SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong’s remarks during a rally speech on 26 April, in which he mentioned Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in relation to Punggol’s funding, have sparked a heated debate among netizens.
Speaking at a People’s Action Party (PAP) rally at Yusof Ishak Secondary School, Gan shared that during the last three days of campaigning, he had met residents from all walks of life to better understand their perspectives.
He observed three key points about Punggol: first, that it has many multi-generational families; second, that residents have a strong sense of ownership and connection to the town; and third, that Punggol has been creatively designed, allowing residents to work, live, and play within it.
Gan described Punggol as a “wow” town.
Addressing residents’ requests for more covered linkways, Gan made a surprising remark that many netizens found inappropriate.
He said, “I will talk to my good friend, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is also Finance Minister, to see if we can get more money to build some of these necessary infrastructure.”
Gan added that the project would involve significant collaboration with various agencies and the town council, and urged residents to support him, citing his and his team’s experience in managing the town council.
Redditors Question Whether Gan Implied Funding Decisions Are Based on Personal Ties
The statement prompted a post on r/singapore, where the original poster (OP) expressed being “pretty shocked” by Gan’s comment.
The OP questioned whether the Deputy Prime Minister was implying that the Prime Minister personally decides how much budget to allocate to each town council based on personal relationships with MPs.
“Is DPM Gan implying that PM Wong personally decides how much budget to allocate to each town council for improvements, based on his personal relationships with the MPs there?” the OP asked.
They added, “I thought we were past this kind of blatant politicising of taxpayers’ funds, but it’s 2025 and here we are.”
Many other Redditors also voiced their criticism of Gan’s remarks.
One user commented that it was “absolutely outrageous and preposterous” that Gan could even suggest something like this, asking, “Don’t they know Singaporeans hate all these dangling of carrots and treating residents like some desperate rodents?”
Another user pointed out that Gan’s comment was inappropriate.
They suggested that Gan may have intended to lighten the mood at the rally, but the comment might not have come across as appropriate.
The user said it implied that even within the PAP, if an MP is not close friends with the Prime Minister, they would have to wait to receive resources.
“I know, of course, that was also meant as a veiled threat — that if WP is voted in, Punggol will wait long long for any estate improvement.”
Another user criticised the tone of Gan’s remarks, saying it was arrogant to utter such comments out loud.
“Imagine if the opposition said the same thing, what would happen to them?”
Another comment read, “If you need to go ask Lawrence Wong every time, why not just vote Lawrence Wong? Don’t need you lah.”
“Carrot-Dangling” Remarks Spark Criticism Over Political Tactics
Criticism also extended beyond Reddit, appearing under a video posted by The Straits Times on Facebook, which showed Gan making the remarks.
Several users pointed out that public funds come from taxpayers, arguing that all areas have an equal right to use the funds.
They stressed that public money should not be used for political mileage.
Others criticised the approach as “dangling a carrot” — meaning offering rewards in an attempt to persuade voters — and said infrastructure development is a basic responsibility of the government, not something that should be used to lure votes.
“So now you are saying if it belongs to the opposition, it will be a different treatment?” questioned one user.
Another commented, “In other words, if Punggol residents don’t vote for him and PAP, no new projects and infrastructure for the next five years. The money will not be available for opposition wards.”
Some users said the government appeared out of touch, suggesting that residents were more concerned about issues like the cost of living and healthcare expenses rather than additional infrastructure projects.
Gan is leading the People’s Action Party (PAP) slate in Punggol GRC for the 2025 General Election. He will contest alongside Janil Puthucheary, Sun Xueling, and Yeo Wan Ling.
Gan’s inclusion came as a surprise, as he was initially expected to anchor the PAP team in Chua Chu Kang GRC, having served there for nearly 20 years.
The PAP team will face off against the Workers’ Party’s candidates: Harpreet Singh, Jackson Au, Siti Alia Abdul Rahim Mattar, and Alexis Dang.
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