01/05/2025

THURSDAY | MAY 1, 2025

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Singapore politicians showcase musical skills

‘Sign up as polling agents’ SINGAPORE: Election candidate Ariffin Sha has called on the public to sign up as polling and counting agents, describing it as a “front line seat” to the democratic process. In his rally speech on Tuesday, the 27-year-old Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) candidate encouraged those who are too young to vote to take part in the election process. Singapore’s voting age is 21. “In 2015, I was too young to vote, but I was old enough to become a polling agent and counting agent. At rallies, I saw many young people come forward, many of them were below 21, and they said, ‘look, how can I get involved?’ “I would say, go and sign up to be a polling agent and counting agent,” he said. Ariffin said the SDP needs about 770 polling agents and a smaller number of counting agents to cover the four constituencies the party is contesting – Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Sembawang GRC, Bukit Panjang Single Member Constituency (SMC) and Sembawang West SMC. The opposition party is fielding 11 candidates in the four constituencies. He said the party has about 10% of the volunteers it needs. Ariffin, who is contesting in his first election at Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, also urged voters to cast their ballots without fear. “Your vote is 100% secret,” he said. Elections Department guidelines allow polling agents to observe the sealing of ballot boxes, monitor polling, and witness the sealing and packing of election materials. Counting agents may be present at counting centres to observe the pre counting test of counting machines and to inspect and ensure the seals on ballot boxes are intact before they are opened for counting. – Bernama Filipino journalist shot dead MANILA: The killing of a veteran Filipino journalist in his home was a “heinous act”, the Philippines’ Presidential Task Force on Media Security said yesterday. Juan “Johnny” Dayang, 89, who served as president emeritus of the Publishers Association of the Philippines, was shot by an assailant in his home in the central province of Aklan on Tuesday night, and died before reaching the hospital, it said. “We stand in solidarity with the media community as we mourn the passing of Dayang, a figure regarded as a pillar of Philippine journalism whose contributions greatly enriched our democratic discourse,” said task force executive director Jose Torres Jr. Despite a media environment that ranks as one of the most liberal in Asia, the Philippines is one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists. More than 200 journalists have been killed in the country since democracy was restored in 1986, according to the National Union of Journalists, including 32 in a single incident in 2009. “The death of Dayang represents a significant loss to the Philippine media and political landscape,” the Publishers Association said. Dayang served as mayor of Kalibo from 1986 to 1987. – Reuters

Singaporeans gave the government the lowest scorecard ratings for its handling of the cost of living (52%), sales tax (55%), inequality (57%), car prices (58%) and housing affordability (59%). However, the PAP is almost certain to win most seats in the election, with candidates fielded in all 33 constituencies for 97 seats in parliament. Crucially, the PAP will be looking at its popular vote. The PAP’s share of the popular vote fell to 61% in 2020 from 70% in 2015. If it sees another decline and its main opposition the Workers’ Party build on its record 10 seats in 2020, it could be interpreted as a sign the PAP’s grip on power is weakening. – Reuters

relatable,” said Walid. Voters, he said, are more discerning and would pay more attention to parties’ and candidates’ credibility and what they say about causes that matter to voters. The election comes amid a deteriorating economic outlook, due to US tariffs, with the government warning of a possible recession. Bread and butter issues still matter most to the 2.76 million voters. It is the first electoral test for Wong, who took over from prime minister Lee Hsien Loong last year as leader of the People’s Action Party, which has ruled the city-state of 6 million people since independence in 1965. According to an April survey by Blackbox Research of 1,506 people,

meme thanks to his self-written tune, badly sung, about looking left and right to find a career path. Some clips are freshly shot this election season as candidates are introduced to media or speak at rallies, others are older clips resurfacing of guitar-playing Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on stage with a band, or the leader of the opposition Pritam Singh singing at his party’s New Year celebration. “They want to be relatable, but it won’t work,” said political scientist Walid Jumblatt Abdullah from Nanyang Technological University. “These silly Tiktok videos, these music videos, aren’t exactly the best way to appear relatable. Just speaking like a normal human being, that would make them appear for more

SINGAPORE: A curious election campaign trend has emerged as Singapore gears up for Saturday’s ballot: candidates showcasing their musical chops, or lack of talent, on social media clips. The displays of musical talent range from clips of opposition star candidate Harpreet Singh playing the saxophone for The Straits Times , to others beatboxing and belting out songs in dialect or giving an awkward rendition of the APT Korean song. One candidate, Samuel Lee of the People’s Power Party, has become a o Election candidates try to touch base

Jailed Cambodian activists denied bail PHNOM PENH: Cambodia’s top court yesterday denied bail to five environmentalists jailed for their activism, a family member said, in a case widely condemned by the UN and human rights campaigners. The activists from Mother Nature, one of Cambodia’s few

environmental advocacy groups, denied charges of plotting against the state, which they said were politically motivated. The five were among 10 activists sentenced to between six and eight years in jail last year. Path Raksmey, 34, wife of activist Thun Ratha, said she was disappointed with yesterday’s ruling by the Supreme Court. “I am very regretful that the court does not allow bail for them. They are the ones who protect the environment but they are locked in jail while people who have destroyed natural resources live happily,” said Path Raksmey. “It is unjust for the five,” Raksmey said, adding that her husband remains “strong”. The five activists have been jailed in different prisons after their sentencing in July, but have launched appeals. The United Nations Human Rights Office said last year it was “gravely concerned by the conviction and harsh sentencing”. The tussle over protecting or exploiting Cambodia’s natural resources has long been a

Ratha being escorted by police outside the court in Phnom Penh. – AFPPIC

some of the world’s most biodiverse were lost, according to monitoring site Global Forest Watch. The government has approved plans for a cement factory in a wildlife sanctuary, according to an order seen by AFP on Tuesday.

logging in the country’s northwest. Unchecked illicit logging has contributed to a sharp drop in Cambodia’s forest cover over the years, according to activists. From 2002 to 2023, a third of Cambodia’s humid primary forests,

contentious issue in the Southeast Asian nation, with environmentalists threatened, arrested and even killed in the past decade. Cambodian journalist Chhoeung Chheung died in December after he was shot while investigating illegal

Indonesian top court approves defamation petition JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Constitutional Court has approved in part a petition brought by an environment the court to revoke an article in the law regulating defamation.

said the ruling was positive. “We can still put our hope to the court in preventing the setback of civil liberty in Indonesia,” he said. Among the more prominent defamation cases in recent years, two rights activists were charged with defamation under the law in 2023 after being accused of defaming a senior Cabinet minister. They were later acquitted. A singer and opposition figure Ahmad Dhani was sentenced to a year in prison in 2019 under the law after calling political rivals idiots in an online video. – Reuters

respected and would follow the ruling if it affected policy. He also reiterated the importance of “responsible freedom of speech” such as addressing critics based on data. Any ruling by the Constitutional Court is effective immediately and legally binding. Tangkilisan’s lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis praised the decision, saying even a good government needed critics, Kompas newspaper reported. Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia,

The court did not revoke the article but banned a “government, company, institution, or groups with specific identities” from filing defamation complaints against an individual, judge Arief Hidayat said. He said defamation complaints could only be filed by the person who had been defamed and the court’s action aimed to ensure legal certainty and prevent “arbitrariness by the law enforcer”. Presidential spokesperson, Prasetyo Hadi said the government

campaigner, it said on Tuesday, opening the way for a legal change to bar the government or a company filing defamation complaints in the event of criticism. Activists have said the Electronic Information and Transaction Law is a threat to freedom of speech in the world’s third-largest democracy and that the government has used it to criminalise critics. Environment activist Daniel Frits Maurits Tangkilisan had petitioned