The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) went into the 2025 General Election with fiery speeches, daily rallies — even lunchtime ones — and a renewed sense of hope.
Their candidates included familiar faces like Dr Paul Tambyah in Bukit Panjang and Dr Chee Soon Juan in the newly formed Sembawang West SMC.
On the night of 3 May, spirits were high at the party’s watch party at MOE Evans Stadium. But by the early hours of the morning, every contested seat had slipped through their fingers.
Source: Facebook
Supporters left in stunned silence, some in tears — and as if on cue, the skies opened in a quiet downpour, sealing the heartbreak.
The evening had started on a hopeful note. Volunteers in bright red shirts bustled about, setting up merchandise booths while children ran freely across the grass. Though the crowd wasn’t massive, it was tight-knit, and the mood was festive.
Janice Leong, a 34-year-old copywriter, was the first to arrive. “I’m here for Ariffin,” she smiled, referring to candidate Ariffin Sha. “He’s going to be president someday.”
She added that the SDP’s manifesto was the only one she fully resonated with. “I can find issues with other manifestos, but with SDP’s? I really can’t.”
Other long-time followers shared similar sentiments.
Darick Heng, a long-time Bukit Panjang resident, shared that he had supported Dr Tambyah and Dr Chee for over a decade. “SDP is more humble,” he said. “We need to balance the opposition percentage in Parliament so SDP can be the speaker for our voices.”
Kevin Wee, 30, known to over 65,000 TikTok followers as Radical Kindness, credited the party for shaping his values. “In a time I was still figuring out my career path, Dr Chee’s speeches gave me hope — about defining success, and leading with compassion.”
By 8.45pm, people continued to arrive. SDP’s iconic inflatable ball was set up — a regular feature at their rallies. It was a moment that brought back memories for many, as volunteers had tossed it around in previous campaigns to energise the crowd.
All eyes were on Sembawang West. There was cautious optimism that Dr Chee could edge out a win, or at least secure a strong showing as a potential Non-Constituency MP.
Then, at 11.07pm, the first blow landed. A sample count showed Dr Tambyah had only secured 38.59% in Bukit Panjang — a sharp drop from his 46.27% performance in 2020.
“I’m disappointed but not surprised,” he told reporters. “I never thought I had more than a 50.1% chance.”
He cited economic uncertainty and recession fears as major factors: “People are following the politics of fear instead of the politics of hope.”
Elsewhere, Ariffin Sha, whose Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC team secured only 27% in the sample count, had a message for young Singaporeans: “Keep fighting the good fight. Don’t give up your freedom.”
At 11.37pm, Dr Tambyah addressed the crowd again. “Dr Chee told me to tell you he’ll be late — he’s requesting a recount.”
The mood had become visibly subdued. Even as hopes lingered for Sembawang West, conversations among supporters grew quiet.
At 12.57am, Dr Chee arrived, visibly shaken, even though his personal constituency had not been announced.
“My jaw dropped,” he said, referring to the Bukit Panjang results and the sample counts of the other SDP constituencies, that had shown a clear loss.
“Go home,” he urged the crowd. “It’s getting late. We’ll be fine here.”
“You know me — we press on.”
At 1.14am, the final result for Sembawang West came in. Dr Chee had polled 46.81%, falling short against the PAP’s 53.19%. It was SDP’s most shocking — and most painful — blow of the night.
Loud boos and gasps spread over the crowd. Minutes later, the mood turned into one of defeat.
“I don’t want to live in this country anymore,” a teary-eyed supporter said.
Dr Chee addressed the loss an hour later with a tinge of defiance.
“I can continue on, but who’s to stop Lawrence Wong from redrawing the boundary lines?”
Just ten minutes later, rain began to fall. The watch party that started with laughter, hope, and chants of “SDP!” ended under umbrellas, amid silence and tears.
Also read: GE2025: All the winners who will be in Parliament & losers who must try again next time
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from People’s Action Party on Facebook and Workers’ Party on Facebook.