As Singapore heads into election, politicians showcase musical chops 

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By Xinghui Kok

SINGAPORE (Reuters) -A curious election campaign trend has emerged in Singapore as the country gears up for its May 3 poll: 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 local broadsheet The Straits Times, to others beatboxing and belting out songs in dialect or giving an awkward rendition of the earworm APT Korean song.

One candidate, Samuel Lee of the small People’s Power Party, has become a 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 Singapore’s guitar-playing Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on stage with a local band, or the leader of the opposition Pritam Singh singing at his party’s Lunar 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,” said Walid. “Just speaking like a normal human being, that would make them appear for more relatable.”

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 U.S. 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 long-time premier 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 poll by Blackbox Research of 1,506 people, 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. 

(Reporting by Xinghui Kok; Editing by Michael Perry)