THE MAN BEHIND THE MIC
If you had expected Mr Ariffin to be a microcosm of his publication – sharp, bold, unapologetically loud – then his public debut as an SDP candidate would have proven you right.
When Dr Chee introduced him to reporters last month, the young man was brimming with conviction as he spoke.
He possessed an obvious charisma at the SDP rally in Choa Chu Kang stadium on Thursday night as well, flaunting a competent display of diction, inflection and cadence in his speech that has been praised by online users.
You could even argue that SDP’s original founder, opposition legend Chiam See Tong, would have been proud.
Interestingly, Mr Chiam and Mr Ariffin are both alumni of the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and Mr Chiam has given the younger man his stamp of approval before, having written a letter of recommendation when Mr Ariffin applied for a scholarship there.
Before that, Mr Ariffin had helped Mrs Lina Chiam, Mr Chiam’s wife, write speeches while she was a non-constituency MP in 2015.
Asked to share more about himself, he told me that he is a fan of the English Premier League’s Manchester United football club. And music-wise, classic rock bands such as Pink Floyd fill his playlists, but he is also a massive fan of rapper Eminem.
He is also someone who often has friends two to three times his age because of the sheer scope of conversations they are able to have.
Everything about him screams self-confident, self-assured and socially adept.
However, as I found out in quieter moments, offstage and away from the public eye, Mr Ariffin is soft-spoken and introspective.
He pauses frequently between answering my many questions, whether it be about his personal interests or political goals, preferring to think his answers through rather than let out some unfiltered verbiage.
“Honestly, I’m quite socially awkward,” he said at one point with a snicker.
I brought up his speeches and told him that this was genuinely hard to believe.
He said: “I think if you really believe in what you say, the confidence will come naturally. What I say doesn’t come from an academic place. It comes from lived realities, experiences that even I go through.
“Singaporeans are very discerning. It’s not about whether you come from a so-called humble background or the party tricks you can pull.
“Do people sense a genuine desire in you to serve and the capability to speak up for them? If you have those two, everything else is a bonus.”
WHAT PAST MISTAKES HAVE TAUGHT HIM
For all his political ideals, Mr Ariffin is no stranger to controversy.
