Just hours after the final results of Singapore’s General Election 2025 (GE2025) were announced in the early morning of 4 May, Red Dot United (RDU) secretary-general Ravi Philemon took to Facebook with a wide-ranging reflection on the election’s outcome, the party’s journey, and its path forward.
In a lengthy post titled The Morning After, Philemon acknowledged the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) mandate and congratulated Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on his victory.
He also praised Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh for retaining his position as Leader of the Opposition.
Philemon said, “We will not only accept [the people’s] decision, but we will also listen carefully to what they are saying by voting the way that they did.”
While acknowledging the PAP’s enduring support, he asserted that RDU’s campaign had made meaningful strides in a turbulent political landscape.
“Despite the flight to safety,” he said, “I think Red Dot United did what we came forward to do.”
Speaking to reporters outside RDU’s office in Ubi Crescent on 4 May, Philemon described the political environment as shaped by global uncertainty.
He cited economic instability, war, and polarising politics as factors that influenced voters to lean toward familiar options.
RDU, which fielded 15 candidates across three Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and one Single Member Constituency (SMC), did not secure any seats. However, the party viewed its performance as progress.
Its best result came in Nee Soon GRC, where it garnered 26.19% of the vote. Other performances included 23.34% in Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC, 20.71% in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC, and 19.49% in Jurong Central SMC.
Philemon noted that RDU received 44% of the vote at one polling station, highlighting the growing resonance of its platform.
He acknowledged that the campaign was marred by challenges, including late changes to electoral boundaries that disrupted their groundwork in Jurong GRC.
The renaming and redrawing of the constituency to Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC, along with an unexpected shift of polling day from the anticipated 10 May to 3 May, created logistical difficulties.
Still, he said RDU stayed true to its mission: to present a values-driven, issue-focused alternative. Philemon emphasised the party’s advocacy for a Citizens’ Dividend — a form of universal basic income — as a central plank of its campaign.
“In an age of AI disruptions, job insecurity, and rising living costs, such policies are no longer radical. They are necessary,” he wrote.
RDU’s campaign slogan, First Class Citizens, Fairer Singapore, captured the party’s vision.
Philemon expressed pride in his team’s commitment to constructive politics, stating, “We do not descend into hateful politics… we kept it to the issues.”
Despite the electoral setback, Philemon said RDU would not retreat. Instead, the party intends to regroup, rebrand, and re-engage with voters, especially young Singaporeans.
He highlighted the need to raise the profiles of young candidates such as Sharon Lin and Sharad Kumar.
He also reaffirmed RDU’s decision to allow WP a clear run in Jalan Kayu SMC, describing it as a strategic move to strengthen the opposition’s parliamentary presence.
Responding to comparisons with veteran opposition leader Dr Chee Soon Juan, Philemon said RDU recognises that political change is a long-term effort. “Opposition politics in Singapore is a marathon,” he said. “We are here for the long run.”
Philemon added that he and his teammates in Nee Soon GRC would continue to remain on the ground and serve residents, regardless of the election outcome. “That is the promise we give to the voters… and you will see us again in the next five years.”
His closing remarks — “RDU is not going away. We are here to stay.” — echoed a core message of resilience and continuity. “We are the underdogs with fire, with faith, and with fight,” he wrote.
GE2025 was RDU’s second general election since its formation in May 2020. The party first contested in GE2020 against the PAP team led by then-Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Jurong GRC, securing 25.39% of the vote.
In his reflection, Philemon noted that while voters leaned toward the incumbent, their votes also indicated room for a different kind of politics.
“The people have spoken… that there is a place for a politics like RDU’s in Singapore,” he said.
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