The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has strongly rejected allegations made by Senior Minister of State Low Yen Ling, which accused PSP volunteers of harassment and violence during a door-to-door outreach in Goodview Gardens on 4 January 2025.
PSP Chairman Dr Tan Cheng Bock addressed the allegations in a Facebook post on 10 January, describing them as serious and urging Low to provide evidence.
PSP Secretary-General Hazel Poa followed with her own post, recounting a similar incident involving PAP volunteers during a walkabout in Hillview Estate in November 2024.
Dr Tan’s Rebuttal
Dr Tan expressed shock at Low’s claims, which included accusations of slapping and aggressive behaviour by PSP volunteers.
He stated that the party conducted an internal investigation, gathering accounts from volunteers and reviewing photographic and video evidence.
According to Dr Tan, all PSP volunteers denied the allegations, and no evidence of the alleged slapping or shirt-pulling was found in the video footage.
“If any of our volunteers acted aggressively, we will take disciplinary actions. If they are accused falsely, then together we will fight the allegations all the way,” Dr Tan stated, emphasising PSP’s zero-tolerance policy on violence.
Hazel Poa’s Past Experience
Hazel Poa’s post highlighted a similar encounter on 9 November 2024 during a PSP walkabout in Hillview Estate.
She detailed how individuals wearing PAP logos or plain clothes followed PSP volunteers, monitored their movements, and filmed their interactions with residents.
In one instance, Poa described being recorded at close range by a man in a black shirt while speaking to a resident. When she confronted him and asked him to stop, he remained silent and continued filming. Poa said she later realised the need for documentation to address such incidents effectively.
Poa noted that the experience left PSP volunteers unsettled, but the party decided against filing police reports or publicising the matter on social media. “We eventually decided that if something similar were to happen again, we would document it with videos and photos,” she said.
PSP’s Call for Professionalism
Both Dr Tan and Poa reiterated PSP’s commitment to professionalism, with Poa calling the incident a “learning experience” for volunteers. She emphasised the importance of mutual respect, noting that past encounters with PAP volunteers had been cordial.
Poa expressed readiness to share photographs from the Hillview Estate incident with Low, should she wish to investigate. “It is my earnest wish that we can maintain mutual respect going forward,” she added.
As Singapore prepares for its upcoming General Election which must be held by this November, political parties are ramping up outreach efforts.
Incidents like those at Goodview Gardens highlight the need for mutual respect and professionalism among volunteers to prevent polarisation.
Low Yen Ling’s Allegations
Low’s 8 January Facebook post accused PSP members of slapping a PAP volunteer twice, verbally insulting others, and forcibly taking selfies.
Her post followed a Facebook post by PSP member S Nallakaruppan on 4 January, in which he described how individuals, allegedly PAP supporters, followed his team closely, took photographs, and behaved unprofessionally, claiming the area as “their territory.”
According to Nallakaruppan, despite PSP’s requests to conduct outreach at separate blocks, these individuals reportedly continued distributing flyers to residents approached by PSP.
Nallakaruppan further alleged that they followed PSP members to the car park and possibly photographed their vehicles, warning that such actions could constitute harassment and might be reported to the police.
Low also claimed that PSP members harassed female PAP volunteers by recording their interactions with residents, which allegedly led to incidents of doxxing.
Despite these allegations, Low did not share photos or videos to substantiate her claims, which PSP leaders have strongly contested.
One of the male volunteers who claimed to have been manhandled by PSP volunteers shared his videos. However, many have criticised the videos for being heavily edited, with no evidence of the alleged slap by PSP volunteers present.
In an update on 10 January, Low responded to posts by Dr Tan Cheng Bock and Hazel Poa, addressing allegations surrounding the 4 January incident involving PAP and PSP volunteers. She made three key points:
- She agreed with Dr Tan that violence should have no place in political activities.
- Since police investigations are underway, Low stated that evidence, including videos from her volunteers, would be handed over to the authorities.
- She noted that Hazel Poa’s reference to a November 2024 incident shifted the discussion away from the 4 January events and believed it was unhelpful to continue a back-and-forth exchange.
Low also emphasised the importance of care and mutual respect in political engagements. She shared that PAP volunteers had received refreshed training to reinforce these values and reiterated the team’s commitment to serving the Bukit Gombak community.
