Lee Hsien Yang praises Harpreet Singh; tells Punggol residents, ‘Team WP deserves your vote’

SINGAPORE: Lee Hsien Yang, although currently not in Singapore, has continued to weigh in on political happenings in the run-up to the May 3 polls. While he is a member of the Progress Singapore Party, the younger son of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has also featured candidates from other opposition parties.

In his latest social media post on Friday morning (Apr 25), Mr Lee spoke glowingly of Workers’ Party (WP) candidate Harpreet Singh Nehal, whom he knows personally and whom he characterised as a “conviction politician”.

He wrote, “Punggol GRC, Team WP deserves your vote.”

Mr Lee disclosed that he knew Mr Singh before he entered politics. Mr Singh, who has been a Senior Counsel for the Supreme Court of Singapore since 2007, began to volunteer for the WP during the pandemic and became a member last year.

“We discussed Singapore politics and how one might bring about a better future for Singapore. We found that we shared a lot of common ground on what was wrong and the need for change.  I encouraged him to play a bigger role in politics, but at the time, he was not ready to enter the fray.  We continued our exchanges when Harpreet visited the UK,” wrote Mr Lee.

He added that when he began seeing Mr Singh at the WP’s grassroots activities, it brought him “for the future.”

“I was glad he had chosen to step up.  His obvious professional accomplishments point to his potential contribution if he were to be elected,” Mr Lee also wrote, adding that the Senior Counsel also has some hidden talents, such as playing the saxophone and speaking some Teochew.

Mr Lee also called the WP team at Punggol, which includes new candidates Alia Mattar, Alexis Dang, and Jackson Au, “a breath of fresh air” and encouraged readers to watch the speeches these candidates had made during Nomination Day.

In his speech, the Senior Counsel spoke passionately, talking about how Singapore can be made better through “far greater affordability, a better education system, proper retirement security, and fair politics where the People’s Association starts treating every Singaporean equally, no matter how you vote. After all, it’s our money, right?”

Mr Singh called it “a privilege of a lifetime” for the WP team to contest in the election, promising to speak up for Punggol residents and telling them, “Let’s make history.”

Many commenters appear to share Mr Lee’s sentiments concerning Mr Singh and the WP team at Punggol.

“My family waited for umpteen years for WP to come to Punggol. Our prayers were answered. Now is the time to confirm them as elected MPs,” one wrote.

Another urged Punggol GRC voters to send the WP team to Parliament and give Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who was announced at the last minute to lead the ruling People’s Action Party slate at Punggol, “an early retirement.”

Mr Gan represented Chua Chu Kang GRC in Parliament since 2006 and, previously, had been an MP for Zhenghua at Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC. It came as a surprise to the public that he would be fielded in Punggol, as it had been widely understood he would contest at Chua Chu Kang again this year.

“Voters of Punggol GRC now have a very good slate of WP candidates to vote for,” another observed.

“I have watched Harpreet’s interviews and speeches. (Very) impressive. He is ministerial caliber. Definitely needs to be in Parliament—I hope the people of Punggol do right in voting for WP, so we don’t get more of the same old yes men in white in Parliament,” a commenter wrote on Mr Lee’s post. /TISG

Read also: Lee Hsien Yang: Voting for the opposition is the safest choice for Singapore