PUBLISHED ONApril 09, 2025 2:15 AMByChing Shi JieA 32-year-old East Coast GRC resident has staked claim to East Coast GRC in the coming General Election — by launching a recruitment drive for his own political party.
Restaurant owner Chia Yun Kai said that he decided to set up Most Valuable Party (MVP) less than a month ago after promises made by his Member of Parliament were "unfulfilled".
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, 63, currently helms Bedok ward, where Chia has been living for over 20 years.
"The East Coast plan was announced during the 2020 elections, and now they are saying the developments are taking place in 2025," he told AsiaOne on Friday (April 4).
Chia was referring to Heng's announcement on Jan 25, when he said that East Coast GRC would receive three new community spaces, with facilities like adventure playgrounds, fitness zones, and pet areas.
Checks by AsiaOne found that MVP is not listed in the Registry of Societies by the Ministry of Home Affairs, a requirement for political parties with 10 or more members.
Its official Instagram account created less than a month ago has only 80 followers, while its public Facebook group has just one member.
Declining to reveal the number of members in his party, Chia said that he will register his party "probably" later in the month.
With the General Election looming, most political parties are ramping up their engagements with residents.
In the meantime, Chia is still looking for volunteers, as well as candidates to fill his five-member East Coast GRC slate.
The party leader said that he is looking for a team with a "mix of qualities", including those with experience "talking with other people".
If Chia manages to put out a team to contest East Coast GRC, he can draw inspiration from another opposition party Red Dot United, whose first election outing was in 2020 when it was just three weeks old.
A five-member RDU slate contested Jurong GRC against the incumbent People’s Action Party (PAP) led by then Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, winning 25.39 per cent of the vote.
"At the end of the day, the key principle we look for is individuals who put Singaporeans first, Chia said.
"I want people who stand up and say, 'hey, this is not right' and how we can find solutions to improve (Singapore) in the mid to long term… not like through CDC vouchers."
In the 2020 general election, Heng and his team saw a fierce contest for East Coast GRC, with the PAP winning 53.39 per cent of the votes against the Workers' Party's (WP) 46.61 per cent.
The opposition party has been walking the ground in the constituency, prompting speculation that it would be contesting there again.
Chia said he had contacted WP chief Pritam Singh for talks to avoid a multi-cornered fight in East Coast GRC, but has yet to receive a response.
Still, he has no qualms about contesting against a fellow opposition party on top of the incumbent PAP.
"I mean, it could be that the WP is not taking me seriously. No doubt about that," added Chia.
Before launching MVP, Chia had considered joining WP due to its presence in the east of Singapore.
But the scandals surrounding the party, including the Raeesah Khan's lying case in Parliament and the alleged affair between Leon Perera and Nicole Seah, made him decide against it.
"I sent a WhatsApp message to MP Jamus Lim last year or earlier this year, and he replied to me," Chia said.
"But after that, when I made it clear that I wanted to start a party to contest in East Coast GRC, he didn't reply me."
In an Instagram post shared on March 28, Chia's party unveiled its "key policy proposals", calling for cost of living on everyday essentials and healthcare to be reduced and more job opportunities for Singaporeans and other reforms.
When asked about the alternative policies he will put forth in Parliament, Chia said that they will be firmed up when the key dates of the 2025 General Election are announced.
"We have a sneak preview, but we don't want to reveal too much," he added. "Definitely when the time comes and people are more engaged, we will put out our proposals for voters to see.
"Maybe it's in line with what they are looking for, then they will vote us in."
Going forward, Chia said there will be "exciting times ahead" if his party contests in East Coast GRC.
Acknowledging that his resources are limited, he said that his party will reach out to residents through social media and "online exposure".
However, contesting in a general election here remains an expensive endeavour, with political parties that field the most candidates typically spending the most.
In the 2020 election, the ruling PAP spent a total of $6.97 million on the 93 seats it contested.
The Progress Singapore Party, which fielded the largest opposition contingent, was also the biggest overall spender among all the opposition parties, spending a total of $781,275.
The Election Department announced on March 27 that candidates in the upcoming general election can spend up to $5 for each registered voter.
Given the higher cost expected to contest in a GRC, would it be more practical to target a single ward as an independent candidate instead?
But Chia felt it will go against what his party is standing for — to "bring the most value" to Parliament.
He said: "Look at the impact Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai had in the five years. I would say it's commendable and very impressive, but he only has one seat.
"I don't want to go in where we are one per cent of the elected MPs in Parliament and we have to stand on our own. (I want) voters to know that if you want change, you have to go big or go home."
Chia also urged voters to look beyond the "cheesiness" of his party's name.
"Look at what we offer, the values and principles we run on," he said. "I hope they will put their trust in the younger generation.
"I'm just like any citizen in Singapore trying to take up the courage this election, to make sure our interests are being placed at the forefront…. If they do believe in me, then they should vote for me."
Even if Chia contests on home turf, one political observer said that he will face a challenge to win support from residents of East Coast GRC.
Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser, an adjunct principal research fellow with the Institute of Policy Studies, said: "I doubt the proposed party would be taken seriously, but it may draw some protest votes."
A protest vote in this case refers to one for a fringe party to demonstrate unhappiness with the choice of candidates or the current political system.
"Even he loses the election, he would have gained something in terms of publicity for his business," he added.
To dispel any notion of a publicity stunt, Assoc Prof Tan said Chia must "show some well-researched, feasible and bold ideas" beyond what the current parties have already made known.
Independent political observer Dr Felix Tan agreed that Chia's approach lacks seriousness and "makes a mockery of the political process".
"By treating the political process as a spectacle, he diminishes public discourse and undermines the credibility of serious political engagement," he said.
"There seems to be a total disregard for the role political parties play in shaping meaningful policy and engaging with the complex realities on the ground."
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