Roy Ngerng: Reform Party application not just “for the sake of opposing”

Roy Ngerng (left), with Reform Party’s Kenneth Jeyaretnam (right) at a walkabout in the Teck Ghee district of the Ang Mo Kio ward (Photo: Calum Stuart)

By: Calum Stuart

As canvassers for the Reform Party (RP) knock on doors in a HDB block in Ang Mo Kio, a simple introduction was often deployed to get the residents’ attention: “Hello, we’re from the Reform Party. This is Mr. Roy Ngerng, who took [Singaporean Prime Minister] Lee Hsien Loong to court.”

The response was mixed. As RP members dressed in bright yellow polo shirts handed out flyers, residents mostly looked out from behind the metal gates. Some were eager to shake hands with and thank Ngerng, while others were quick to politely say their goodbyes.

Ngerng’s name-dropping is almost to be expected by RP, a party that sees itself as one that will not shy away from challenging Singaporean politics; Ngerng’s presence was being emphasised as the Ang Mo Kio ward he and his fellow RP canvassers were in is the constituency prime minister Lee Hsien Loong has anchored since 1991.

RP has indicated they intend to contest the ward in the next General Elections, after a second round of all-hands Opposition talks on Aug 6 led the party to give up its claim for other constituencies to other parties. The Singaporeans First (SingFirst) party, however, has also staked claim to the Ang Mo Kio ward.

Singaporean voters can expect to see more and more political wrangling over the next few weeks as parties begin canvassing in the lead up to the General Elections. Although the election has yet to be officially called, RP is yet another party which is already vying for voters’ attention.

In this respect, Ngerng, known for his outspoken views on Singapore’s political establishment, is a choice candidate for RP. His rise to public attention comes from a still-ongoing civil defamation suit by the prime minister following a blog post on the Central Provident Fund (CPF), which saw him facing off against PM Lee in a civil court hearing in July. He is yet to officially announce where he will stand in RP’s team, saying he will leave the decision up to the party if he is accepted as a member.

“I’ve known [Reform Party leader, Kenneth Jeyaretnam] for quite a while, and I’ve been quite familiar with what he and RP are doing,” Ngerng said. “RP’s policies are pretty much in line with what I’ve always advocated for; public pensions, minimum wage, increase in healthcare expenditure - in fact, universal healthcare for Singaporeans - and increased education expenditure, as well as cheaper housing and transport.”

Political candidacy is not a gimmick: Ngerng

Activist Han Hui Hui was seen with the Reform Party at their Teck Ghee walkabout, but did not say outright if she was joining the party (Photo: Calum Stuart)

Canvassing alongside Jeyaretnam, Ngerng took centre-stage among the other activists. Despite the attention, he maintained that his potential candidacy was not simply a gimmick designed to draw attention to himself and the RP. “I understand why people would think that, for obvious reasons,” he said. “But I don’t think it makes sense - what’s the point of investing resources just for for the sake of opposing?

“I’m more concerned at this juncture that socio-economically things have got pretty bad. A lot of Singaporeans are worried that they cannot afford healthcare, housing, or even transport. So for me it is a real and urgent need that we have a government that has the political will, and the convictions and integrity to implement polices [that help] Singaporeans.”

Still, references to Ngerng’s public reputation remained; the members of the walkabout were joined by Return Our CPF activist Han Hui Hui, who, alongside Ngerng, has been charged for an illegal assembly in September last year after CPF protesters disrupted a community event in another corner of Hong Lim Park. The case is still pending, and neither Han nor Ngerng are allowed to organise events at that location.

“The prime minister is the one who controls the government [and this constituency]. Since last year’s Return our CPF protest […] I’ve decided to come here since I can’t go [to protest in] Hong Lim Park,” she said.

While posing for photos and offering her endorsement, Han remained vague about whether she would officially work for Ngerng in his campaign for the Reform Party, saying, “At the end of the day I just want to help Singapore, so I’m only interested in whoever wants to help Singaporeans.”

On her Facebook page, Han posted a status close to midnight Friday, saying, “I’ve never ever said I’m not a member of any political party. I’ve also never ever said I’m a member of any political party.”

The theme that everyday Singaporeans should take it upon themselves to create social change through political involvement was emphasised by Ngerng: “I believe that any Singaporean should stand up. It’s not just me - if any Singaporean believes that they want to serve the people, and they find a party which they identify with, they should fight for a government [they want],” he said.

Ngerng’s candidacy is expected to be officially announced at a Reform Party press conference sometime after the National Day weekend.