SINGAPORE - Getting candidates to go door to door alone or in small groups, holding online dialogues, and using WhatsApp to reach residents - these are some ways the People's Action Party (PAP) intends to campaign in the upcoming general election, say party activists.
With safe distancing measures likely to still be in force when the hustings begin, they told The Straits Times it will be challenging to get campaign messages out.
The ruling party is preparing to wage a very different battle for votes, added the activists, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
For starters, campaign staples like mass rallies and market walkabouts with entire GRC teams and party activists in tow will likely be out of the question, they said. Traditional press conferences where the party introduces new candidates to the public will also likely be held online.
The coming GE must be held by April 14 next year, but activists and observers expect the election to be called in a matter of weeks, citing recent signals from PAP leaders.
This would see the campaign period taking place in the second phase of Singapore's reopening after its Covid-19 circuit breaker, where the Government has said social gatherings would be limited to a maximum of five people.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said in a national broadcast last Tuesday that if the virus situation remains stable, the country will move into the second phase before the end of this month.
Last Monday, the Elections Department said political parties should prepare for a campaign that would require less physical interaction with large groups, and consider options like reaching out to voters through the Internet.
PAP activists say candidates have spent the circuit breaker getting familiar with reaching out to residents virtually, by holding live chats, Zoom sessions and responding to residents' queries over messaging apps like WhatsApp.
Weekly Meet-the-People Sessions also switched to a remote format, after these sessions were suspended during the circuit breaker.
One party activist said the exact method of online engagement will depend on "what kind of style" individual candidates are comfortable with.
Some, like West Coast GRC MP Patrick Tay, have been trying out various things, including hosting dialogues on Zoom to help Singaporeans with job woes. "It has been a learning journey for me, using the various platforms and doing livestreams from them," he said, adding such methods would help in reaching out to more residents.
A second PAP activist pointed out that all incumbent PAP MPs have some form of online presence, such as on social media platforms Facebook and Instagram.
But such an "online brand" is developed over years and must be based on regular interactions with voters on the ground, he said. "This is very important because this is your credibility, it's the homework you have done over the years."
With the emphasis on getting votes on cyberspace, there is also a concern that such efforts would fail to reach older voters, who tend to be less tech-savvy.
The second PAP activist said candidates would have to lean on existing networks with elderly residents built up by party and grassroots activists, in order to reach out to them via WhatsApp. "WhatsApp is very, very critical. Using these networks, you can push your messages to the seniors," he said.
Activists say they are counting on being able to do house and market visits in small groups or in twos - the candidate and an assistant. "Door-to-door visits would be one of the most important things. We won't go (into homes) but maintain a safe distance and pass residents materials like our manifesto," said an activist.
But safe distancing restrictions, limiting as they may be, would likely benefit the PAP, since they already have established ground networks of activists and grassroots leaders with links to the community, said former PAP MP Inderjit Singh. He said: "These personal relationships and networks are one area where the PAP is way ahead of other parties, especially if they have not been spending time on the ground."
