The Secretary-General of the People’s Power Party (PPP), Goh Meng Seng, has announced that his party will contest in Nee Soon GRC in the upcoming election.
In a Facebook post on 3 March, Goh stated that he would be running on a pro-family platform, emphasising that he would not allow the “LGBTQ agenda” to detract from the importance of growing Singapore’s “core population.”
He clarified that while the PPP has nothing against LGBTQ individuals, he believes in taking a “firm stance” to ensure Singapore’s long-term survival, given its small population.
Citing Singapore’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 0.97, which he described as an “existential crisis,” Goh argued that pro-family policies must be strengthened.
“The family unit is the most fundamental pillar of a country; without it, the nation may just go into extinction,” he wrote.
He further stated that the Constitution should unequivocally define the family unit as “a union of a biological male and female, nothing else.”
Goh: LGBTQ Should Not Be a “Lifestyle Choice”
Goh also expressed his opposition to what he termed the “undue influence of the LGBTQ agenda” on young people.
He explained that he had refrained from attending Pink Dot for many years due to his belief that “LGBTQ should not be, cannot be, must not be a ‘lifestyle choice’.”
“While we do not discriminate against any LGBTQ individuals in jobs and such, we should not promote LGBTQ as a form of lifestyle because it will be detrimental to the fundamental sustainability of our country,” he said.
He also rejected claims that Singaporeans were becoming more liberal and ready for changes such as legalising same-sex marriage.
“As far as I know, no other political parties have made a clear stance on this important issue because everyone is chasing after the ‘Pink Votes’. PPP is the only political party that is making a principled stance in full clarity,” Goh asserted.
“For a nation to survive, the family unit must be a union between male and female. I don’t see how any rational voter could disagree with that.”
Goh also referenced a “potential move” by the People’s Action Party (PAP) to field a “well-known LGBTQ activist” in the upcoming election.
His comments come slightly over a month after PAP introduced a new face, lawyer Deryne Sim, at a walkabout in Chong Pang Market alongside Nee Soon GRC MP K Shanmugam. Sim, a former committee member of the LGBTQ+ activist group Pink Dot, has not been confirmed as a candidate by PAP.
PPP’s Stance on Vaccination Policies
Goh as PPP’s Secretary General has also voiced concerns about Singapore’s vaccination policies. In a statement on 26 February, he questioned the government’s approach to mandatory vaccinations and the requirement for individuals to sign indemnity forms.
He stated, “I am pro-informed consent, especially when it comes to vaccination programs. Let the people decide whether they will risk their lives to the list of potential adverse side effects when they take their vaccines.”
Shift from Tampines GRC to Nee Soon GRC
With this latest statement from PPP, it appears that the party is moving away from contesting in Tampines GRC, where a four-corner fight was anticipated, and instead shifting focus to a three-corner contest in Nee Soon GRC, where PAP and Red Dot United (RDU) have been actively engaging residents and being vocal on issues since last year.
On 22 February, PPP announced that it would withdraw from the People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR), citing strategic differences ahead of Singapore’s General Election (GE), which must be held before November this year.
In its statement, PPP expressed disappointment over the split but stressed that the decision was necessary to prevent internal disruptions within the alliance.
The party emphasised that it had long championed opposition unity since its founding in 2015. It said it had also played a key role in pushing for an opposition coalition in GE2020 and later engaged in negotiations that led to the formation of PAR in 2023.
However, despite its efforts to maintain collaboration, PPP acknowledged that irreconcilable differences had made continued cooperation untenable.
PPP reassured supporters that it remained committed to contesting GE2025 and would focus on fielding a strong team of candidates. While it wished PAR success, it also left open the possibility of future cooperation.
RDU’s Engagement in Nee Soon GRC
Red Dot United (RDU) has been actively engaging residents in Nee Soon GRC. The party issued a strong statement criticising Nee Soon Town Council and MP Louis Ng over their failure to detect and prevent a six-year-long kickback scheme involving estate cleaners in Nee Soon East.
The scheme saw 57 migrant workers coerced into paying nearly S$400,000 in illegal kickbacks to their manager, Derrick Ho, who was recently sentenced to 24 weeks in jail.
RDU described the situation as “utterly unacceptable,” questioning how such large-scale exploitation could persist undetected for so long. The statement highlighted that the case only came to light in 2020 following an anonymous complaint, despite the workers being employed within the constituency under the town council’s purview.
Netizens Question Goh’s Focus on LGBTQ Issues Over Cost of Living
Commenting on the news of PPP’s declaration, ,any netizens expressed disappointment that Goh chose to focus on LGBTQ issues instead of addressing bread-and-butter concerns such as the cost of living and taxation.
One questioned why he prioritised this topic, arguing that election campaigns should unite voters around shared concerns like rising living costs.
One user criticised him, saying, “Instead of addressing bread-and-butter issues, you choose to focus on this?”
Another user commented that opposition parties should focus on presenting their plans and policies to reduce the cost of living if they are elected to Parliament.
Others pointed out that there were far more pressing matters to address, noting that while the world is grappling with wars and economic crises, Goh was choosing to focus on a minor issue instead.
Netizens Blame High Cost of Living for Low Fertility, Not LGBTQ Issues
Many netizens argued that the actual cause of Singapore’s low fertility rate is not the LGBTQ community but the high cost of living.
One user stated, “Singapore’s low fertility has nothing to do with LGBT issues. It’s because married couples don’t want to have children or only choose to have one.”
Another echoed the sentiment, simplifying the issue as: “Low fertility = high cost of living. NOT because of some other frivolous issue.”
One user questioned PPP’s focus on LGBTQ issues in Nee Soon, arguing that low fertility is driven by economic challenges rather than LGBTQ rights.
They pointed out that even straight couples are opting for pets over children due to financial constraints and criticised PPP for neglecting key issues like inflation and stagnant incomes.
“How does this LGBTQ agenda change Singaporeans’ minds about having children?” the user asked. “This seems more like Goh’s personal agenda than a real solution to low fertility.”
Netizens Criticise PPP’s Stance, Call for Unity Instead of Division
Some netizens expressed disappointment with the PPP’s stance, criticising its focus on LGBTQ issues instead of uniting Singaporeans.
One user remarked, “I will never support any party that bases its political agenda around any particular group in society.”
Another user called Goh’s statement hate speech, stating, “There’s no ‘LGBTQ agenda’. It’s just a group of people who want to be treated like everyone else.”
A similar sentiment was echoed by another netizen, who criticised the strategy of targeting a marginalised group for political gain.
“It’s 2025, and targeting an already marginalised group in an attempt to gain votes is despicable. Using ‘Divide and Conquer’ tactics is such an old move! Try uniting for progress instead!”
Others questioned why the LGBTQ community was being singled out, with one stating, “We are in 2025, and we should be looking at how to bring and keep Singapore united. It’s sad to see why everyone targets the LGBT group. They are also humans, who live amongst us minding their own business.”
Another user commented that leadership should be about representing and protecting all citizens, not pushing harmful, regressive policies.
“We need leaders who champion equality, not ones who fuel division and intolerance,” they said.
One user called PPP’s “pro-family” stance divisive and exclusionary, arguing that it falsely pits family values against LGBTQ+ rights.
They stated that true pro-family policies should support all families rather than marginalising certain groups.
“Such rhetoric is not only outdated but also damaging to national unity, especially in an era where progressive societies embrace diversity as a strength rather than a threat,” the user said.
The post Netizens slam Goh Meng Seng’s PPP for Anti-LGBTQ stance and ignoring cost of living in Nee Soon GRC bid appeared first on The Online Citizen.
