Redditor attends their first PAP rally, says it’s ‘more like a private fanclub concert’
As Singapore enters the nine-day campaigning sprint for this year’s General Election (GE2025), political parties are hitting the ground running with rallies, walkabouts, and manifesto declarations.
But while some Singaporeans are turning up at rallies for the first time, not everyone is walking away impressed.
One Redditor, who recently attended their first-ever People’s Action Party (PAP) rally, said the experience felt less like a democratic gathering and more like a “private fanclub concert”.
In a detailed post on r/askSingapore, the user reviewed the 27 Apr PAP rally for Pioneer and West Coast–Jurong West GRC at Jurong West Stadium and gave it a score of “3/10”.
‘More like WWE event’: Redditor says rally was more showbiz than substance
From the get-go, the Redditor wasn’t convinced.
Describing the event’s entrance as something out of a WWE match, they likened the MPs’ arrival to a VIP walk-in, complete with blaring music and over-the-top fanfare.
Source: Hamid Razak 贺明医生 ஹமீது on Facebook
“It honestly felt like a Desmond Lee cult rally,” they recalled, claiming the volunteers did more “preaching” than introducing, especially when it came to the Minister for National Development.
According to the OP, one Taman Jurong speaker seemed polished at first but quickly descended into what they described as exaggerated praise for MP Shawn Huang, which made the speech feel scripted and forced.
OP slams speeches but praises one newcomer
When it came to content, the OP didn’t hold back.
Shawn Huang’s speech was described as cryptic, leaving the audience confused. At one point, the MP allegedly tried to spin a passing raincloud into a metaphor about “storm and resilience” — only for the skies to clear moments later, undercutting the drama.
Still, the Redditor gave credit where it was due. Dr Hamid Razak’s speech stood out as “engaging and impressive”, though the OP remained sceptical about the deliverability of his promises.
Source: Hamid Razak 贺明医生 ஹமீது on Facebook
As for Mr Desmond Lee, they admitted that while his speech was standard fare, his “down-to-earth personality” was a redeeming factor.
‘If you don’t fit in, you’d get hints to scram’
What really rubbed the Redditor the wrong way, however, was the atmosphere.
The rally didn’t feel inclusive, they said, especially for anyone not dressed in party colours.
“It felt less like a public rally and more like a private fanclub concert for Desmond Lee,” they wrote.
Crowd members were reportedly waving neon signboards professing love for Desmond Lee and Patrick Tay, which only amplified the tribal vibes.
Although the OP maintained their neutrality and simply wanted to observe, they said they “genuinely felt excluded”.
Source: Shawn Huang Wei Zhong 黄伟中 on Facebook
The OP also recalled what they felt was the “biggest highlight” of the rally — when the emcee constantly interrupted SM Teo Chee Hean, eventually testing his patience.
Netizens share similar experiences
The thread gained traction with over 170 upvotes, as netizens jumped in to share their own rally experiences.
One user said they felt “disrespected” when the politicians turned up late, causing the crowd to wait for nearly two hours.
They also observed that most attendees seemed to be “party activists”, which made them feel “alienated”.
Source: r/SingaporeRaw on Reddit
In contrast, another commenter praised Workers’ Party (WP) rallies for being inclusive, saying attendees wouldn’t feel left out even if they didn’t wear party colours.
Source: r/SingaporeRaw on Reddit
When asked how the OP was asked to “scram”, the OP explained that during photo-taking, they got pushed and glared at.
Source: r/SingaporeRaw on Reddit
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Featured image adapted from Shawn Huang Wei Zhong 黄伟中 on Facebook and Shawnhuangweizhong on Instagram.
