SINGAPORE - With a slate that will consist of academics and professionals, the Red Dot United (RDU) party said it is confident it has a fighting chance against the ruling PAP at the coming polls.
On the sidelines of a porridge distribution event at Bukit Batok East Point on March 15, RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon also revealed a potential new face to the media, tech start-up business director Pang Heng Chuan.
The area is part of the reconfigured Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, which is one of the six constituencies that the opposition party intends to contest in the general election.
Mr Philemon introduced Mr Pang as one of the architects of the RDU’s economic proposals, and called the RDU central executive council member “a clear thinker, committed leader, and a compassionate person.”
Mr Pang was part of a group of about 15 RDU members and volunteers who gave out porridge and interacted with residents for about an hour. The group included former RDU candidate for Jurong GRC and author Liyana Dhamirah.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Pang said he joined RDU after GE2020. Issues he is concerned about include cost of living, and for a Singapore where citizens have a fair share of economic growth.
Under RDU, he has stepped in to write to town councils and MPs on behalf of residents, including on cleanliness issues.
He said he has been walking the ground in Radin Mas, Jurong and Nee Soon, and does not know yet where he might be fielded.
RDU’s first election outing was in 2020, when the party was just three weeks old. Led by Mr Philemon, the RDU team stood in Jurong GRC against a team led by then-Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The PAP won with 74.62 percent of the vote.
Mr Philemon pointed out that since GE2020, the party has concentrated its efforts on the Taman Jurong ward where it had its weakest performance due to the popularity of Mr Tharman.
Supporters had told him that RDU would stand a better chance in Jurong GRC after Mr Tharman left the constituency to become President, but the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee’s report has hived off Taman Jurong into the new West Coast-Jurong West GRC.
“These are the cards we’ve been dealt with. If you ask me if it’s fair, I will say that it’s not fair because we have put in a lot of work,” he said.
But the party is prepared for the upcoming elections, with over 20 people having been trained as potential candidates since February 2024, he said. The training included professional grooming and education on the party’s policies.
“In the past five years, we have built enough brand (recognition), and we have enough good people.
“In 2020 we were a 11-man party, while in 2025 we have 250 people helping us in different areas of party activities,” said Mr Philemon.
As it happened, RDU’s porridge distribution event coincided in place and time with a similar event by incumbent Jurong GRC MP Rahayu Mahzam, who represents the Bukit Batok East ward.
Jurong GRC MP, Rahayu Mahzam, speaking with Red Dot United (RDU), Secretary-General, Ravi Philemon at Bukit Batok East Point as the both of them had porridge distribution events nearby on Mar 15, 2025.
Incumbent Jurong GRC MP Rahayu Mahzam speaking to RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon at Bukit Batok East Point on March 15.ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Mr Philemon said his party had intended to use the same pavilion as Mdm Rahayu for their event, but realised the night before that the venue had been booked.
It was too late to get another location as volunteers had already been informed, but Mr Philemon said he gave clear instructions that RDU’s event be held a distance from the pavilion and to not obstruct what the MP of the area was doing.
In a cordial and friendly exchange, Mr Philemon and Madam Rahayu shook hands and passed each other the porridge they were distributing.
Madam Rahayu said: “Everyone’s entitled to start their efforts in engaging residents, so I’m not surprised because (RDU) did contest here last time.”
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