GE2025: Red Dot United to field former WP candidate in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC

SINGAPORE: Red Dot United (RDU) has announced its potential candidates for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC for the upcoming General Election.

The team is anchored by 43-year-old financial consultant Fazli Talip, a former member of the National Solidarity Party (NSP), who also contested in East Coast GRC during the 2011 General Election as part of the Workers’ Party’s (WP) slate.

Mr Fazli has been part of the RDU team for five years.  

Completing the lineup is businessman Patrick Tan, engineer Sharad Kumar and operations manager Nizar Subair. 

The team was presented to the media on Friday (Apr 18) by the party’s secretary-general Ravi Philemon at Block 14A Ghim Moh Road, within the GRC. 

If fielded on Nomination Day on Apr 23, they will likely go up against a People’s Action Party (PAP) team led by Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.

Joining him are Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann, Deputy Speaker Christopher de Souza and MP Edward Chia – forming the same four-member team that secured 66.36 per cent of the vote in 2020, defeating the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).  

During the team reveal, Mr Philemon took a jab at Mr Chia, who had said last year in parliament that a typical hawker meal costs 0.1 per cent of the median monthly wage in Singapore. 

“That is not a reality,” said the RDU secretary-general, adding that while a bowl of wanton noodles costs S$4, those with a bigger family will have to fork out much more per meal.

“It hits people where it hurts them the most – in their pockets,” he said.  

Mr Philemon also focused on the word “divergent”, when asked about Dr Balakrishnan’s comments that were made during PAP's Holland-Bukit Timah GRC team introduction on Tuesday. The foreign minister had commented that Mr Philemon is "frank enough to express his divergent views". 

Mr Philemon said: “He could have said that I have different views, but he said I have divergent views. Divergent views can mean that it is not mainstream, it is an outlier, it perhaps has a negative connotation."

He added that the views of RDU are "not divergent", and are also “not non-mainstream”.

“It is the views of the ruling party that has made many feel uncomfortable, that has made many feel like they are second-class citizens in their own homes, that has made many feel that Singapore could be fairer,” he said.

RDU had announced earlier this month its intention to contest the GRC but said it may make way for the SDP.  

Mr Philemon reiterated on Friday that if SDP wants to field a team, the RDU will step aside to prevent a three-cornered fight, acknowledging that the SDP is more familiar with the ground.

"Opposition unity is very important," he said. "We will consider what's best for the voters here. Because of the familiarity, SDP will be best placed to be an option against the PAP for this constituency."

Holland-Bukit Timah GRC has undergone minor boundary adjustments ahead of GE2025. Two new Choa Chu Kang HDB estates – Rail Green I and II @ CCK – have been reassigned to Chua Chu Kang GRC. In turn, a polling district east of Upper Bukit Timah Road has been moved from Jurong GRC to Holland-Bukit Timah.

As a result, the electorate has grown from 114,973 in 2020 to 122,891 voters in 2025.

Here are RDU's potential candidates for the four-member Holland-Bukit Timah GRC:

FAZLI TALIP 

The party said Mr Fazli advocates for better protection for gig workers – especially food delivery riders. He helped shape the RDU’s proposal for platform workers, which aims to provide income support for those unable to work due to illness or injury.

Speaking to the media, Mr Fazli said that there cannot be two Singapores: One for the elites and the other "for the rest of us". 

"We need more fairness, we need to help those who have fallen behind, we need to make sure everyone has a real chance in life," he said. 

Asked about the experience he brings from his 2011 election campaign with WP, he said that he learned to be "engaged to the people" and be a listening ear. 

In 2011, he had contested the GRC with a team of five consisting members such as former Aljunied MP Gerald Giam and former Hougang MP Png Eng Huat. The WP team obtained 45.17 per cent of the vote that year against a PAP team led by former Cabinet Minister Lim Swee Say.

“The quality of an MP should be to listen, act and improve,” said Mr Fazli. “Those are the qualities I want to bring to the team.”

PATRICK TAN

Mr Tan, 70, co-manages a company focusing on wholesale and retail of convenience goods with his daughter. Prior to that, he had a career in senior management and regional roles in multinational enterprises. 

RDU said in his candidate profile: "Patrick’s insights into sales, marketing, and business strategy position him to advocate for stronger government support for local businesses." 

It added that Mr Tan "is passionate about long-term planning and mentoring the next generation of leaders".

Mr Tan told the media: "I believe in empowering small businesses and communities to... create policies that really support enterprises… So no one is left behind in our pursuit for progress.”

SHARAD KUMAR

Mr Sharad is an assistant hardware engineer.

The 25-year-old was an Indian national and Singapore permanent resident, and became a Singapore citizen after completing his National Service.

Mr Sharad told the media he comes from what has been labelled the "strawberry generation". However, he said his generation has been besieged by issues such as stress and inequality. 

He added: "I’m running not because I think that I have all the solutions, but because I believe in listening, learning, and building a Singapore that reflects all of us, not just the privileged few."

The party said Mr Sharad advocates for greater accountability from corporations and the government in involving local communities and experts to drive sustainable progress in areas such as climate change and mental healthcare.

NIZAR SUBAIR

Mr Nizar, 57, is an operations manager in the marine services industry.

His candidate profile indicated he was drawn to politics after going through struggles to find reemployment. He lost his job during the COVID-19 pandemic, and was unable to land similar work despite his experience. He juggled two lower paying jobs to make ends meet. He has since returned to the marine sector in a more junior role.

Mr Nizar said career setbacks like his do not just affect the individual – it also strains families and their mental health, adding wants to advocate for those who fall through the cracks in the job market.

He told the media he stepped forward because he has lived through the "fear of falling" and knows the "strength it takes to keep going".

The party said Mr Nizar “believes that Singapore’s job support systems are not built to protect mid-career professionals when they stumble.

“He wants to change that by pushing for stronger employment safeguards and a social compact that recognises the value of experience.”