Leong Mun Wai pulled a 'Raeesah Khan' in Parliament on Telegram hearsay

On Tuesday (Jan 11), Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member Leong Mun Wai claimed that he received feedback from residents, "that some teachers have already practised vaccination diferentiated safe management measures in schools".

When asked by Education Minister Chan Chun Sing to name the schools and teachers involved, Leong backpedalled and said that the feedback was through Whatsapp and that he would need to ask 'his' residents before making a clarification. He later disclosed that the feedback originated from a Telegram group called SG Concerned Parents.

After a terse exchange between Chan and Speaker of the House Tan Chuan Jin, Leong admitted that the chat group messages did not name any particular schools.

Indranee: When you make allegations against teachers and just cast it out there, you must be able to substantiate it

Leong's response drew a rebuke from Leader of the House Indranee Rajah who admonished Leong for making unsubstantiated claims.

Indranee rose and said: "When you make allegations against teachers and just cast it out there, you must be able to substantiate it. And that is why Minister Chan (had) asked, ‘Please provide me with the details of which school and which teacher so that the Ministry of Education can follow up'.”

She described Leong’s explanation on Tuesday as an attempt to “grandstand” or make broad speeches that have no bearing on the details requested by the Education Minister.

Leong Mun Wai another Raeesah Khan?

In August last year, Raeesah shared an anecdote in Parliament about details of a rape case she alleged was mishandled by the police. She later admitted to lying about the anecdote.

In 2014, Workers' Party MP Faisal Manap also made an unsubstantiated claim alleging that when he was a counsellor, he came across a couple who were having housing issues and advised to file for a divorce by the Housing and Development Board — so that the wife would be eligible to buy a house under the Singles Scheme and she could subsequently remarry her husband.

He later apologised for not verifying the authenticity of his anecdote.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.