thng wants to focus on Singapore's future in final days of campaign Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE - Candidates from various political parties may be throwing snipes and jabs over the last few days of the hustings, but WP candidate Michael Thng remains steadfast in wanting to focus on one thing – what he believes Singapore can be. At times, there may be a need to call attention to missteps or issues in the past, he said. But in his view, the coming general election is about the 'system we want to build for Singapore, going forward'. The 37-year-old said his two speeches so far – his maiden rally speech at Temasek Junior College on April 26, and his appearance at MediaCorp's roundtable discussion alongside candidates from four other parties the next day – have focused on the same issue. 'I think Singaporeans want to know where we are headed, and want to know why (the) Workers' Party is part of that journey, and that is what I am going to focus on,' he said. Mr Thng's message to voters is simple – that policies will go through more scrutiny and deliberation with 'more balance in Parliament'. 'It needs to happen with a different party as part of that process, not with a reliance on an 'ownself check ownself' kind of mechanism, which we have seen has gaps. That is what I hope the electorate can focus on,' he said. Speaking to The Straits Times at a void deck in Tampines Street 91 on April 30, the chief operating officer and co-founder of tech start-up Showdrop was all smiles, fresh off a series of home visits in the vicinity. Throughout the interview, passers-by approached to shake the political newcomer's hand and wish him luck. While Mr Thng may be new to WP's team of candidates contesting Tampines GRC, he has volunteered with the opposition party since 2011. Tampines is touted as one of the most hotly contested constituencies, with four parties – the PAP, WP, National Solidarity Party (NSP) and People's Power Party (PPP) – vying for it. Mr Thng said he was tapped to help out with the party's outreach there in the lead-up to the polls. The WP has been walking the ground in Tampines GRC since at least 2016, but did not contest it in the 2020 General Election. Mr Michael Thng interacting with residents at 915 Tampines Street 91 on April 30. ST PHOTO: HESTER TAN Having had time to familiarise himself with the area, Mr Thng said he has developed a lot of affinity for it, with the sense of community being one example he brought up. As residents in the area come from all walks of life, Mr Thng said his approach to people is to 'adopt a listening posture' when seeking to understand them. Asked how he relates to people who may have different circumstances in life, he said: 'No single individual will have the full spectrum of experiences... I think as long as we develop this listening posture, we will be able to at least empathise and have that curiosity to really understand what is going on, and then (have a) desire to fix it.' On the competition, he said his team has bumped into the PAP team almost every other day, and their interactions are cordial. He recounted an incident that took place earlier that morning, when he saw Mr Baey Yam Keng, who checked in with the WP team to find out how they were doing. An elderly resident that Mr Thng was speaking to then quipped that 'you are all so friendly', he said with a laugh. 'We were joking (that) it shouldn't be war right? That is basically the way in which we interact with them (other parties). It is professional, it is cordial.' He added that his team has bumped into the NSP candidates once or twice during campaigning, but has yet to run into the PPP team. Mr Thng was quick to dismiss the idea that the contest for Tampines GRC is between WP's Mr Faisal Manap and the PAP's Mr Masagos Zulkifli. Echoing what Mr Faisal had said in an interview on April 28, he said that it was a competition between both teams. Besides Mr Faisal, the incumbent MP for Aljunied GRC, and Mr Thng, the WP team also features Mr Jimmy Tan, the co-founder of industrial equipment supply firm Immanuel Engineering; Institute of Mental Health senior principal clinical psychologist Ong Lue Ping; and former diplomat Eileen Chong, who now works at Singapore-based charity Asia Philanthropy Circle. Mr Thng said: 'It is important that we look at the team as a whole, because I think particularly for us, we each bring a very unique, very different perspective. 'I hope folks will recognise that and... think that it is worth voting for.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
CNA
27-04-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Singapore Votes 2025: The Roundtable
Five political parties took part in Singapore Votes 2025: The Roundtable hosted by Mediacorp. The 90-minute question-and-answer programme was broadcast live on Sunday (Apr 27) at 8pm. The parties that accepted the invitation to take part were the People's Action Party, Workers' Party, Red Dot United, People's Alliance for Reform and Progress Singapore Party. The participants representing each party were Chee Hong Tat (PAP), Michael Thng (WP), Ravi Philemon (RDU), Lim Tean (PAR) and Stephanie Tan (PSP).
CNA
27-04-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: Singapore Votes
Five political parties will take part in Singapore Votes 2025: The Roundtable hosted by Mediacorp. The 90-minute question-and-answer programme will be broadcast live on Sunday (Apr 27) at 8pm. The parties that accepted the invitation to take part are the People's Action Party, Workers' Party, Red Dot United, People's Alliance for Reform and Progress Singapore Party. The participants representing each party are Chee Hong Tat (PAP), Michael Thng (WP), Ravi Philemon (RDU), Lim Tean (PAR) and Stephanie Tan (PSP). Mediacorp said in a media release that, similar to GE2020, it intended to invite participants from the four political parties fielding the largest number of candidates to the roundtables. However, since there was a tie between two parties for the fourth spot, five parties were invited.
