Political tensions escalated between the People's Action Party (PAP) and the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) after allegations of harassment and physical altercations surfaced during an outreach activity in Bukit Gombak. The controversy began when PSP claimed that PAP volunteers had followed and harassed their members on Saturday, Jan 4.
Responding to these allegations, Chua Chu Kang GRC Member of Parliament Low Yen Ling addressed the issue on her Facebook page on Wednesday, describing her account of events and accusing PSP volunteers of inappropriate behavior.
The incident gained further attention on Thursday when a PAP volunteer, Azman Ibrahim, posted two videos on Facebook detailing his encounters with PSP members. In one video, a man wearing a PSP shirt approaches Mr. Azman for a selfie, leading to a scuffle. The video later shows another man in a PSP shirt allegedly brushing past Mr. Azman, which he claims resulted in him being slapped. The video ends with the caption, "They got physical."
The second video shared by Mr. Azman shows a woman dressed in white, surrounded by PSP members. A female PSP volunteer notices the filming and attempts to block the camera with flyers. The video caption states, "hit by flyers."
Mr. Azman identified himself as "Male Volunteer 1," referenced in Ms. Low's Facebook post, where she alleged he was slapped twice—once in a lift and again in a corridor—while being insulted with derogatory terms. Addressing the incident, Mr. Azman explained that he was supporting fellow PAP volunteers on Jan 4 and became concerned when a female volunteer appeared to be surrounded by PSP members.
“What I didn’t expect is that they would get agitated and physical,” he wrote, adding that the incident had caused distress to him and his family, who had been targeted online. He noted that a police report had been lodged and expressed hope for a resolution.
PSP chairman Tan Cheng Bock responded to the incident on Wednesday, urging PAP and Chua Chu Kang GRC MPs to address the allegations. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, also a Chua Chu Kang GRC MP, later shared Ms. Low’s Facebook post, calling for accountability and noting that PSP volunteers should not engage in conduct involving restraining, assaulting, or insulting others.
The PSP has yet to comment officially on the matter, but tensions between the two political parties continue to draw public attention. As the incident unfolds, it highlights the challenges of maintaining civility and respect in Singapore’s increasingly competitive political landscape.
Comments
Post a Comment