PAP newcomer David Neo gives ‘army-like’ speech during Fullerton rally
During the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) lunchtime rally at Fullerton on Monday (28 April), newcomer David Neo delivered a speech that quickly caught the attention of netizens, especially the men.
With furrowed brows, a booming voice and military precision, the former Chief of Army opened his six-minute speech with the line, “It’s a great day to be at Fullerton” — punctuated by a powerful fist pump in the air.
And just like that, the men of Singapore had flashbacks to their NS days.
Speech goes viral for no-nonsense delivery & quotable one-liners
Acknowledging that the upcoming General Election (GE2025) is shaping up to be a fierce battle, Mr Neo focused on the PAP’s track record and ethos: choosing leaders who “get things done”.
“The only way I know how to work is to roll up my sleeves, walk with you, and work with you to get things done,” he declared.
He then turned his sights on opposition parties proposing alternative policies and questioned their ability to deliver.
“But can they get it done?” he asked. “The fact is, they rely on the PAP to deal with the changed world. When the PAP is done, they say it’s because they talk.”
However, what really made waves online was this now-viral quote:
I go to bed and every morning, when I wake up, the sun rises. But I never make the mistake of thinking that the sun rises because I woke up.
Mr Neo ended his speech with a pointed statement: “Singapore doesn’t need people who only question or give ideas. We need people who take action. We don’t need more people to talk. We need more people to get things done.”
Source: People’s Action Party on YouTube
‘He talking to voters or recruits?’: Netizens
The speech was uploaded as a video montage by The Straits Times on TikTok, where it quickly went viral, racking up over 93,000 views and 380 comments in under a day.
Sounding exactly like the army general that he was, the men of Singapore quickly pointed it out. While some admired the commanding delivery, many couldn’t ignore the unmistakable army vibes.
“He talking to voters or recruits?” a TikTok user questioned.
Source: @straitstimes on TikTok
“Look at the way he expresses himself, like we are still recruits in NS. We need someone approachable,” a commenter wrote.
Source: @straitstimes on TikTok
One jokingly said that the crowd did not respond with “yes, sir”.
Source: @straitstimes on TikTok
“Later he organise road march for the residents,” another quipped.
Source: @straitstimes on TikTok
Mr Neo’s speech also drew attention from Redditors when a clip of his speech was uploaded on 28 April.
“And here we thought we don’t have enough condescending army generals,” a Redditor said. The post has since gained over 110 comments since it was posted.
Source: Reddit
One commenter questioned, “Another army parachute? Talking to the Fullerton crowd like his recruits?”
Source: Reddit
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Featured image adapted from People’s Action Party on YouTube and David Neo on Facebook.
