GE2015: 7 Things Spotted On The Campaign Trail, Sept 3 edition

SINGAPORE - From food centres to train stations, candidates continued their second day of campaigning in earnest on Thursday across the island. Here are seven things that caught our attention on the campaign trail today.

1. Want a photo with the PM? Get in line

PM Lee at Ang Mo Kio bus interchange on the morning of Thursday, Sept 3, 2015. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

With a non-stop stream of people eager for a handshake or a photo with Mr Lee, activists around him soon had to start getting commuters to get in line for their five seconds with PM Lee.

Remote video URL

Singapore, definitely queue-nation.

2. These boots are made for walking

When you are on your feet all day for walkabouts, nothing is more important than your aching feet getting the proper protection they need in a pair of comfortable shoes. So quite a number of candidates have swopped their working leather shoes for running gear or sneakers.

Mr Low Thia Khiang opted for hiking boots as he met residents on Thursday morning. ST PHOTO: CHONG ZI LIANG

3. Have exercise, can eat prata

Is there an internal fitness competition within the People's Action Party? A day after Marine Parade GRC's Tan Chuan-Jin was seen jogging from house to house to canvass votes, Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim showed he is also getting his steps in by posting a photo of his daily activity summary from the Jawbone activity tracker he wears.

On day two of campaigning, the Jalan Besar GRC anchor minister logged 23,267 steps over about 18.6km, burning about 2,465 calories in the process. No wonder he was able to enjoy a guilt-free breakfast of roti prata on Thursday morning.

The PAP's Sembawang GRC candidate Lim Wee Kiak also chipped in with his achievement - he ran six blocks in the afternoon and clocked more than 20km.

4. Fanning the fire that is Kevryn Lim

Judging by the campaign materials the National Solidarity Party's Sembawang GRC team was handing out on Thursday morning, it's not hard to guess who's their not-so-secret weapon in the coming polls.

A fan with the NSP's Kevryn Lim's face on it. ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM

Ms Lim, a former model and now a single mum with a two-year-old son, is the second youngest candidate to be contesting the 2015 General Election and has generated a fair amount of online buzz. She has said that she will champion single mums' rights.

Remote video URL

5. Candidates' faces on campaign posters are so 2011

Take a gander around certain areas of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and you might have noticed the striking red and black posters put up by the Singapore Democratic Alliance.

Instead of going down the boring route of having the candidates' faces printed on the posters, the party has opted to mix it up with snappy messages that convey the hot-button issues this election. "Say no to 6.9", screamed one poster, evidently referring to the Government's contentious Population White Paper, while another called for Singaporeans to have greater control over their Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings.

The National Solidarity Party also zeroed in on CPF in one of its posters.

6. Honey water, artwork, with love

Many of the candidates who are pounding the campaign trail from dawn to dusk are navigating their hectic schedules with the help of their family members.

Several posted on social media how their loved ones - more specifically their children - are a welcome refuge of calm and support.

Workers' Party's Yee Jenn Jong, for instance, went home to a mug of honey water made by his eldest daughter after a night of rally speaking. Party mate Leon Perera received a handmade card from his nine-year-old daughter.

The People's Action Party's Vivian Balakrishnan, meanwhile, was content to have been able to squeeze in a quick meal with wife Joy at Bukit Panjang Plaza before he continued on the campaign trail.

7. Vandal on the loose

For the second day in a row, campaign posters for the People's Action Party appear to have fallen victim to acts of mischief.

Posters featuring the face of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, party chief of the PAP, were seen torn on Thursday.

A day earlier, campaign posters at Sengkang East were also ripped. They were later replaced.

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.