Post-GE2020, Charles Yeo wins even more fans on Instagram and now has his own subreddit

The general election may be over but the fandom has only started for Reform Party (RP) member Charles Yeo. Yeap, Jamus Lim isn’t the only GE2020 figure with a legion of stans. 

After garnering public admiration from two CEOs of major companies — Temasek Holdings’ Ho Ching and Razer’s Tan Min-Liang — Yeo continues to endear himself to the citizenry at large through his Instagram account, where he has been patiently answering questions posed by followers. 

It has been entertaining, to say the least. Among the candid revelations shared by the 30-year-old criminal defence lawyer includes tidbits like how he actually scored A2 and Distinction grades for his Chinese oral exam (an irony, considering his infamous struggle with a Mandarin speech), how he has been into politics since primary school, how much he earns, and even his favourite meme (it's woman yelling at cat).  

According to the amount and content of screenshots he posted on Instagram, it seems that Yeo has managed to impress quite a lot of people with his arguments on topics like the local education system, globalisation and corporate greed.

On Reddit, the RP member has been gaining plaudits as well from local redditors for his performance during GE2020, including his “bravery” for speaking in Mandarin in a televised political broadcast despite his lingual shortcomings and how he has been “underappreciated”.

With his unabashed love for gaming (Dota 2, in particular) and internet memes, Yeo has made it easy for redditors to exalt him into a figure worthy of his own subreddit. Named after his sabre-rattling Instagram handle, r/ToxicStateNarrativeSG was set up on Tuesday (July 14) as an “unofficial Charles Yeo fan club” where discussions on his content, morality and alternative politics in Singapore are welcome. 

It’s unclear if Yeo himself is aware of the subreddit set up in his name, but knowing his internet savviness, he might be acknowledging it soon enough. His team might have lost Ang Mo Kio GRC to the incumbent People's Action Party by only getting 28.09 per cent of the votes, but hey, at least he's got his own section on Reddit. 

ilyas@asiaone.com