Fathership

Is the Opposition’s push for electoral reform really about fairness?

If we adopt Jamus Lim and Hazel Poa’s suggestions of involving political parties in the electoral boundary review—are we not then introducing political considerations into the process? Isn’t that, well, gerrymandering?

|3 min read
Is the Opposition’s push for electoral reform really about fairness?

In the recent Parliament session, the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) and the Workers’ Party (WP) called for a review of the process by which electoral boundaries are determined. Both insinuated that the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) has given the People's Action Party (PAP) an unfair advantage through gerrymandering.

Jamus Lim proposed some rather interesting alternative methods. For one, he suggested using game theory concepts, such as allowing parties to take turns proposing boundaries.

But let’s take a step back and consider why the EBRC exists in the first place. The purpose of the EBRC is to determine electoral boundaries by taking into account population shifts and new housing developments. By definition, this process should have no political considerations.

If we adopt Jamus Lim and Hazel Poa’s suggestions of involving political parties in the electoral boundary review—are we not then introducing political considerations into the process? Isn’t that, well, gerrymandering?

If parties take turns to gerrymander every election, wouldn’t that be worse than the current system where gerrymandering does not occur?

“In performing its role, the [EBRC] does not examine the results of past elections. It also does not take into account the profile of voters who may be affected by the new boundaries.”

With the current system, even though boundaries were redrawn in Hougang and Potong Pasir SMCs while the opposition held these constituencies, the changes were minor and not made to favour the PAP.

Moreover, involving more stakeholders with vested interests would likely result in even more drastic changes. What good does this do for Singaporeans, aside from giving political parties the legitimacy to manipulate boundaries for their own gain?

Another alternative that Jamus Lim proposed was to use computer-aided tools to create compact districts aligned with electoral geographies. However, this approach would allow boundaries to be adjusted based on previous national voting patterns.

Wouldn’t this favour the incumbent party—essentially gerrymandering and manipulating boundaries to ensure the ruling party stays in power? Surely, this isn’t in the interest of Jamus Lim or the WP.

I do not fundamentally oppose a review of the electoral boundary review process if it ensures that the EBRC remains aligned with its objectives and serves the people.

However, the WP and PSP seem to be offering suggestions that introduce political considerations into an otherwise apolitical process, all while claiming to do so “for the people.”

When Leong Mun Wai was asked about the end goals of his party’s proposals—whether they were about ensuring fairness of boundaries or achieving political outcomes—he appeared stumped. Shouldn’t this have been a straightforward answer if the intent was simple?

The opposition can push for a review of the process to benefit their political outcomes, but claiming to do so with Singaporeans in mind seems rather disingenuous.

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Who is Nurul Afiqah, the activist who stormed Law Minister K Shanmugam's MPS?

Locum nurse by day, local disruptor by night.

|4 min read
Who is Nurul Afiqah, the activist who stormed Law Minister K Shanmugam's MPS?

What started as a polite exchange at a Meet-the-People Session (MPS) on Wednesday evening (Mar 12), spiraled into chaos at the Chong Pang Branch office in Nee Soon GRC.

Law Minister K Shanmugam found himself squaring off against a group of activists who stormed the session with a singular demand: a rhetorical back and forth over the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA)—Singapore’s 2019 weapon against online lies, and Palestine.

Activists branded Shanmugam a “coward,” flashed middle fingers, and clashed with volunteers trying to capture the melee on video.

Who Is Nurul Afiqah?

Enter Nurul Afiqah, aka Afiqah Kamel—a rising star in Singapore’s activist galaxy. By day, she’s a locum staff nurse; by conviction, she’s a megaphone for the downtrodden, tethered to Sick and Tired, a collective amplifying the voices of healthcare workers and patients.

Her first foray into public activism was on Labour Day 2024, Afiqah seized the mic, railing against the paltry wages and grueling conditions plaguing grassroots healthcare staff. But her fire burns beyond the hospital's burn unit—she’s a fierce advocate for Palestine.

Afiqah Kamel

Since December 8, 2023, she’s hosted Chapterwise Bookclubs every Friday night, first at Punggol - where she resides, and later on at Our Tampines Hub.

These aren’t your average book chats; they’re curated deep dives into the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Her activist streak flared in February 2024 with a cheeky “Free Airshow Attendee Shaming Service”—a satirical jab at Israel’s role in the Singapore Airshow.

Hungry for bigger waves, she teamed up with seasoned rabble-rouser Suraendher Kumaar, trading quiet defiance for full-on disruption.

The art of disruption

Afiqah’s baptism into disruptive activism kicked off on September 16, 2024, alongside Suraendher, targeting MP Edward Chia’s MPS in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

Edward Chia MPS

Armed with pointed questions about Singapore’s alleged ties to Israel’s actions in Palestine, they unleashed a verbal barrage. Chia humored them, and the night ended in a tense “agree to disagree,” with vague promises of follow-ups.

A month later, they cornered MP Sun Xueling—Afiqah’s own Punggol West rep—at her MPS.

The script was familiar: Singapore-Israel ties took center stage, and the back-and-forth felt like a broken record.

By January 2025, REACH, the government’s feedback arm, dangled a closed-door chat. Afiqah and her posse pushed for an open forum but got shut down.

REACH Meeting

The Playbook

The group, operating under the banner we.the.pofma, developed a clear modus operandi: "raid" MPS sessions, pose leading questions about Singapore-Israel ties, present a petition signed by over 70 people condemning Israel, and share interaction summaries on Instagram.

They’ve rallied the public with a battle cry—join the “ongoing initiative,” complete with talking points, constituency hit lists, and post-raid recaps.

Activist Strategy

Interactions reviewed by Fathership suggest the group plans to intensify MPS visits in the lead-up to anticipated elections later in 2025.

The People’s Action Party (PAP) tallies over 10 such ambushes across constituencies in recent months. They’ve slammed the group’s antics as disruptive and antisocial, lamenting the hijacking of a forum meant to serve residents.

Afiqah’s rebel alliance

Afiqah’s activism intersects significantly with Suraendher Kumaar (sometimes spelled Kumarr), a veteran activist known for championing workers’ rights, labor issues, minority rights, and the Palestine cause. Suraendher leads we.the.pofma, a seemingly collaborative group tied to prominent activists like Kokila, Kirsten Han, PJ Thum, Jolovan Wham, and Elijah Tay.

Activist Network

Suraendher Kumaar

His network also includes ties to Leon Perera, a former Workers’ Party member who resigned in 2023 over an infidelity scandal with Nicole Seah. Perera notably served as a keynote speaker at the launch of Suraendher’s People’s Manifesto in July 2024.

Afiqah, through Suraendher Kumar also works closely with SDP Young Democrats.

SDP Young Democrats

Afiqah’s on a collision course with Singapore’s status quo, hell-bent on spotlighting the Israel-Palestine saga and picking apart policies like POFMA.

She has opted for disruptive activism because her Chapterwise Book Club meets weren't impactful enough to change the world.

Trading quiet enlightenment for loud MPS ambushes proved disruptive activism is the real spice of life when polite discussion just won't cut it.