Woman Allegedly Told To Go Home & Change After Wearing Pineapple Print Shirt To Vote In PE2023
When voting in an election, citizens are expected to adhere to various rules and restrictions. Failing to do so could cost them their opportunity to cast their ballot.
On Friday (1 Sep), Singaporeans headed to the polls to vote in this year’s Presidential Election (PE2023).
However, one woman was allegedly asked to go home and change after showing up in a pineapple print shirt.
This is because the pineapple is Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s symbol, and voters should not wear anything that represents any candidate.
Singapore 2023 Presidential Candidates’ Symbols Explained, Including Tharman’s Pineapple
However, it’s not clear if the woman was deliberately making a statement or if it was merely a coincidence.
Woman turned away from PE2023 polling station for wearing pineapple shirt
A Xiaohongshu user posted a photo of the woman on the social media platform, saying that this happened very early in the morning on Polling Day.
The image shows a short-haired woman in a white T-shirt with bright yellow pineapples all over it.
“No [prizes for] guessing who Auntie voted for,” reads a text overlay on the picture.
Source: Xiaohongshu
Mr Tharman previously told The Straits Times (ST) that he chose the pineapple to represent him as it is “a propitious and welcome symbol” for many Singaporeans.
However, the caption of the post states that the auntie was “forced to make a U-turn home to change”.
Voters should not wear attire showing candidate’s symbol
According to the ‘Do’s and Don’ts of Voting’ page on the Elections Department Singapore (ELD) website, the woman had indeed breached one of the rules.
The fifth point under the ‘Do Not’ section states:
Do not bring any document or material, or wear any attire or badge, which shows a political party’s or candidate’s symbol.
This is because “the law prohibits canvassing and all forms of election activity on Polling Day, except voting”.
Therefore, donning a top with pineapples — Mr Tharman’s symbol — could be seen as an act of endorsement for him.
Of course, it’s also possible that the auntie had just grabbed a random shirt from her closet without thinking too much. After all, such a pattern isn’t exactly unusual.
In any case, if you’ve yet to head down to vote, remember to pay close attention to what you’re going to wear.
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Featured image adapted from Xiaohongshu and @tharman.sg on Instagram.
