Tan Cheng Bock asks PAP for evidence in walkabout incident

The Progress Singapore Party’s (PSP) volunteers have categorically denied manhandling PAP volunteers during a walkabout in Bukit Gombak on Jan 4, said party leaders Tan Cheng Bock and Hazel Poa.

They were responding to Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Low Yen Ling’s account of the incident, where she said a man from PSP had intimidated a PAP volunteer and slapped his face twice, among other actions from the opposition group.

In a Facebook post on Jan 10, Dr Tan said: “For Ms Low to have made such serious allegations, she must have clear evidence of the alleged manhandling. She needs to make this evidence available.”

Dr Tan said the PSP does not condone any form of violence, and will take disciplinary action if any of its volunteers acted aggressively. But the party would fight the allegations “all the way” if they have been falsely accused, he added.

In a response posted to Facebook also on Jan 10, Ms Low, who is also Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth, said she agreed with Dr Tan that there should not be any violence while engaging in political activities.

Responding to Dr Tan’s call for more evidence, she said: “Since police investigations have started, we can leave the matter to the police. My volunteers will hand over all the evidence to the police.”

Volunteers from the two parties had run into each other during their walkabouts, leading to a series of altercations. Each side is alleging harassment by the other and offering a different account of what happened.

Dr Tan said he was shocked by Ms Low’s account of the incident, and that the PSP held a meeting to hear its volunteers’ side of the story after she published her Facebook post on Jan 8.

Ms Low said the PSP member who slapped the PAP volunteer’s face also pulled the shirt of a second PAP volunteer, to force the latter to take a video and photo with him.

She added that the People’s Action Party team had considered filing a police report after two of its male volunteers were “physically manhandled”, but decided not to.

A PSP volunteer has filed a report, and police investigations are ongoing.

Ms Low also said a group of female PAP volunteers saw that they were being filmed by PSP members that afternoon, and responded by doing the same.

In his response, Dr Tan said: “All the male volunteers who participated in the house visits on Jan 4 at Goodview Gardens were clear that they did not slap anyone, and they were firm in asserting that the allegation was untrue.”

A PSP volunteer did try to take a photo with a man who was filming him, but did not pull him by his shirt as alleged by Ms Low, added Dr Tan.

Dr Tan said the PSP volunteers started video-recording PAP volunteers only after the PAP volunteers had done so to them, contrary to what Ms Low said.

He added: “We note that in the video released by the PAP volunteer on Jan 9, there was no evidence of any slapping, merely subtitles alleging so. I note that I also did not see any evidence of shirt pulling as alleged.”

Mr Azman Ibrahim, in a Facebook post on Jan 9, identified himself as one of the PAP volunteers involved in the incident and uploaded two videos of the incident.

In a separate Facebook post on Jan 10, PSP secretary-general Hazel Poa said: “While it is possible that some of our volunteers may have behaved somewhat unwisely, it is understandable if they were provoked.”

Ms Poa added that she had a similar run-in with PAP volunteers earlier, on Nov 9, 2024, in Hillview Estate, which is also part of Chua Chu Kang GRC.

She said several ladies dressed in white with PAP logos and men in plain clothes were present throughout the PSP team’s outreach to residents, even after the team deviated from their planned route.

She said: “In one instance, when I was talking to a resident, a man in a black shirt came up right next to us and started video-recording my conversation with the resident. I was taken aback by his conduct and faced him.”

Ms Poa added that she asked him who he was and why he was doing this, and asked him to stop recording, but he continued to do so. 

After regrouping with the other groups of volunteers, she learnt that they had had similar experiences, she said.

“We were a little shell-shocked as this was the first time we experienced something like this. Some of us had taken photos in response when we saw the PAP volunteers taking photos and videos of us,” she said.

“However, the photos taken merely showed their presence, but did not show their conduct.”

Ms Poa said that after discussing their options, the PSP team decided that whatever they chose to do – be it informing the local MP, Ms, Low or filing a police report – they would need solid evidence.

They decided that if something similar were to happen again, they would document it with videos and photos, she said.

Ms Poa added that she is prepared to share the photos of the incident at Hillview Estate with Ms Low directly, should she wish to investigate the matter. 

She noted that this is her first unpleasant encounter with volunteers from the PAP. 

“In the past, whenever we meet during our outreach efforts, both sides have always given each other polite smiles and greetings, showing mutual respect. 

“It is my earnest wish that we can maintain that going forward,” she said.

In response to Ms Poa’s statements on previous incidents between PSP and PAP volunteers, Ms Low said the current issue began when PSP made allegations about what happened on Jan 4, 2025.

“After I have set out a record of what happened and a volunteer has produced videos, now the discussion has turned to November 2024. I do not think that residents’ interests are served in having a further to-and-fro on this,” she said.

She added that PAP volunteers regularly engage residents in the estate and hold community and outreach events there. “Occasionally, they encounter volunteers from PSP. November 2024 was one such occasion.”

Ms Low added: “Earlier this week, I have taken the opportunity to refresh our briefing and training for all volunteers, with the recent lessons as timely reminders to keep focused on our goals.”