For ex-triathlete Dennis Tan, a race to cover as much ground as possible

SINGAPORE — Despite having started his day early at 7am, much of Mr Dennis Tan’s morning was spent helping his party colleagues canvass support in Telok Kurau where he lives, and then doing a walkabout in Fengshan, and the Workers’ Party (WP) candidate managed to finally find time to have his first meal of the day only about five hours later.

But at the coffee shop at Block 123, Bedok North Road, residents and stallholders continuously came up to him to say “hello” or offer encouragement for the elections. The 45-year-old shipping lawyer kept having to get up from his seat to hand out WP flyers and his personal name cards to those who came by.

“Here is my mobile number. Just give me a call if you or your family members need any help,” he said to all who approached him.

A stall owner offered Mr Tan and his volunteers a plate of muah chee (glutinous rice balls coated with peanut and sugar), while a few patrons walked up to Mr Tan to tell him in Hokkien that he would “surely win”.

His wife, Mrs Tan Hui Tsing, looked up from her seat and tucked into her plate of nasi lemak. “I will go ahead first; I think he may take quite a while,” she told this reporter in jest. Mrs Tan, who is also lawyer and WP member, has accompanied her husband daily during his campaigning, having taken time off from work since Nomination Day.

For the past two years — and especially the past two months — Mr Tan, who is making his political debut at this election, has set a punishing pace for himself. He has covered almost all the Housing and Development Board blocks in the Fengshan single-seat ward twice, as well as the majority of private estates at least once.

But as Polling Day draws near, Mr Tan wants to cover “as much ground as possible”, while making sure he spends enough time with each resident. On Monday (Sept 7), when TODAY followed him on his campaign trail, he spent up to 15 minutes with each resident. On some occasions, he was invited into their homes.

One of his campaign volunteers said: “Dennis is very sincere and on the ball. He always wants to accomplish many things at once. We cannot keep up.”

Mr Tan’s ability to converse fluently in both Hokkien and Teochew has helped him build rapport with many seniors living in Fengshan. He knows who the regulars are at each coffee shop and hawker centre as well as where they sit, such as the “group of retired teachers who gather at the Block 85 Fengshan Food Centre every morning”.

Despite the warm reception from residents, Mr Tan said he was prepared to lose — a mentality that he said came with being a WP candidate.

“We can’t count our chickens before they are hatched. Being in the Workers’ Party, you must get used to the fact that you may not win,” he said.

In fact, he has already thought about his future should he not win Fengshan against his rival, People’s Action Party candidate Cheryl Chan, who is also a newcomer at this election. Win or lose, he said, he plans to continue to work the ground.

“The party will probably still want me to be on the ground, and I think the past years have been a good opener. A lot of people here know me now … but relationships take a time. It’s not something that can develop in one week, one month … Often, it takes years,” he said.

Mr Tan conceded that the past couple of months have been trying. He and his volunteers would begin campaigning at 8am each day, going on walkabouts in markets and hawker centres, as well as make house-to-house visits. Their day would typically end at close to 10pm. “Sometimes earlier, sometimes later. The timing is ‘rubbery’ because it depends on the engagements with residents,” he said.

On what keeps him going, Mr Tan said: “You think about the cause and look forward to it coming into fruition.”

Mr Tan, who is also vice-chair of the WP’s media team, was comfortable sharing with this reporter his thoughts on a range of matters. For instance, he shared how acquaintances have been messaging him on Facebook to suggest topics for the rally speeches.

But what got him most excited was the topic of food; Mr Tan went on for a long time about where to find the best nasi lemak and barbecued chicken wings in Fengshan as well as the more avant-garde eateries in the heartlands.

His wife shared that he used to participate in triathlons, and the couple would go cycling and jogging at East Coast Park “during the good old days”.

But the couple have since had to temporarily give up such recreation while the WP gears itself up for the coming election. They barely have time to cook anymore, Mrs Tan said. Even on weekends, apart from having meals with their parents and attending church services on Sundays, the bulk of their time is spent with party colleagues or engaging the residents.

She said that during the hustings, Mr Tan would start the day by going for coffee with their neighbours “because Dennis likes to catch up with them and understand their concerns”.

The chat with their neighbours is a prelude to a hectic day ahead. On Monday, Mr Tan got carried away with talking to residents that he was almost late for the WP’s rally at Ubi Avenue 1. He would not be speaking at the event, but wanted to lend his support to his party colleagues contesting in Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency.

Mr Tan hurriedly packed dinner before setting off, while his wife stayed on in Fengshan to lead another team of volunteers on house visits.

He got visibly edgy as he found himself caught in a traffic jam on his way to the rally. “I am usually way earlier than this. I try not to be late, as the campaign manager nags at us sometimes,” he said. Discipline is important for the party, he stressed.

With the fight for Fengshan expected to be a close one, Mr Tan said he had some aces up his sleeves for the remaining rallies that he would be speaking at. “It will be a surprise,” he said.