This article is part of Yahoo Singapore’s series of post-GE interviews with former candidates who contested in 2015’s General Election. In this article, we spoke to the Workers’ Party’s candidate for Aljunied GRC (Kaki Bukit Division), Muhammad Faisal Abdul Manap.
It takes a lot of sacrifices to serve Singaporeans as an opposition Member of Parliament.
Muhammad Faisal Abdul Manap, 40, who is Workers’ Party’s (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Aljunied GRC (Kaki Bukit Division), has lost friends and acquaintances who did not want to associate themselves to him because of his political involvement with the opposition.
“Being an opposition MP (Member of Parliament) as well as a politician is not as easy as one can think… there’s always (a) stigmatisation that we are against the establishment. So there are bound to be people who are not comfortable to be seen affiliating themselves with us. I personally experienced it as well as my missus,” said the freelance family counsellor.
Yahoo Singapore spoke to the member of Singapore’s leading opposition party, exactly a month after the elections ended with a landslide victory for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). WP succeeded in retaining its seats in the five-MP Aljunied GRC (51 per cent of votes) as well as Hougang SMC (58 per cent of votes).
The win gives Faisal a second chance at serving the residents of Kaki Bukit. It will also give him a second chance to speak up for issues related to the Malay/Muslim community when Parliament begins in January 2016.
Job loss and unwavering family support
Four years have passed since the father of three was first elected into Parliament. Although he lost many friends during this period, his family and relatives have given him their unwavering support.
During an hour-long interview at the party’s town council office in Bedok North, Faisal said he always believed in getting his family to understand what he goes through so that they can be there for him “emotionally”.
He would bring his parents to WP gatherings so they can witness him at work. On Nomination Day on 1 Sept, he brought them to the WP gathering site. Faisal was a family counsellor for two separate Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) from 2006 to 2008, and from 2008 to 2010. In 2010, he was “put out of job” due to his “involvement in politics”, before he decided to run for elections in 2011.
As an opposition MP, he lives with the uncertainty over whether he can retain his seat in Parliament and how his family will be affected when his term ends.
“If I don’t retain the MP position, will it be easy for me to get employed? In 2011 I was asked to leave my job in the social services because of my involvement in politics,” said Faisal, who does not believe that Singapore VWOs would be “open” to hiring him again.
Found a friend in PAP’s Kahar Hassan
Faisal found a friend in Kahar Hassan, 46, who used to be the chairman at PAP’s Kaki Bukit Branch, and was surprised when Kahar stepped down on 31 July, not long before elections began.
“Honestly, I’m close to Kahar, not only professionally but we do meet up during some of the iftar (break fast sessions) and some of the sessions at the mosque. I find him a very committed person who has done quite well in terms of serving the residents. The news of him stepping down came as a surprise to me,” he said.
The Monash University graduate felt the ruling party’s decision on Kahar was “unwise” for someone who had already built a close bond with the residents after serving them for 18 months. He said that “bonding is very important in order for you to assist and empower the other person’s life” and the “same goes for the field of serving the society”, and Kahar stepping down means that the residents will have to “start all over again”.
New PAP member Shamsul Kamar, 43, who used to be the head of department at Spectra Secondary School, took over from Kahar. Faisal said he has not had a chance to meet with him.
On being the first and only Malay opposition MP
Faisal is also the first and only Malay/Muslim opposition MP in Parliament. He said being the only minority on the opposition side to speak up on issues in the house could be a “lonely” experience at times. “It will be good if you can do things in a bigger group… the presence of another person (in Parliament) will be a bit better than you being alone,” he said.
At the same time, he believes “things happen for a reason” and that he will do everything within his means to bring about change for the community.
When Parliament starts in 2016, Faisal said he will continue to speak up on issues relating to the Malay/Muslim community, such as the “perceived discrimination against the Malays in the Singapore Armed Forces”, the decline in the Malay population, and the hijab issue, among other things.
He also hopes the Malay/Muslim individuals in the government will be open to working with him on issues related to the community.
In other words, the Business Development Director with an engineering company was a prospective PAP candidate for its “suicide squad” in Aljunied until last month. His stepping down certainly raised some eyebrows among politicians and political observers because Kahar had been working on the ground for 16 months.
Former PAP Minister Lim Boon Heng, who announced current PAP candidate Shamsul Kamar’s “take-over” of Kaki Bukit to the grassroots leaders, told the media on Aug 1 that the decision to replace Kahar was “not because he’s done anything criminal or there’s a scandal”. (Thanks for putting this negative thought in our minds, Minister!)
After the sharing of Kahar’s Facebook post on July 31, it has been difficult to connect with him. We suspect it is probably an effort by Kahar to remain low profile for the time being. In fact, he told me that he preferred not to accept any media interviews during the GE campaigning period.
With a sighting of him at a Workers’ Party (WP) event and murmurs that Kahar was “hardworking” but perhaps did not build up rapport with his Kaki Bukit residents, Kahar finally relented and decided to share his side of the story and life after stepping down as a PAP chairman.
Mothership.sg met Kahar last weekend to talk about his previous role as the Chairman of PAP Kaki Bukit Branch, his strategy to reach out to the residents in the Opposition ward and why he is a “Teochew porridge”.
1. Tell us about your previous role as Chairman of PAP Kaki Bukit Branch.
Photo courtesy of Kahar Hassan
As a PAP Branch Chairman in an opposition ward, I do not have the luxury of learning the ropes from an incumbent PAP MP. I was immediately thrown into the deep end of the pool having to make decisions for the Branch and the activists. I have to also raise funds for both my Branch and the PCF to ensure its sustenance.
My priority when I first came to Kaki Bukit, was to increase residents’ awareness of PAP’s presence in an opposition ward. I found out that a good way for me to embark on this, is through organising exercise groups, overseas tours, local outings and events to engage our residents and make PAP’s presence felt.
I also conducted house-to-house visits in my capacity as a PAP Branch Chairman and helped explain government policies and programs such as the PGP, Silver Support Scheme, Medishield Life etc to our residents.
Being a deep advocate of Design Thinking (an innovation process), the key step to innovation is empathy. With empathy, one will naturally be sincere, be willing to listen and be able to come up with the right solutions to solve a problem, or in this case, help the residents.
I restarted the weekly Meet-the-People Session (MPS) on 5 May 2014 at Blk 519 PCF Kaki Bukit to help residents, and was attending to 5 to 7 cases every Monday. In less than 4 months, our MPS cases increased. During my tenure as Branch Chairman, I attended to approximately 30 to 35 MPS cases every week.
I have also launched the “Milk & Diapers Program” to help needy families. From my daily house-to-house visits, I met needy families with elderly or bedridden members, many of whom could not afford consumables such as powdered milk and diapers. Similarly, these consumables are also a huge financial burden on underprivileged families with toddlers and newborns. The program thus helped reduced these families financial burdens and ensured that no one is deprived of such necessities.
Nonetheless, in the midst of showcasing PAP’s presence, I have not forgotten that Kaki Bukit is an opposition ward. Therefore, I also made sure that I gave due respect to the elected MP, Mr Faisal Manap, who has been given the mandate to run the ward by the residents.
17 months ago, when I was told to go to Kaki Bukit, I thought about how I could appeal to the hearts and minds of the residents. I believe “it’s not about doing different things but doing things differently”. I know I would not be able to expect a different result if I were to replicate the same modus-operandi as when Kaki Bukit was still a PAP incumbent ward.
I asked myself 2 questions, “How did WP win Aljunied GRC in GE2011?” and “What is Mdm Halimah Yacob’s winning formula which makes her a household name among many Singaporeans?”.
With that in mind, I approached Mdm Halimah (Speaker of Parliament) to be my mentor which she graciously agreed. I followed Mdm Halimah on her block visits and learnt how she manages her ward in Bukit Batok East. I am not shy to say that I emulated what Mdm Halimah has done as her methods have proven to be successful. Occasionally, I would seek her advice and opinions on certain issues.
Photo courtesy of Kahar Hassan.
Back in Kaki Bukit, I told myself, my aim is to get to know every single resident. As such, after finishing my day job at 5pm, I conducted house-to-house visits 2 times a day (5.30pm-7pm & 8pm-9.30pm) every Monday to Friday. On weekends or public holidays, I would have market or coffeeshop visits in the morning, followed by 1 session of house-to-house visit in the afternoon or evening. These visits are not hi-and-bye sessions. I took time to listen to each resident’s concerns and offered them advice on-the-spot. For issues which cannot be resolved immediately, I would invite them to our Meet-the-People Session (MPS) so that we could explore other ways to assist them.
I have since completed 2 rounds of house-to-house visits within Kaki Bukit and was about to commence on my 3rd round prior to being asked to step down.
I intentionally conduct these house and market visits in my capacity as PAP Branch Chairman with only 2 or 3 Branch activists so that I could have deeper interaction with the residents at their doors and also to encourage the residents to approach me freely at the market to share any issues or concerns which they might have. I do not fancy having a big entourage with me at the coffeeshop or market, as that only creates unnecessary congestion and inconvenienced the business owners and diners.
I also make it a point to attend all wakes in Kaki Bukit to extend my condolences and assistance to the bereaved families. It is very sad to learn that some of these residents who have passed on, are residents whom I have met and spoken to during my earlier house visits.
Besides house-to-house visits, I attend community events and functions to interact and mingle with residents. The residents have grown so accustomed to my presence at these events that they have started asking my former activists why they no longer see me around in Kaki Bukit now.
I must say these outreach and establishment of relationship and rapport with residents cannot be achieved overnight. Most importantly, it requires long-term commitment and it is not something that you can try to outsource.
3. In your Facebook posting message on Jul 31, you mentioned that “the Party leaders have made the decision last Saturday, for me to step down as Chairman of PAP Kaki Bukit Branch”. Did they explain to you the reasons behind their decision?
No reasons given. I was told to step down to make way for Shamsul Kamar (PAP candidate for Kaki Bukit in Aljunied GRC).
4. How was the ground sentiment when residents found out about your departure from Kaki Bukit?
I was told several elderly residents at Blk 509B cried and many residents were very upset that I could no longer be around for them. Residents have posted messages on my Facebook page (both private and public), encouraging me, thanking me for my contributions and telling me that they missed me. Some mentioned that they have written to the Prime Minister.
Many residents who are not internet-savvy have also approached my former Kaki Bukit activists, asking them to help convey to me how much they missed me, with some asking if I could still go on organised tours with them?
I must say I am really blessed to have been posted to Kaki Bukit and get to know such warm and loving residents.
5. Former Minister Lim Boon Heng told the press on Aug 1 about replacing you with Shamsul. He explained that the PAP will deploy who it believes would be able to deliver the “best possible performance” on the ground, and that you could be “placed in a better role somewhere else”. Did he contact you about the role?
No.
6. Have you been tasked to remain and help the current team in this upcoming election?
No.
7. At the press conference of the unveiling of the PAP Aljunied slate, Lim said that PAP “felt that it needed a change, even though Mr Kahar had been a “very hardworking person”. He thanked you for your work at Kaki Bukit and for letting residents know that the party has “not forgotten about them”. We were at the press conference and we didn’t see you. Did the party forget to invite you to the PAP Aljunied press conference or did you forget to attend?
I was not informed about this Press Conference.
8. Did PAP forget to invite you for the launch of the PAP’s manifesto last Saturday?
I was not informed about the launch of PAP’s manifesto.
9. PAP’s campaign slogan is “”With you, for you, for Singapore”. Are you still with PAP, for PAP, for Singapore?
Yes, I have been a PAP member for almost 20 years, and I am proud to be a Singaporean.
10. Anway, it seems like you haven’t been invited to PAP-related events since Aug 1! When was the last time you were invited to a WP event?
I was invited to WP’s Hari Raya event which was held in Kaki Bukit on Aug 2 2015.
11. This event took place 2 days after you announced your stepping down as PAP Branch Chairman, why did you still turn up for the event?
This invitation was extended to me by the MP of Kaki Bukit ward, Mr Faisal Manap, and I had accepted his invitation a few weeks before I was told to step down.
Because this event was held in Kaki Bukit, and also as a form of respect to the MP elected by the residents of Kaki Bukit, I thought it would be rude not to turn up merely because I had stepped down.
There is a Malay saying, “Rezeki jangan ditolak, Musuh jangan dicari” (loosely translated to mean, don’t push away goodwill and create animosity).
As Muslims, we are discouraged from rejecting invitations extended to us. In any case, I sat amongst our Kaki Bukit residents at the event for only 20 minutes, as I had to rush to another event.
12. We ask this question to every person we’re interviewing for this GE — if you were a Singapore hawker food dish, which would you be and why?
Teochew Porridge. I eat this at home all the time as it is one of my favourite foods.
It is a comfort food; plain and simple, and goes so well with any dishes, be it steamed fish, tofu, salted egg, braised meats or fried vegetables. (I have yet to find a halal version of this at hawker centres).
Teochew Porridge reflects my simple personality and people feel comfortable talking to me, as I can relate to just about anyone; whether they are young children, old folks or young adults who have just embarked on their careers.
Elaborating on why ex-People’s Action Party (PAP) Kaki Bukit branch chairman Kahar Hassan (picture) was asked to step down last month, former PAP chairman Lim Boon Heng said yesterday the party felt that it needed a change, even though Mr Kahar had been a “very hardworking person”.
Mr Lim also thanked Mr Kahar — who was dropped from the PAP slate totally — for his work in Kaki Bukit and for letting residents know that the party has “not forgotten about them”.
Speaking at a press conference to unveil the PAP’s team for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency, Mr Lim said the PAP has deployed their potential candidates on the ground much earlier compared with previous elections. This gave the party the opportunity to assess how the potential candidates relate with people and different stakeholders in the constituency, he added.
“In other words, it allows us what you might say in management jargon, a 360-degree assessment of the candidates. This time round, we have been more comprehensive in the assessment of our candidates and whether they fit in the constituency where we intend to field them,” he said.
“So, the party decided that they needed a change in Kaki Bukit although Kahar Hassan had been a very hardworking person. We should make a change if we could find somebody that is a better fit.” Mr Lim said the party was “very glad” that they were able to find a “better fit” in Mr Shamsul Kamar, the former head of Student Management at Spectra Secondary School.
Mr Kahar, 46, was asked to step down late last month, after working the ground for the past 16 months.
The business development director of an engineering company could not respond to media queries by press time. Mr Kahar announced his departure on Facebook on July 31 and in his earlier comments to TODAY, he said it was a party decision and his thoughts went out to the residents.
The likely Workers’ Party (WP) candidates for East Coast GRC and Fengshan SMC made their first public appearance together yesterday, visiting major markets there to meet stallholders and residents.
Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Gerald Giam, 37, who was part of the WP’s East Coast team, which garnered 45.2 per cent of the vote in the 2011 General Election, is almost certain to enter the fray once again in the constituency.
He was joined yesterday by other potential candidates: National University of Singapore associate professor and sociologist Daniel Goh, 42; law firm partner Dennis Tan, 44; research and consultancy firm chief executive and former civil servant Leon Perera, 44; and librarian Mohamed Fairoz Shariff, 36.
East Coast GRC was a five-MP constituency at the last general election, but will be a four-MP constituency at the next one. This means three of the four new faces could be Mr Giam’s running mates, while one might go it alone in Fengshan SMC.
Also at the walkabout were WP chief Low Thia Khiang, 58, Aljunied GRC MPs Sylvia Lim, 50, Chen Show Mao, 54, and Faisal Abdul Manap, 40, and Hougang MP Png Eng Huat, 53.
Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong, 50, who is expected to lead the WP team in Marine Parade GRC, was there too, with potential candidate Terence Tan, 43, a lawyer who has been doing house visits.
The GRC will absorb Joo Chiat SMC, where Mr Yee stood in 2011 and lost by 388 votes to Mr Charles Chong of the People’s Action Party.
The WP has been walking the ground daily in recent weeks, with the elections expected next month.
It said it has not finalised its candidates or where they will stand.
Speaking to reporters after yesterday’s walkabout, WP chairman Sylvia Lim said the party will formally introduce its candidates after National Day.
The party said it will also contest Jalan Besar and Nee Soon GRCs, as well as Sengkang West and MacPherson SMCs.
Last night, the WP held a Hari Raya dinner in Aljunied GRC’s Kaki Bukit ward, attended by party leaders – and the man who stepped down last week from his post as chairman of the PAP branch in the ward, Mr Kahar Hassan, 45.
Mr Kahar said Mr Faisal had invited him to the dinner “some time back”, and he was there in his personal capacity.
When asked by reporters if he had joined the WP, Mr Kahar said: “That will never happen – I’ve been a (PAP) member for 20 years. I was invited to this dinner a long time ago.”
Mr Faisal told reporters that he invited Mr Kahar to the dinner because they both serve residents in the area.
“We have a working relationship… sometimes I refer residents to him, and sometimes he refers residents to me,” he said.
SINGAPORE: The new chairman of the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Kaki Bukit Branch will be Mr Shamsul Kamar, currently the head of department for student management at Spectra Secondary School. He will take over from Mr Kahar Hassan, who stepped down on Friday (Jul 31).
Former PAP Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister Lim Boon Heng announced this after a meeting with grassroots leaders at the Thye Hua Kwan Family Service Centre at Bedok North on Saturday afternoon.
Mr Lim told reporters after the meeting that the decision to move Mr Kahar was “not because he’s done anything criminal or there’s a scandal”.
“There’s nothing of the sort. In fact, he has worked very hard in the past 16 months in Kaki Bukit and given the assurance to the residents here that even though it is in Opposition hands, the PAP still looks after the residents in Kaki Bukit.”
The area is in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), which is under The Workers’ Party.
The Thye Hua Kwan Family Service Centre at Bedok North where a closed-door meeting between the PAP’s Kaki Bukit Branch members and grassroots leaders was held (Photo: Loke Kok Fai)
Mr Lim explained that for the upcoming General Election, the PAP will deploy who it believes would be able to deliver the “best possible performance” on the ground, and that Mr Kahar could be “placed in a better role somewhere else”.
The party has been “introducing people to work on the ground to test how they relate to the residents and how they relate with the activists”, Mr Lim said. “This is the basic, fundamental reason PAP has made the change.”
He added that the decision as to who the party will be fielding in Aljunied GRC is not set in stone, and that it might be changed closer to the election date.
Mr Kahar, an SMRT deputy director, was present at Saturday’s meeting to hand over the reins.
As for Mr Shamsul, he has tendered his resignation with the Ministry of Education and is serving out his notice period, which expires on Aug 21. He was spotted at the closed-door meeting wearing a white polo t-shirt, but left shortly after it ended and did not take questions from the media.
