Red Dot United (RDU), an opposition party founded in 2020, has announced plans to shift away from being a traditional check and balance on the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), setting its sights instead on becoming a serious “alternative government”.
The announcement was made by RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon on 24 May at a post-election appreciation event held at the party’s headquarters in Ubi Crescent. The event was intended to thank volunteers who supported the party during the recent General Election.
Philemon stated that RDU’s next phase of political development would focus on readiness to govern, not just critique.
“We want to make ourselves better known, so if the PAP fails, people will know there is a shadow government in place to take the country forward,” he told attendees and media representatives.
At the core of this renewed direction is the party’s “3B strategy”: Breakaway, Believe, and Build. Each pillar signals a departure from conventional opposition roles and a commitment to becoming a more mature and proactive political force.
Under the “Breakaway” initiative, RDU seeks to reject the long-held opposition role of merely being a watchdog. “If something is good, why replace it?” Philemon remarked, explaining that such framing entrenches PAP dominance.
The party plans to work with “like-minded” opposition groups to establish a digital collaborative platform, tentatively named altgov.sg. This site will aim to simulate a shadow government by offering detailed policy proposals and a unified vision of governance.
Importantly, the platform will not be owned by RDU but will be jointly developed with participating parties that share its commitment to responsible and constructive politics.
While official outreach has yet to begin, Philemon confirmed that informal conversations with other opposition figures have taken place.
Notably, Singapore’s largest opposition party, the Workers’ Party (WP), which now holds 12 seats in Parliament, including two Non-Constituency MP positions, has historically refrained from positioning itself as a government-in-waiting.
Instead, it has consistently adopted a cautious stance, emphasising its role as a check and balance to avoid “scaring off” moderate voters. Unlike RDU’s current direction, WP has not proposed the formation of a shadow cabinet.
In contrast, in countries like the United Kingdom, the concept of a shadow government—also known as a shadow cabinet—is a formal political structure wherein opposition leaders are assigned portfolios that mirror those of government ministers, allowing them to critique policies effectively and present themselves as a ready alternative administration.
The role of Leader of the Opposition, which Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh currently holds in Singapore, is also drawn from the UK’s Westminster model.
The “Believe” component centres on leadership renewal. RDU intends to elevate younger members into key leadership roles during its June 2025 party conference. This, the party said, is an intentional step towards long-term succession planning.
“This country belongs more to the young than to me,” Philemon said, signalling that the next generation will be entrusted with charting the party’s future.
The final “Build” pillar involves strengthening RDU’s public presence and potentially rebranding the party. The name “Red Dot United”, once seen as novel and appealing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic during GE2020, may now be seen as lacking seriousness, Philemon acknowledged.
Feedback from GE2025 indicated that while voters appreciated RDU’s comprehensive national manifesto and the professionalism of its candidates, the party struggled with visibility. For example, in Nee Soon GRC, RDU posted around 1,000 campaign posters, whereas the PAP is estimated to have posted three times as many.
Despite fielding professionals like engineers and scientists, some candidates were reportedly not well known to the public, a challenge RDU hopes to overcome through sustained public engagement.
In GE2025, RDU contested Jurong East–Bukit Batok, Holland–Bukit Timah, and Nee Soon GRCs, as well as Jurong Central SMC. Its campaign focused on issues such as ministerial salaries, the cost of living, ageing, employment, and the goods and services tax.
With 15 opposition candidates fielded, RDU contested the second-highest number of seats after the Workers’ Party, qualifying it for representation in the live telecast during the general election.
The party garnered 23.35% of the vote share, which Philemon described as evidence that RDU remains “a small but formidable force that punches above its weight”.
In its Facebook statement, RDU reinforced that elections are not endpoints but “inflection points” for reflection and recalibration. The party emphasised that its future strategy involves not just electoral competition, but long-term institution-building.
“This is the road ahead,” the statement concluded. “We’re not interested in posturing. We’re interested in preparing.”
The post Red Dot United outlines plans to build “alternative government” with new digital platform appeared first on The Online Citizen.
