GE2025: No party, no problem as independent candidates gear up for battle

He is not the only independent candidate who will contest the upcoming General Election, with Mr Darryl Lo Kar Keong also making the cut as a candidate for Radin Mas SMC.

Mr Lo will face incumbent Melvin Yong from the People’s Action Party (PAP) as well as People’s Alliance for Reform’s (PAR) Kumar Appavoo. 

According to his social media, the Singapore Management University (SMU) law graduate grew up in Bukit Purmei. Mr Lo said in a video that he was stepping up to contest in the single-seat constituency as he believes “more diverse voices” in parliament can lead to better discussions and policies.

A “ONE-MAN TEAM”

Both candidates said they are undeterred by the fact that they do not have the backing of a political party.

“I’ll be able to attract the best quality volunteers that are not beholden to any party,” said Mr Tan.

“The value of the independent MP is to go there and be a catch-all, to actually go and see the policies that are the worst and most inconvenient to speak about … Because I have no affiliation, I can speak about anything freely. And that’s a plus.”

Mr Tan has set up a website where he has laid out, among other things, his reasons for wanting to run and proposed policies.

When asked why Mountbatten, his answer is simple. “I live 600 metres outside of Mountbatten … To be a good MP, I believe I must be close to my residents,” he said.

On his website, Mr Tan encourages Mountbatten residents to reach out to him to discuss concerns and ideas to make the SMC better.

He states that he has a “48-hour commitment” for emails, and “15-minute slots” for phone calls, with constituents able to book slots.

Mr Tan is also a big proponent of bitcoin, having “studied” the cryptocurrency as a potential hedge against US dollar irresponsibility.

He goes into further detail on his website, using the moniker “Encik Bitcoin” and calling it an “inflation-proof” asset. Among his proposed policies if elected is for a Singapore dollar denominated Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) to be established as a form of savings protection for Singaporeans.