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GE2020: Lee Hsien Yang joins Progress Singapore Party TODAYonlineView Full coverage on Google News
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Wednesday (Jun 24) released the dates of Singapore's public holidays for 2021.
There will be four long weekends next year, with public holidays falling on a Friday or a Monday.
Three public holidays fall on a Friday:
One public holiday falls on a Monday:
The other public holidays are:
SINGAPORE - Mr Lee Hsien Yang, estranged brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has joined Dr Tan Cheng Bock's Progress Singapore Party (PSP), the party announced on Wednesday (June 24).
At a breakfast meeting at Tiong Bahru Market, Dr Tan presented Mr Lee with a membership card.
Dr Tan said that Mr Lee has been a member "for quite some time", but due to the Covid-19 situation, they were unable to have a proper membership card presentation ceremony.
"This morning, I have a great pleasure in giving this Progress Singapore Party membership card to Lee Hsien Yang, who joined us quite some time ago."
Mr Lee turned up at 8.30am at the market with Dr Tan and a group of PSP members, all of them wearing the party's red-and-white polo T-shirt.
The Straits Times had reported earlier on Wednesday that Mr Lee Hsien Yang had joined the party but would not be fielded as a candidate.
Asked if he would be standing for elections, Mr Lee replied: "When I'm ready to disclose that you will find out."
Then on how he would support the party, he said: "Many ways... I think it is not difficult to guess what ways there are and if you have got new ways to do it, suggest it to me."
When asked if he will be contributing to the party financially or by appearing in campaign videos, Mr Lee said it is “quite possible”.
This development comes a day after Parliament was dissolved and the Writ of Election was issued. Nomination Day will be on June 30, with Polling Day on July 10.
The market where Dr Tan and Mr Lee met is located within Tanjong Pagar GRC, the former stronghold of his late father and Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. It is also one of nine constituencies the PSP will be contesting in this election.
Dr Tan has said on multiple occasions that he and Mr Lee are good friends and that if Mr Lee wants to join PSP, it would have to be on the terms of the party.
The duo have been spotted before on several occasions having breakfast together, once at a hawker centre in the Prime Minister's ward.
In July last year, Mr Lee Hsien Yang said on Facebook: "I wholeheartedly support the principles and values of the Progress Singapore Party."
Mr Lee has been embroiled in a long-running feud with PM Lee over the fate of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's house in Oxley Road.
Additional reporting by Kok Yufeng
SINGAPORE - Mr Lee Hsien Yang, estranged brother of Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has joined Dr Tan Cheng Bock's Progress Singapore Party (PSP), the party announced on Wednesday ( June 24).
At a breakfast meeting at Tiong Bahru Market, Dr Tan presented Mr Lee with a membership card.
Dr Tan said that Mr Lee has been a member "for quite some time", but due to the Covid-19 situation, they were unable to have a proper membership card presentation ceremony.
"This morning, I have a great pleasure in giving this Progress Singapore Party membership card to Lee Hsien Yang, who joined us quite some time ago."
Mr Lee has turned up at 8.30am at the market with Dr Tan and a group of PSP members, all of them wearing the party's red and white polo-tee.
The Straits Times had reported earlier on Wednesday that Mr Lee Hsien Yang had joined the party but would not be fielded as a candidate.
This development comes a day after Parliament was dissolved and the Writ of Election was issued. Nomination Day will be on June 30, with Polling Day on July 10.
Dr Tan has said on multiple occasions that he and Mr Lee are good friends and that if Mr Lee wants to join PSP, it would have to be on the terms of the party.
The duo have been spotted before on several occasions having breakfast together, once at a hawker centre in the PM's ward.
In July last year, Mr Lee said on Facebook: "I wholeheartedly support the principles and values of the Progress Singapore Party."
Mr Lee has been embroiled in a long-running feud with PM Lee over the fate of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's house on Oxley Road.
SINGAPORE: Singapore is likely to take a "step by step approach" on reopening its border with Malaysia, with measures in place to conduct COVID-19 tests and contact tracing, said Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
"I do not see it possible to have a big bang complete, no holds barred, no restrictions, no tests (approach) - I think that would be unwise," said Dr Balakrishnan.
"But we can open up in steps, have the appropriate measures to test people, contact trace people because when you open up, your risk (of infection) will inevitably increase."
Dr Balakrishnan was speaking to host Diana Ser in the last of three special episodes of CNA’s In Conversation that was aired on Tuesday (Jun 23).
When asked about when travel between Singapore and Malaysia can resume, he said he would "hesitate to put a timeline", adding that authorities on both sides of the Causeway have to work out many details.
"We have to work out those protocols and to make sure those protocols are effective on both sides of the Causeway. So just give us a few, I would say, days to weeks," he said.
One key consideration would be public health, Dr Balakrishnan said.
“We need to protect the public health of both Singapore and Malaysia, and we need to understand that the world’s busiest land crossing is between Johor and Singapore ... so we have to work out a lot of details,” he said.
"Right now ... there are papers and phone calls being exchanged, we're trying to sort it out."
Putrajaya had said last week that Singaporeans may be allowed to enter Malaysia without the need to undergo COVID-19 screening and home quarantine, but that there should be a reciprocal arrangement for Malaysians.
In response, Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said any bilateral arrangements on travel would have to include mutually agreed public health protocols in order to safeguard citizens of both countries.
STRENGTH OF SINGAPORE-MALAYSIA RELATIONS
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore and Malaysia cooperated "very effectively", said Dr Balakrishnan.
"There has been a lot of interaction, phone calls, video conferences at all times of the day and night, at all levels of leadership," he said. "And that communication has been very useful and has helped to build trust."
He acknowledged that while there may have been some confusion in the early days of Malaysia's movement control order, both sides managed to keep the flow of goods moving.
"Fortunately, because we were in touch, and we were, on our side, able to respond quickly. If you actually think about the outcomes, it’s actually a pretty good record,” he said.
"Throughout this movement control order or our own circuit breaker, the supply chains between Malaysia and Singapore continued to flow."
Health authorities on both sides were also in close consultation, he said, adding that Singapore and Malaysia had also helped to get each other's citizens home from overseas during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“There were Singaporeans on Malaysian flights from other parts of the world returning and when we had space, we also provided seats to Malaysians who were also trying to return. In other words, not only were we mutually providing consular services to our citizens, we were also acting as a transit centre for our citizens desperately trying to go home,” Dr Balakrishnan said.
"Communications continued, supplies continued, essential medical supplies continued. People flow, repatriation, consular services continued and we cooperated very effectively."
TRUST, RELIABILITY IN DECISION TO REOPEN BORDERS
As countries around the world gradually restart their economies, Singapore is also trying to reopen its borders.
It started with a "fast lane" agreement with China, where approved travellers must take COVID-19 swab tests among other measures.
"It is no accident that we are the first country in Southeast Asia that China has agreed for arrangements for what we call a reciprocal green lane. Because they know us, they can see beyond the numbers, they know what the real situation is on the ground and more important than that, they know we are reliable and trustworthy," said Dr Balakrishnan.
"So we started with China, but we are also negotiating similar special reciprocal travel arrangements with other countries."
When asked about how Singapore decides which country to establish these arrangements with, Dr Balakrishnan said: "It's countries where we have strong diplomatic ties with, it's countries we have strong business and economic interests in, it's countries where our public health systems, their systems and ours, are familiar with each other.
“We understand their tests, they understand our test. We have a mutual appreciation of each other’s concerns. And we’re able to synchronise our – for instance, our testing regimes. So that’s the way it proceeds."
These arrangements will have to withstand the test of time, he added, meaning that they have to be in place in the next 12 to 18 months.
“There will be ups and downs, not only in Singapore, but in other countries as well. So these arrangements have to be flexible enough to deal with changing circumstances. But the key thing is communication, is trust, is openness, is reliability,” Dr Balakrishnan said.
“And I have to tell you that we have to be very, very careful that as we open, we don’t reopen Pandora’s box and the virus gets out on a rampage again. It’s a very delicate operation.”
Responding to a question on whether the pandemic has given the Government an opportunity to reassess the digital divide, Dr Balakrishnan said COVID-19 has “turbo-charged” Singapore’s digital efforts.
“We’ve made enormous efforts, we now are appointing a thousand digital ambassadors, we are trying systematically to reach out to seniors, or to families which may have been less exposed, or less well off or less aware of the need to go digital," said Dr Balakrishnan, who is also Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation initiative.
"So this is something which we are very aware and which we intend to close and to close urgently, because we need to."
COVID-19 AMONG MIGRANT WORKERS
The minister also touched on the COVID-19 situation among migrant workers living in dormitories, saying Singapore responded “completely transparently”.
“We did not, in any way, try to obfuscate that fact that we were having a problem,” he said. "The key thing was how we responded."
Dr Balakrishnan added that Singapore took its responsibility seriously and treated migrant workers the way it treats its own citizens.
"I’ve spoken to the foreign ministers of each of these countries, and I can tell you this ... I didn't actually have to say very much because they knew - and they had listened to our Prime Minister make that assurance - that we will treat, give you the best possible medical care, we will treat you like a Singaporean," he said.
"That assurance which I may add, no prime minister anywhere in the world has made to migrant workers, was a very powerful reassurance."
Dr Balakrishnan said his foreign counterparts understood the nature of the problem.
“They knew that we were having high numbers because we were testing extensively and we were testing people who were asymptomatic. They understood and appreciated the Prime Minister’s assurance on care,” he added.
While Singapore has seen a high number of cases among the migrant worker community, its mortality rate from COVID-19 is very low, and this shows the quality of healthcare in Singapore, said Dr Balakrishnan.
"It also shows that our ICU capacity, our ability to monitor and treat people very early very aggressively made a difference," he added.
Dr Balakrishnan also noted that the number of community cases has been low.
"At least in all my interactions, (people) could differentiate the numbers. They say yes, we know you had a problem in the dormitories, but we look at your community cases, it’s really very very few, and most importantly, your mortality rates are the lowest in the world," he said.
“And they told me: ‘We still know that the safest place to be in the world is Singapore. And if I ever had COVID, actually I would want to be in Singapore.’ That is a vote of confidence."
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SINGAPORE: It is inevitable that COVID-19 will be a defining feature of the coming General Election (GE) – both as a significant campaign issue and a major factor in how the polls will be carried out.
The massive global healthcare challenge sparked by a minuscule virus has led to a disruption of the economy and an unprecedented “circuit breaker” in Singapore, changing the way people live and threatening livelihoods.
Three weeks after exiting the circuit breaker, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (Jun 23) called the election, which will be held on Jul 10.
“The alternative is to wait out the COVID-19 pandemic. But we have no assurance that the pandemic will be over before this Government’s term must end next April,” Mr Lee said in an address to the nation.
"An election now – when things are relatively stable – will clear the decks, and give the new Government a fresh five-year mandate," he said. He also said that COVID-19 will be with Singapore for at least a year and most probably longer, until a vaccine is developed and becomes available.
Analysts say that a scorecard for the Government's handling of the coronavirus outbreak would include items that affect all areas of people’s lives - and the tally will be taken in the upcoming GE, already seen by some as the opportunity for the electorate to pass judgement on the ruling People's Action Party’s (PAP) next generation of leaders, dubbed widely as the 4G leadership team.
"Just like how the previous generations of leaders have had their moments of crisis management, this would definitely mark the leadership capabilities of the 4G leaders,” said political analyst Dr Felix Tan, an associate lecturer at SIM Global Education.
Those who have been on the front line of the battle to deal with COVID-19 include Deputy Prime Minister and PM-designate Heng Swee Keat, who has seen through four Budgets to cushion the economic effects of the pandemic; Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, who has headed efforts to secure supply chains and national stockpiles; and National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force, and has been giving the nation regular updates on the virus situation.
Manpower Minister Josephine Teo has also had a central role to play as infections in the migrant worker community spiked in April, while Education Minister Ong Ye Kung had to manage the closure of schools and shift to home-based learning during the circuit breaker.
PANDEMIC ECONOMICS
Given the economic fallout from the pandemic, with unemployment rising, experts agreed that jobs and perennial bread-and-butter issues would likely weigh even more on voters’ minds this election.
"The key issues we anticipate in the campaign are first, the bread-and-butter issues of jobs, wages, career prospects especially coming out of the global COVID-19 crisis … COVID-19 has brought fresh interest in this issue,” said Dr Gillian Koh, deputy research director at the Institute of Policy.
The Government is spending billions to subsidise Singaporean workers’ paychecks, create jobs and retrain workers in successive Budgets, and drawing unprecedented amounts from Singapore's national reserves.
Dr Koh said: “We see the incumbent emphasising that it is sparing no effort in ‘protecting workers’ … (but) opposition parties are likely to spell out their views if those plans will be enough and whether there are segments that feel that they have been neglected.”
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
A second set of issues would revolve around whether Singapore’s leaders are seen to have got the better of a virus that has left many world leaders foundering.
Some, such as Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-Wen, New Zealand’s Jacinda Arden and South Korea’s Moon Jae-In, have boosted confidence in their leadership with their handling of the crisis, with Mr Moon’s Democratic Party scoring a landslide win in April.
Despite Singapore’s comparatively high number of COVID-19 cases, the country has avoided the high death tolls and scenes of overwhelmed hospitals replayed in many countries around the world.
"For Singapore, much will ride on how much voters emphasise and assign responsibility for the movement from the supposed ‘gold standard’ of testing and pandemic control earlier in the year to the rapid rise in the number of infections - particularly among migrant workers - that led to the circuit breaker," said political science professor Chong Ja Ian.
IPS’ Dr Koh was of the view that there has been a “remarkable level of engagement, transparency and accountability” in the Government’s handling of the pandemic so far.
“The multi-ministry task force has been at pains to share what the transmission numbers are, what they are learning about the science to COVID-19, and why the government was taking the measures it did,” she said.
But Dr Tan said that there have been questions raised about how the government has attempted to control the spread of the pandemic within the community.
“While the government has made tremendous efforts to mitigate this unprecedented crisis, there have been lots of questions about the decision-making process and the measures that the government have had in place during the circuit breaker phase,” he said.
“FLIGHT TO SAFETY”?
As well as passing judgement on how Singapore has coped with the crisis, voters may also contemplate how the opposition parties look to exploit COVID-19 as a campaign issue.
That being so, and given the Herculean scope of the crisis, would it benefit the opposition to poke holes in the Government’s COVID-19 response?
This is especially as Cabinet Ministers have repeatedly called for unity in the fight against the virus in Parliament and on national broadcasts on Singapore’s COVID-19 future.
Although he has called for a thorough review of the COVID-19 response in the future, Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh said in Parliament on Jun 5 that the party had refrained from “publicly criticising the Government on its handling of an unprecedented crisis in ways that would undermine the national effort” - highlighting the sensitivities of being perceived as armchair critics.
Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University said that taking on the Government on its handling of COVID-19 is seen as “par for the course”, as long as voters do not perceive their campaigns as undermining national unity.
“There will be a variety of views of how the outbreak and the economic impact have been handled and voters will like to see the issues aired so that the voters’ concerns and interests are addressed post-election,” he said.
“It will be foolhardy for any government to say that it has done enough. There will always be gaps, unmet needs, and new issues. I expect the PAP to make the case that it is prepared to do more and that it has the capacity to help Singaporeans overcome the immense challenges that lie ahead.”
Some observers said that the PAP has already begun campaigning with the recent national broadcasts delivered by key Cabinet Ministers that have dwelled on themes like Singapore’s future post-COVID and the need to strengthen the nation’s social cohesion in a time of crisis.
“The national broadcasts can be seen as the government's attempt to showcase its achievements and also acts as a form of campaigning rally for the government to unite Singaporeans during this period of great uncertainty,” said Dr Felix Tan.
“It targets Singaporeans' sense of pragmatism. There will be those who fear that there might be a possibility that a government, besides the PAP will necessarily lead to a situation that Singapore will never be able to get out of.”
This is why, as much as the opposition can use the COVID-19 as a political weapon, it will most likely be futile, he added.
“Given how severe this crisis and its ramifications have been, there will be little motivation for a stronger 'alternative' voice,” he said.
Dr Koh made a similar point, saying that voters worried about the ongoing crisis would be more inclined to support the incumbents in “flight to safety” effect.
“They will chose a relatively more experienced team or party than the opposition if they are not sure the latter can make positive contributions to the need to maintain livelihoods and also manage local municipal demands.”
“COVID-19 TWIST”
Despite being held in the midst of a global pandemic, the election is unlikely to be reduced to just COVID-19 and related issues, said Assoc Prof Eugene Tan, but the coronavirus will often be the segue into discussing other issues, whether they relate to government accountability, immigration or the costs of living.
“Opposition parties will not let the issues on the election trail be scoped so narrowly, and voters will also seek an airing from the parties on issues that concern them,” he said.
“The PAP could pay the price if it is seen as framing the election issues too narrowly. For the opposition, they will also have to be mindful of voters’ concerns as well and not to be seen to be tone-deaf to how COVID-19 is impacting people and businesses.”
One issue that has been a theme in the past two General Elections, but has now got a “COVID twist”, is immigration and population growth, said Dr Koh.
“Opposition parties have been bringing up this issue as an outcome of what happened to foreign workers in the COVID crisis here,” she said, adding that the economic downturn brought on by the crisis may mean fewer foreign workers being hired here.
“While local workers may suffer, the government provides support for them to companies. Opposition parties will have to engage in the details of these programmes and explain if these provide the security Singaporean workers seek,” she said.
BREAK FROM THE PAST
The crisis has also led to much talk about a post-COVID Singapore, and a break from the past, which could see other concerns being aired.
Said Assoc Prof Tan: “Other issues such as social inequality, social injustice, climate change (and) digitalisation’s impact will feature in any conversation on the remaking of Singapore.
“This might be the first election where material issues (jobs, livelihoods, costs of living) will compete with “post-material issues”, or issues that speak to societal values, for air time … The ‘crisis of a generation’ will certainly spawn a plethora of issues about where Singapore is heading.”
Social inequality will feature in any discussion about the economy during the hustings, as would Singapore’s policies toward migrant workers, said Assoc Prof Chong.
“In particular, voters will have to decide on whether past approaches to the economy are sufficient for addressing the challenges ahead or if key aspects of Singapore’s way of doing business needs fundamental readjustment to face the emerging circumstances,” he said.
He added that social fissures, inequality, reliance on migrant labour and their treatment will affect voters’ lives either directly or indirectly.
“The pandemic highlights the interconnectedness among these issues and how they really are not separate. This set of issues need to be managed comprehensively, with adequate deliberation and care rather than rushed through under the guise of ‘efficiency’. Haste might not serve anyone well in the end.”
POFMA, PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Dr Koh said that issues related to freedom of expression, specifically laws that deal with online falsehoods, may arise.
The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) came into effect last year despite criticism from some quarters. Directives to label online posts as falsehoods have since been issued to several parties, including opposition politicians and editors of alternative news sites.
“This is a vexing set of issues as the balance is between expression and wanting quality debate and ensuring the election process is not undermined by foreign interference,” said Dr Koh.
While eclipsed by COVID-19, POFMA and changes to Presidential Election procedures are issues that would resonate with voters, added Dr Felix Tan.
“There has been much unhappiness over how the government has been a little too hasty in rushing through decisions on these two issues,” he added.
Former presidential candidate Dr Tan Cheng Bock, who had challenged constitutional changes that led to the 2017 Presidential Elections being reserved for Malay candidates, is now leading the Progress Singapore Party in its first General Election.
Assoc Prof Chong said that an underrated issue is the climate crisis: “Many voters usually pay limited attention to environmental issues, but issues like the emergence of new diseases and pandemics relate to environmental degradation. There is a chance that it could become a bigger electoral issue.”
Conducting an election during a pandemic may also result in unforeseen contingencies - such as a major spike in infections and community transmissions during the campaign period or voting, said Assoc Prof Chong.
“This could affect the results of elections or erode the legitimacy of their results. Much as we would like to avoid such situations, the pandemic has so far proven that it can unleash previously unexpected situations that are challenging to handle,” he said.
"HOTLY CONTESTED IN THE VIRTUAL REALM"
There have been contingency plans made to mitigate the spread of the virus should an election be called, with guidelines issued by the Elections Department this month.
Much of the flesh pressing and the drama of mass rallies that defined past elections will be impossible, as gatherings of more than five people are not allowed in Phase 2 of Singapore’s re-opening. In place of rallies and walkabouts, election candidates will get an average of three minutes of airtime on Channel 5 and livestreaming facilities for online rallies.
“Political parties and candidates will need to leverage digital campaigning tools more extensively, compared to the past elections,” said Dr Carol Soon, senior research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies.
“Irrespective of the party candidates hail from, they will have to contend with information clutter, people’s short attention span, and the lack of physical intimacy and social cues when interacting with their constituencies.”
Experts disagreed on whether an election carried out largely online will benefit opposition parties or the incumbents, with some saying that less resources will be required to carry out campaigning online, and others commenting that the lack of physical rallies - which have always had far larger turnouts for opposition parties - would be a major disadvantage for opposition candidates.
Dr Soon said that past research has shown the advantages that bigger political parties have in the real world spill over to the online world, as they had more funds to conduct more sophisticated forms of digital campaigning. However, the growth of user-generated content and peer-to-peer platforms in the past decade, has levelled the playing field for political parties.
“Now, there is an even wider range of low cost and no cost options for election campaigning. They include social networking sites, live videos, instant messaging apps and online meeting platforms,” she said.
"Creating interactive and compelling content that engages and resonates with the concerns of constituents is mission critical for online campaigning. Parties, big and small, should have dedicated manpower, full-time or on a volunteer basis, to develop and execute an integrated online strategy."
Furthermore, the new Constituency Political Broadcasts for all candidates on TV enable political parties to leverage the power of TV, which is one of the most used and trusted media during election time, she added.
Said Assoc Prof Eugene Tan: “The election will likely be noticeably quieter in the real world but I expect the campaign to be hotly contested in the virtual realm. So this seeming incongruence is yet another likely feature of a COVID-19 GE.”
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SINGAPORE - With its two stalwarts now either retired or playing reduced roles, and with an influx of new parties forcing a reshuffling of the pack, the opposition enters the upcoming electoral contest having gone through its biggest overhaul in decades.
The Workers' Party (WP), the largest opposition force and the only one with Parliament seats, is facing its first election with a new secretary-general since 2001, with Mr Low Thia Khiang having handed the reins in 2018 to Mr Pritam Singh. It is also unclear if the party's biggest personality will contest the election after suffering a fall that landed him in hospital earlier this year.
For the first time since 1976, there will also be no candidate named Chiam on the ballot, as both opposition veteran Chiam See Tong and his wife Lina Chiam are sitting out the contest.
At the same time, there has been an influx of new parties since the last elections, with Dr Tan Cheng Bock's Progress Singapore Party (PSP) the most significant newcomer.
A record 12 opposition parties could be vying for seats in the 2020 General Election. They are:
- WP
- PSP
- Singapore People's Party (SPP)
- Singapore Democratic Party (SDP)
- National Solidarity Party (NSP)
- People's Power Party (PPP)
- Singapore First (SingFirst)
- Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA)
- Reform Party (RP)
- Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
- Peoples Voice (PV)
- Red Dot United
The crowded field of political parties and a decision to proceed without their traditional pow-wow also mean that multiple seats could be headed for three-cornered fights.
Add to the mix the looming uncertainty caused by the global pandemic, elections taking place without the excitement of rallies and an election lead-up that was disrupted by the circuit breaker, and observers say the opposition is heading into the coming elections less prepared and less coordinated than the last one.
Outgoing Aljunied GRC MP and former WP chief Mr Low is currently recuperating from a head injury, and it remains to be seen whether he will take part in the next electoral contest. The 63-year-old, who is the longest-serving opposition MP, sustained the injury after a fall at home on April 30, and was warded in the intensive care unit of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin posted a photo of him with Mr Low yesterday showing the opposition leader was recovering well.
And there is talk of a broader change of guard across the party, with MPs like Mr Chen Show Mao and Mr Png Eng Huat expected to retire.
Mr Chiam has also stepped away from politics after more than four decades, relinquishing his post as secretary-general of the SPP last October. This is the first election in 24 years that the SPP is heading into without Mr Chiam, 85, at the helm. Mrs Chiam, 71, who took over the Potong Pasir contests from him in the past two elections, will also not be fielded this time.
Dr Felix Tan, associate lecturer at SIM Global Education, said that this time round, a lot of the parties have a strong focus on newer leaders taking the reins. He cited WP chief Mr Singh, 43, NSP secretary-general Spencer Ng, 41, and SPP chairman Jose Raymond, 48, as examples of leaders from the new generation.
"For those parties that started to hone their new leaders earlier, like the WP with Pritam Singh, there's been a longer lead time of sorts," he added.
He also noted that the SDP has been placing chairman Paul Tambyah at the forefront of its activities, with much less of a reliance on secretary-general Chee Soon Juan.
Associate Professor Bilveer Singh, from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) political science department said, however, that the new leaders are entering the fray at a challenging time. "It will be interesting to see if the younger leaders can bump up the image of their parties. But they are coming at the wrong time. I think Covid-19 will overwhelm everything."
The pandemic has already had a palpable impact on the campaign with political parties having to adjust their usual campaign practices from previous elections, due to campaigning guidelines released by the Elections Department last week.
These include the lack of physical rallies, made up for by allowing candidates running in every constituency to have broadcast opportunities on national television.
More importantly, all the platforms and issues that the parties were intending to campaign on will likely now have to be set aside.
Dr Singh from NUS said that most of the issues that dominated headlines before the pandemic struck, such as the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council saga and the issues surrounding the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma), including PV chief Lim Tean's four Pofma notices, are unlikely to be on the minds of voters this time round.
"Fortunately or unfortunately, Covid-19 has closed every major issue. They'll be voting on Covid-19. This is a Covid-19 election. All other issues are secondary. In a crisis, where got time? Maybe some NGOs will start talking about equal wage and environment, but for the majority of Singaporeans it's about bread and butter, about life and death."
Opposition sources say there is currently no consensus on how parties should attack the issue. While the opposition parties have shown they are willing to criticise the Government over the timing of the election, there has yet to be any sharp attacks on the handling of the pandemic - especially from the larger parties.
Prof Singh said that attacking the Government's response to the pandemic will not necessarily resonate with voters.
"Generally, compared to the region and the world, we have done well. We perhaps dropped the ball in some areas like late masking and the dorms, but in general we have done well. Digging into the reserves was a very good move. It's very populist, but it's populism rightly placed at the right time," said Prof Singh.
Dr Tan of SIM Global Education said basic issues affecting the daily lives of Singaporeans, beyond just Covid-19, must also be addressed if the parties want to reach voters.
"Unfortunately, a lot of issues will revolve around Covid-19, but there should be a focus on GST (Goods and Services Tax) rise, education, housing and transportation. These shouldn't take the back seat. Covid-19 is not something that we can solve in the short term, and there's only so much that we should pursue," he said.
"At the end of the day, most Singaporeans will gravitate towards the bread-and-butter issues, and these are affected by government policies which are within our range of control."
Traditionally, the opposition parties have all come together ahead of the electoral contest to discuss and come to an agreement about where each party will contest. These horse-trading talks are meant to help them avoid three-cornered fights, which usually end up favouring the incumbent by splitting the opposition votes.
This time round, the mass talks are not happening, replaced instead with smaller direct talks between parties which have clashing claims in constituencies.
While some progress has been made, there are some three-way contests looming.
For example, PSP and RP have both staked claims to West Coast GRC, while PV and SDA both have their eyes on Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC. The newly created Marymount ward has also drawn the interest of the DPP and the PSP, with DPP secretary-general Hamim Aliyas and PSP member Ang Yong Guan bumping into each other during their walkabouts on Sunday.
It remains to be seen whether the parties will come to an agreement to sort out the overlapping claims.
Dr Tan from SIM Global Education said: "With the increased Non-Constituency MP quota of 12, everyone is vying for a chance to get into Parliament by that path. Some might feel that the best way in is not necessarily to win, but to lose by a small margin."
Founded by Dr Tan Cheng Bock, a former People's Action Party (PAP) MP, PSP was launched in August last year to much hype due to its secretary-general's star power. In March, the PSP laid claim to 15 constituencies in its first electoral outing.
It was a clear show of force for a new party to announce it would contest nearly half of all seats at its first outing. And while it has since scaled back its plans, the party said it still intends to contest 24 of the 93 available seats.
Dr Tan Cheng Bock was MP of Ayer Rajah for 26 years, a ward which is now part of West Coast GRC. He also ran for the country's presidency in 2011, emerging a close second to eventual winner Tony Tan. The party has also been publicly supported by Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the estranged brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. It is not yet clear what role Mr Lee Hsien Yang will play.
Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan of the Singapore Management University (SMU) said that if Dr Tan Cheng Bock can assure voters that PSP is more than just him, then the party will live up to its billing as the party to watch in this coming election.
"In webinars, Dr Tan has been very deliberate in having his colleagues take the lead in fielding questions from the audience. He is aware that the party must be larger than him. But we will get to see more of him when the campaign trail starts," said Prof Tan.
While opposition leaders publicly express confidence, sources say many are concerned about its chances.
PPP chief Goh Meng Seng said he is quietly confident this time round, but at the same time warned that the opposition does not yet have its tactics right - noting that the different parties have not been pulling in the same direction.
"There's now a jobs crisis due to the economy, and a health crisis due to Covid-19. Usually when there's one of these, people will vote for the PAP. But this double blow has brought doubt over their leadership," he said.
"I guess voters will be in a dilemma while voting, and there's a potential for votes to swing either way. Yes, there might be an advantage to the opposition, but we must be tactically careful."
Prof Tan of SMU said, however, that the "flight to safety" that many assume will take place in a crisis cannot be taken for granted.
"Even if the Government has done well in the crisis, this does not necessarily result in a landslide support," he said, citing the example of 2011 when the PAP government did well in dealing with the global financial crisis, but still turned in one of its worst electoral performances.
Prof Tan added: "We are not going into the storm this time. We are already in the eye of the storm. So this may not work in favour of the ruling party because the societal gaps have been shown. Some voters may feel that the PAP did not measure up in certain areas."
