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Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Reform Party to leave opposition group People's Alliance for Reform, two parties remain
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.
Online Citizen
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Online Citizen
GE2025: PAR introduces two new faces among four more potential candidates
SINGAPORE: The People's Alliance for Reform (PAR) introduced four additional prospective candidates on 20 April 2025 for the upcoming General Election, including two who will be making their electoral debut. The new faces are Sarina Abu Hassan, a nurse at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, and Nadarajan Selvamani, who runs a private school. They were presented during a walkabout at Jalan Batu Market and Food Centre, located in Mountbatten Single Member Constituency (SMC). PAR secretary-general Lim Tean welcomed them into the fold, saying the two candidates 'couldn't have chosen a better party to come to'. Also introduced were veteran campaigners Kumar Appavoo and Prabu Ramachandran, although Lim noted that the final line-up of constituencies is still pending confirmation. Singaporeans will head to the polls on 3 May, with Nomination Day set for Wednesday. Sarina Abu Hassan: Veteran Nurse with a Focus on Livelihood and Healthcare Sarina, 54, has been in the nursing profession for 35 years and has previously done political work with other parties. According to her biography provided by PAR, she is currently pursuing a diploma in nursing and is a mother of four. She said she intends to focus her campaign on job security, sustainability, and the livelihood of Singaporeans, particularly in relation to the healthcare system and initiatives such as free food for schoolchildren. 'I hope I can make a difference,' she said. 'I hope that I can reach out and impart my knowledge and skills, with the experience I've gathered over the years with other political parties.' She added that she did not want to 'miss this opportunity to stand as a candidate'. Nadarajan Selvamani: Educator and Musician Championing Housing and Education Nadarajan, 59, brings over two decades of experience in the education industry, having previously worked in the marine sector for eight years. He is also a musician and has supported the Peoples Voice (PV) party in the past, assisting at polling stations and during election campaigns. 'They had enough candidates at that time. So now I wanted to give it a shot—maybe to enhance or help them, further support them,' he told reporters. Nadarajan said he was drawn to PAR's causes and wants to focus on housing issues and the push for free education. If elected, he said he hopes to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to 5 per cent. Returning Candidates: Prabu Ramachandran and Kumar Appavoo Prabu, 37, a commercial banker, previously contested under the Reform Party (RP) and later with the Peoples Voice. In the 2020 General Election, he was part of the PV team that contested in Pasir Ris–Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and garnered 12.17 per cent of the vote in a three-cornered fight. The People's Action Party (PAP), led by then-Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, won the ward with 64.16 per cent of the vote, while the Singapore Democratic Alliance took 23.67 per cent. Prabu emphasised the importance of having alternative voices in Parliament. 'It is responsible to vote for a plurality of voices in Parliament. Our country's structure allows us to hold the government accountable during the campaign period, but if we are not elected, we cannot do so throughout the next five years.' Businessman Kumar Appavoo is also no stranger to elections. He previously contested in West Coast GRC under RP in 2011, and in Radin Mas SMC in both 2015 and 2020 under RP's banner, losing all three attempts. He advocates for a reduction in the cost of living and questioned whether the GST could be reduced to as low as 1 per cent. PAR to Contest 7 Constituencies in GE2025 On Friday, PAR announced it will field 14 candidates across seven constituencies: Jalan Besar and Tanjong Pagar GRCs, and Mountbatten, Potong Pasir, Queenstown, Radin Mas, and Yio Chu Kang SMCs. It will not contest Marymount, Jalan Kayu, and Kebun Baru SMCs. Lim said this decision was made 'after careful deliberation and also taking into account the interest of the other parties and their movements'. PAR, a coalition of RP, PV, and the Democratic Progressive Party, has not yet released its full manifesto. However, Lim said the alliance would focus on five key issues for GE2025: the cost of living, affordability of public housing, job insecurity, institutional reforms, and 'taking back our Singapore identity and nation', a point he linked to immigration concerns.
