The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has chosen its forty-fifth anniversary to launch “Renew, Rebuild, Reignite: Roadmap 2030”, a strategy intended to carry the opposition party through to the next general election and beyond.
Unveiled at party headquarters on 2 August, the plan is structured around four flagship initiatives—Project Reform, Unbroken Circles, Young Democrats and Women Democrats—and is supported by annual progress reports and a three-phase timeline running to 2030.
Party chairman Dr Paul Tambyah set the tone, reminding supporters that the SDP has never shied from steep odds.
“The SDP doesn’t believe in the impossible… if something cannot be done, we try and do it,” he said, summarising 45 years of defiance.
Dr Tambyah added that fewer than half of surveyed youths expressed satisfaction with the 2025 election outcome, calling that disconnect “something seriously wrong” and pledging to build “a more open, fair and participatory Singapore by 2030”.
Framing the next chapter
Deputy organising secretary Min Cheong described the anniversary as a dual milestone—celebrating past perseverance while charting a “robust, actionable framework” for the years ahead.
Roadmap 2030’s pillars are tightly defined:
- Project Reform– an electoral-reform drive.
- Unbroken Circles– non-partisan community networks.
- Young Democrats– youth leadership development.
- Women Democrats– gender-equality advocacy.
Objectives and timeline
Roadmap coordinator Egan Hwan, a recent recruit motivated by “a fairer, more equal democracy”, told members the party’s birthday was also “a call to action”.
Hwan laid out six priorities, from championing ordinary Singaporeans to offering credible policy alternatives, and emphasised that “trust is not built in speeches—it is built in shared struggle”.
The timetable is equally explicit:
- Phase 1 (2025-26)– Build legitimacy, infrastructure and public awareness.
- Phase 2 (2026-28)– Grow membership, train leaders, mobilise communities.
- Phase 3 (2028-30)– Consolidate breakthroughs and entrench democratic culture.
Annual reports will track progress toward GE2030.
Project Reform – fixing the rules before the contest
Legal executive Ariffin Sha will steer Project Reform.
He noted that debates on gerrymandering often start “after Bukit Batok disappears” and vowed to push issues such as voting age and electoral-boundaries transparency now.
The project’s first goal is a “broad-based electoral-reform coalition” including academics and even critics.
Public engagement begins with a free forum on 23 August, featuring a former MP and scholars to show that “a different electoral system is not only possible, but imperative”.
Ariffin also wants safeguards for overseas voters, describing the current postal system as a “heavily disenfranchised” weak link in Singapore’s democracy.
Unbroken Circles – community first, party second
Medical student Xavier Tan introduced Unbroken Circles, a peer-led network of 10-20 friends who design “meaningful programmes” while embedding civic education.
The aim is a society “that practices critical thinking with moral clarity”.
“All are welcome… join us if you want to serve your community, expand your network and have fun,” Tan said, stressing political neutrality.
Each circle will appoint trained facilitators, making civic learning an everyday exercise rather than a campaign talking-point.
Women Democrats – closing the opportunity gap
Project manager Judy Tay cited Ministry of Manpower data showing women earn about 14 per cent less than men, and that one in four leave jobs for caregiving.
She promised a two-part North Star: “inspire women to lead change” and “walk the talk” through workshops, resources and an Empowering Women campaign to spotlight stories “from housewives to street-leaders”.
Key themes include the impact of AI on female employment, rising costs and mental-health strains—issues the wing wants to tackle through policy proposals and community clinics.
Young Democrats – politics is everybody’s business
Ten-year party member Shawal Yeo leads the Young Democrats.
Quoting his mentor, he reminded peers: “You may not be interested in politics, but politics is always interested in you.”
The youth wing’s immediate task is building “fundamentals in operations and communications” so that future candidates emerge from a culture of mentorship and knowledge transfer.
Monthly meet-ups, policy-paper sprints and joint actions with civil-society groups are part of a plan to “normalise civic engagement among young Singaporeans” and boost the wing’s visibility.
Yeo underlined that leadership is collective: “Everything we have done and will continue to do is a team effort,” he said, thanking volunteers for shaping the wing’s next chapter.
Accountability, transparency—and stamina
Roadmap 2030 commits the SDP to publish yearly progress reports, a move meant to model the transparency it demands from government.
The plan also tasks every pillar with setting measurable indicators—from petition signatures on electoral reform to the number of community circles launched—underlining that success is defined before, not after, each campaign.
Dr Tambyah reminded supporters that complacency is not an option.
“We’re not going to sit back and moan… we’re going to do something about it,” he said, pointing to partnerships with civil-society organisations and youth to open democratic space.
As the launch closed, Hwan summed up the party’s renewed resolve: “We will keep showing up, keep speaking out, keep standing firm for truth and justice”.
With the first public forum already pencilled for 23 August 2025, the clock on Roadmap 2030 has begun ticking.
SDP’s performance during GE2025
SDP chief Dr Chee Soon Juan recently reaffirmed the party’s commitment to serve Singapore, despite its defeat in the General Election held on 3 May 2025.
In that election, PAP’s Poh Li San won Sembawang West Single Member Constituency (SMC) with 11,978 votes, while Dr Chee secured 10,541 votes from a total of 22,519 valid votes.
Poh, formerly part of the PAP team in Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), had previously won 67.29 per cent of the vote in the 2020 election.
Sembawang West was designated an SMC following a review of electoral boundaries earlier this year.
Dr Chee has a history of taking on PAP incumbents. In the 2020 General Election, he contested Bukit Batok SMC but lost to PAP’s Murali Pillai with 45.2 per cent of the vote.
SDP chairman Dr Tambyah also contested Bukit Panjang SMC, where he lost to PAP’s Liang Eng Hwa, who secured 61.41 per cent of the votes.
Additionally, the SDP fielded a team in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC and Sembawang GRC but failed to win seats.
The launch of Roadmap2030 signals the SDP’s determination to evolve beyond past defeats and to remain a persistent voice in Singapore’s political landscape.
In a statement, the party said that with Roadmap2030, it is ready to galvanise participation, build public trust, and present a clear, principled vision for the future.
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