GE2025: Workers' Party's Faisal Manap doesn't see himself as going up 'against' Masagos in Tampines GRC

SINGAPORE: The contest for Tampines GRC at Singapore's May 3 General Election is about "a team versus another team", said Workers’ Party (WP) candidate Faisal Manap on Monday (Apr 26).

“I don’t see myself as going against Masagos,” he said, referring to the People's Action Party (PAP) candidate for Tampines GRC Masagos Zulkifli, who is Minister for Social and Family Development as well as Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.

Mr Faisal was answering a question from the media on the sidelines of a Tampines walkabout. He had been an MP for Aljunied GRC since 2011, before making a surprise move to helm the WP's Tampines GRC slate for the polls on Saturday.

The Group Representation Constituency will see a rare four-cornered fight between the opposition WP, People's Power Party and National Solidarity Party; and a PAP lineup led by Mr Masagos, who has defended Tampines GRC since 2006.

Mr Faisal on Monday noted that the GRC system, as established by the PAP, required minority representation. "And here I am, you know, the minority for the team.”

He was also asked about Malaysia-based Singaporean religious teacher Noor Deros, who has come into the spotlight for his social media posts mixing race, religion and politics. Mr Noor has criticised Mr Masagos while calling on voters to cast their ballots for Mr Faisal; and also claimed to have met the WP’s Malay candidates.

Mr Faisal said he was open to meeting “everyone for the sake of listening”.

He said he has always pressed for open conversations, and not shied away from bringing up “sensitive” topics in parliament.

"That is the right way to move forward. We must believe in the value and beauty of diversity,” he said.

Mr Faisal added that if people do not have these conversations and are suppressed, they will “one day blow up”.

“But it doesn’t mean that when we listen to people, we agree with them,” he said.

This was the first time that Mr Faisal addressed the posts made by Mr Noor.

Mr Noor's post began to make headlines after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Elections Department Singapore (ELD) said in a statement on Friday that they had detected online posts made by foreigners attempting to influence the General Election.

Their Facebook posts, which have since been taken down, mixed religion and politics and expressed support for certain opposition candidates running in GE2025.

Although Mr Noor was not named as one of the foreigners, his own Facebook posts, which urged the Muslim community to vote along religious lines, drew public attention.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Saturday that foreigners urging Singaporeans to vote along religious lines have "crossed the line" and that Singaporeans alone should decide on Singapore politics.

Several opposition parties, including the WP, followed suit in speaking out against foreign interference in the upcoming General Election.

When asked about voters who may vote for him because of Mr Noor, Mr Faisal said “all voters are smart enough to consider … to weigh the different arguments”.

“I leave it to the intelligence of the voters, and I respect the voters' decision to vote whoever they want to vote.”

He also said that residents were not concerned about identity politics, and pointed to his track record in Aljunied GRC's Kaki Bukit ward.

“That has been the way for me for 14 years in Kaki Bukit,” he said, suggesting that the media ask Kaki Bukit residents about him. 

“I don’t think there’s any issue about me being a minority that I cannot become the voice of the Chinese majority.”

“THEY’VE WAITED FOR US”

Alongside Mr Faisal on Monday were his fellow Tampines GRC candidates Michael Thng, Ong Lue Ping, Eileen Chong and Jimmy Tan.

Party chief Pritam Singh, chair Sylvia Lim and Tampines Changkat SMC candidate Kenneth Foo were also present.

Mr Faisal and Mr Thng both told the media that residents in Tampines had conveyed how they have been waiting for the WP to contest there.

“The most common refrain we keep hearing is how long they've waited for us to be here, and so we're very happy to give them the choice this election and to be given the chance to serve them for the next five years,” said Mr Thng.

He added that when it comes to estate maintenance, the team would “lean on the experience we’ve had in Aljunied, Sengkang and Hougang” - constituencies where the WP is incumbent - as well as on Mr Faisal’s experience as an MP.

Beyond that, Mr Thng said they would be the voice for Tampines residents, bringing up topics like cost of living and housing affordability which they have received feedback on.