SINGAPORE: Senior counsel Harpreet Singh Nehal took a trip down memory lane in a social media post, showing a photo of his kindergarten graduation certificate that his mother had framed more than half a century ago.

Mr Singh, who is with the Workers’ Party, wrote “Pungol Kia” as the heading to his post. The term loosely translates from Hokkien or Teochew to “child of Punggol” or “Punggol kid” and is a term of affection for old-timers who grew up in the old kampungs of Punggol, among others.

“My kindergarten was at the old Ponggol Community Centre near Lim Ah Pin Road. I remember we spoke a lot of Teochew in class, including with our teacher. She also complimented me once (in Teochew) for some words I wrote in Mandarin,” he wrote.

He added, however, that the best part of the day for him at the time was when his father picked him up after class on his bicycle. 

“I always looked forward to that,” wrote Mr Singh, adding, “Wonderful memories.”

The term “Pungol Kia” seems especially relevant, as Mr Singh had been part of the WP slate that contested at Punggol in last year’s General Election. Although the opposition team, which had been made up of political newbies, had lost to the ruling People’s Action Party slate headed by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, the fact that the WP received a respectable 44.83% of the vote is not insignificant.

‘The real Son of Punggol’

Aside from commenters who said they looked forward to one day welcoming Mr Singh as a Punggol MP, several netizens began to call him a “real son of Punggol.”

“Oh, so you are the real son of Punggol,” wrote one. 

“You are the true son of Punggol,” added another.

“This could be the real Punggol son,” a third chimed in.

“Eh, can the ‘son of Punggol’ pls show something for proof too?” a Facebook user asked.

While he was not mentioned by name, the comments appeared to refer to Koh Poh Koon, who first entered politics in 2013 as a PAP candidate in the by-election in Punggol. Dr Koh often referred to himself as “kaki lang” (“one of us” in Teochew) and “son of Punggol” during the campaign period.

He ended up defeated by the WP’s Lee Li Lian, who won with 54.5% of the vote.

Two years later, he joined the PAP team at Ang Mo Kio and was elected into Parliament, and in 2020, moved to the Tampines team. While he continues to represent Tampines Centrak in Parliament, he recently announced he would step down from his duties as Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Manpower. /TISG

Read also: From Near Miss to Momentum: Harpreet Singh Sets His Sights on 2026

This article (After WP’s Harpreet Singh post shows he’s a ‘Punggol kia’, Singaporeans call him the ‘real son of Punggol’) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: In a short video clip on social media on Wednesday (June 9), the Workers’ Party’s Alexis Dang said that the WP team at Punggol visited its 10,000th household last month.

Ms Dang, who contested at Punggol in last year’s General Election together with Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh, Jackson Au, and Alia Mattar, characterised the first scene in the video, which showed the team taking a group photo, as “especially memorable.”

“It was the eve of Hari Raya Haji, and despite it being a public holiday eve, close to 40 volunteers turned up for our regular house visit outreach,” she wrote in the caption to her post.

She also called the house visits her “best therapy,” and went on to express deep appreciation for the Punggol volunteers’ dedication, hard work, and commitment, adding, “This milestone would not have been possible without them.”

Ms Dang also wrote that she couldn’t really think of a more meaningful way to spend the evening before a public holiday.

“Beyond contributing to a more diverse political landscape and engaging residents on issues that matter to them, it is also the friendships, shared purpose, and camaraderie built along the way that have made this journey so rewarding and memorable.”

And though the team has hit the milestone figure, she acknowledged that they still have a way to go, promising to press on, work hard, and walk the talk.

“Most importantly, we look forward to meeting many more Punggol residents and hearing their perspectives, experiences, aspirations, and stories,” she wrote, adding that anyone interested in volunteering may do so here.

Who is Alexis Dang?

Ms Dang made a splash last year after the WP introduced her as part of the all-newbie Punggol team at a media conference on April 18. 

She has a background in finance but currently works in the tech sector, where she leads a team of Business Development professionals. She has been with the WP for the past six years; has been part of house visits, planning and hosting party events; and has supported the party with translation work for newsletters and parliamentary speeches for the WP MPs.

After she spoke in Mandarin during her candidate introduction, netizens were impressed by her command of the language, with some even saying it would be interesting to hear a debate in Mandarin in Parliament.

While the People’s Action Party bested the WP slate in Punggol in GE2025, the opposition team received a sizable 44.83% of the vote, and many in Singapore praised Mr Singh, Ms Dang, Mr Au, and Ms Mattar for a well-run campaign. /TISG

Read also: Alexis Dang delves deeper into the health scare that changed her life in new interview

This article (Alexis Dang says WP volunteers have visited 10,000 households in Punggol) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.