GE2025 Nomination Day showdown: Flags, fans and the future of Singapore

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SINGAPORE - The wait begins over an hour before the first candidates are expected to arrive, along a sleepy road in the heart of Tampines. Reporters are on one side, packed like sardines under a sheltered walkway, curious residents on the other.

In the tide of black lapping against the gates of Poi Ching School – media personnel decked out in one of the few “neutral” shades – bobs a single flash of light blue.

Mr Loh, a mask-wearing, baseball cap-donning WP supporter who asked to be identified by his surname alone, does not live in the area, but made the early morning trek from his home in Bishan-Toa Payoh to catch a glimpse of the party he has been supporting since he was 13. 

Now 60, his belief has not wavered. “I want to see a balanced Parliament that reflects ideas from across the board. It’s good for Singapore. What would we be without checks and controls?”

Having secured his spot on the edge of a kerb, he begins his long and solitary wait outside the candidates’ gate. Other supporters trickle in slowly via another entrance, mostly dressed in the crisp white attire that is the PAP’s trademark.

With minimal fanfare, the first candidates descend on the nomination centre. First comes the People’s Power Party (PPP) shortly after 10am, followed by the PAP and the National Solidarity Party (NSP). Last to arrive is the WP, its buses pulling into the school to loud cheers from the hitherto-silent surrounding crowd of residents. 

In the middle of the media scrum, Mr Loh catches a glimpse of WP party chief Pritam Singh. He snaps his photo and turns to leave, satisfied. “I was correct. He’s here. Game over.”

Inside the school, the light rain drives supporters to a narrow walkway, now cloven into two distinct sections: one white, the other blue. A few brave souls spill into the parade square, but they are reminded not to open their party umbrellas just yet.

The same goes for posters and banners – none of it is to be unveiled until the candidates make their speeches. A PAP volunteer has been designated guardian of one such stack of paraphernalia; he says he does not know what is hidden within its folds.

But the Hougang resident, who wants to be known only as Mr Kwok, says he is ready for a change this election.

“My family has always voted PAP. We can tell there’s a difference between the estate management in our township and that of other parts of Singapore,” says the 27-year-old, who works in facilities management. For instance, the landscaping and flooding control in his constituency, which is currently run by WP’s Mr Dennis Tan, leave much to be desired, he says. 

“Let’s not even talk about the cost of living or any sort of grand policies if the basic needs of residents are not met. I get it, I’m a young person too; but let’s get the basics right first.”

On the contrary, freelance designer Sargunan’s vote hinges on the policies each party is proposing. And so far, the WP’s call for smaller class sizes in schools resonates with him.

“I was one of those kids who fell behind in a large class,” says the 36-year-old, who pledges his allegiance with a blue shirt.

He also stresses the need for more alternative voices in Parliament, a call echoed by his fellow WP supporters.

For Mr Lee, however, that is not enough, especially if none of those voices speak up for what he believes in. The 30-year-old who works in IT is among a small handful of voices cheering for the PPP – a pair of purple flags amid the blanket of white banners.

But he is not demoralised. “What’s wrong with fighting for what you believe in, even if it’s not the most popular party?”

For one supporter, the meat of the manifesto matters not at all. Ms Jasmine Chen, mother of NSP’s Tampines candidate Eugene Yeo Ren-Yuan, is here out of maternal affection. Says the 76-year-old retiree: “I can’t help out with his walkabouts, so I can only show my support here.”

And her son will need all the moral encouragement he can get, given the four-cornered fight that looms ahead of him. “He’s in a smaller party, so sometimes he faces greater hardship. But he still believes in the party and trusts in his experience, so I think he’ll know what to do,” Ms Chen says.

Promises ring out from the balcony once the candidates reappear to deliver their speeches. Vows for a better life, in a changed Singapore, made in a variety of languages, all greeted by alternating cheers from the blue and white sections of the parade square. 

On each side, confidence crackles like electricity.

A different rhythm in the West

If Tampines buzzes with the energy of long-time supporters and newcomers, the West Coast-Jurong West GRC nomination centre pulses with a different rhythm.

It was the tightest race of the last election, but here, there is a sense of the action lying elsewhere. As cheerleading contingents from the PAP and Progress Singapore Party (PSP) take their posts at either end of the Nan Hua High School square, the talk in both camps is firmly on other towns – the shock walkover in Marine Parade, the showdown in Punggol.

Chalk it up to experience. The rival factions are of the same profile: silver-haired and liver-spotted, genial retirees trading gossip while waving party flags. Umbrellas double as walking canes and, in the women’s washroom, “bad knees” rule out the squatting stall for most.

But like the returning patriarch of Ayer Rajah, PSP’s Dr Tan Cheng Bock, they seem to say “don’t count me out”.

Their numbers are formidable. For the 50 or so PSP supporters at the centre, there must be some 200 from the PAP.

With a younger man’s bravado, 63-year-old PSP volunteer Ramli Mohamed brushes off the ruling party’s vigorous turnout. Part of the island of red shirts in a sea of white, the handyman leads a small group of PSP men past “enemy” lines to the PAP corner of the parade square.

“Who are we? PSP!” they roar, with a thunder to match the “lightning risk” alerts intermittently issued over the speakers. 

Not to be outdone, the PAP swarm blow on shrill whistles in a friendly exchange. 

When finally, the candidates for Pioneer SMC, Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, Jurong Central SMC and the closely watched West Coast-Jurong West GRC appear to greet the people, it is boisterous all around.

Though only Dr Tan is cheered by name, no one can best the volume of the massive PAP crowd, not least when Minister for National Development Desmond Lee steps out. Armed to the hilt with clappers, pom-poms, banners and LED signs, the men and women in white drown out the half-hearted hectoring of a Red Dot United (RDU) supporter.

The gauntlet thrown down by PSP leaders Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa –

challenging the incumbent West Coast PAP team to a debate on national policies

– is the big finish, delivered in English, Mandarin and Malay. In a few hours, it will be dubbed the first shot fired, but it barely registers in the moment, with the red shirts whooping at the usual pitch and the PAP supporters watching quietly, arms behind backs.

Gawkers – by their own admission, impartial – dot the sidelines, amused by the charge in the air. Some, like neighbours Choo Meng Foo, 60, and Phillip Lim, 75, are there to “document” the human drama of an election with their cameras.

It is an occasion of some import for Mr Lim, who is leavening his depression with his new hobby of street photography. He bought his $1,600 camera two days ago, specially for the hustings.

For all the bluster of competition, there are still moments of friendship across the political aisle. 

During a brief but intense early afternoon downpour, a group of PSP stragglers walks unsheltered into the centre. A woman in white rushes to meet them with umbrellas. A man in red accepts gratefully.

For an instant, they stopped to chat. 

Heart of the drama

Meanwhile, in the north-east, Yusof Ishak Secondary School stands as the epicentre of Nomination Day drama.

In the exuberant crowd is a wide range of curious onlookers, including students who got the day off, a clutch of live streamers and several retirees offering their take on local politics to all who would listen.

“I think some people are taking pictures of me... Aiyoh,” says one white-clad supporter while taking selfies at a nearby bus stop.

Inside the compound, the quadrangle is divided into two, with white-clad supporters mostly on one side, and those in other colours on the other.

A ripple of excitement sweeps through the crowd with the arrival of Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, and the surprising news that he is leaving his long-time Chua Chu Kang GRC to become anchor minister for Punggol GRC.

Not long after, DPM Heng Swee Keat appears alongside the East Coast GRC team, only to drop a political bombshell –

announcing his retirement in a heartfelt Facebook post

– later in the day.

The excitement isn’t limited to politicians. Olympic champion Joseph Schooling is spotted among the PAP contingent, waving to the crowd and lending star power to the proceedings. 

Students who returned to school out of curiosity find themselves at the heart of the action.

“It’s so strange because today it’s like that, bustling with all these people here, and tomorrow, we’re going to come back and it’ll be normal,” says 16-year-old Yong Wing Ben, gesturing at the makeshift stage where candidates will soon address the nation. “You know, even being out here with a lightning alert in effect, it’s surreal.”

His friend, Miguel Marquez, 15, is more excited to see former Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim, who represented his constituency.

Having made an unsuccessful run for student council president – he is now the vice-president – Miguel wants to see how a general election is run so he can improve his future campaign.

The boys later wave to their vice-principals, Mr Teddy Lin and Ms Loh Sein Ling, who are on the second floor serving as election officers.

As the drizzle fades and the midday heat sets in, the crowd thins, but the diehards remain – older men in the shade, trading theories, live-streaming to their handful of followers, and waiting for the official word.

Among them is Mr Peter Goh, 65, who has taken two buses from Siglap, wearing a lime-green shirt from his volunteering days. He has fond memories of his retiring MP, Dr Maliki Osman.

“I helped out for many years and he was always very nice to me, so even if Maliki is retiring, I want to come and show my support for Hazlina Abdul Halim since she’s new,” he says with a toothless grin.

By 1pm, impatience grows. At 1.09pm, the deputy returning officer finally appears, confirming a contested election.

Cheers erupt as candidates in light blue – WP colours – emerge, red flags with yellow hammers unfurl, and chants of “Workers’ Party! Workers’ Party!” echo across the quadrangle.

Punggol GRC candidate Harpreet Singh Nehal’s speech is met with a roar.

Not to be outdone, the white-clad PAP supporters, led by retiring Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, rally with a spirited “Majulah PAP! Majulah Singapura!”

Petals and plot twists

Yet, not every corner of Singapore throbs with the same intensity.

Tucked away on a secluded stretch of Pang Sua Park Connector, the supporters’ gate at Jurong Pioneer Junior College opens to a gentle start on Nomination Day. Two enthusiastic PAP supporters walk in when the police remove the barricade at about 10am. The calm morning sets the tone for the day, as the three constituencies – Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, Chua Chu Kang GRC and Bukit Gombak SMC – are not touted as fierce contests.

Retirees Ng Kee Chew, 72, and Lim Ah Choong, 77, have come bearing four orchid garlands they bought at a nearby Marsiling flower market in support of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is leading the PAP team in Marsiling-Yew Tee against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

“I don’t think it will be a tough fight here because it is the Prime Minister’s territory,” says Mr Ng, who is a Marsiling-Yew Tee voter.

The air turns energetic when hundreds of PAP supporters finally arrive. Decked in full white, they carry banners and clapping hand toys into the stadium. Mrs Marina Nawi, 71, says she is there with a “bus” of her exercise buddies at her RC to support Ms Low Yen Ling, who is contesting in Bukit Gombak SMC against veteran technologist Harish Pillay from the PSP.

Adding a splash of colour and cheer to the scene is Mr Victor Ronnie Lai – also known as Mr Sunflower – who is in a yellow singlet, bright yellow shoes, a sunflower in one hand and a little earth mascot on the other. He quips: “I’m an independent – I respect all politicians if they are good.”

The Chua Chu Kang resident had wanted to compete in Pioneer SMC in 2020, but failed to get enough assenters. The retired financial accountant is not contesting this election, but says he has turned up because the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister were expected to be here.

“I hope that, after the election, I may consider applying to be a climate Nominated MP,” says Mr Lai, who is passionate about climate change issues.

In a surprising turn, DPM Gan does not appear at the nomination centre, having been moved to Punggol GRC. Instead, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng will anchor the PAP team in Chua Chu Kang GRC, setting up a high-stakes face-off against the PSP.

Many are caught off guard by the reshuffle, including PSP member Khush Chopra, who reckons the party’s odds in the GRC are probably better now.

 “You bring in a new face at the last minute – I’m not sure how helpful it is. But the PAP will have its reasons.”

Meanwhile, despite braving the torrential rain and enduring four hours without toilets nearby, Mr Ng and Mr Lim are not successful in presenting their garlands personally to the Prime Minister and his team. They could watch only from the bleachers when PM Wong comes out briefly to make a speech to his Marsiling-Yew Tee residents.

“We won’t try to see him any more today, we’re told there won’t be a chance to,” says Mr Ng. The four orchid garlands lay unused in two red plastic bags, as the duo make their way home.

It was their personal plot twist in a day strewn with other political surprises. But the duo may meet the PM again in the next nine days on the campaign trail. Perhaps then, they will finally get their chance to turn a missed moment into a joyful shower of petals.