GE2020: Radin Mas SMC candidate says he wasn’t informed by Reform Party of political broadcast, puts up speech on Facebook

SINGAPORE — He missed his allotted time to address voters in a constituency political broadcast on national television, and said the day after that no one told him about it.

In a video put up on Facebook on Wednesday (July 8), Reform Party’s candidate Kumar Appavoo said that his broadcast was not aired because the party “did not inform (him) of the recording schedule”.

Mr Appavoo, 51, a field oil and gas company director, is running as a candidate for the Radin Mas Single Member Constituency (SMC). The constituency political broadcast for the SMC was aired on Tuesday.

After his opponent Melvin Yong from the People’s Action Party made his speech, what appeared on screen in place of Mr Appavoo was a notice to inform viewers that he did not turn up for the recording. Each candidate had three minutes to speak during the broadcast.

On Wednesday, Reform Party chairman Andy Zhu told TODAY that Mr Appavoo’s absence from the broadcast was due to a “miscommunication within the party”.

“We apologise to the voters of Radin Mas SMC and Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency that this is happening, but we definitely will be able to do much better,” he said.

The day before, Mr Zhu had released a statement apologising for Mr Appavoo’s failure to attend the broadcast recording, saying it was due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

To make up for it, Mr Appavoo recorded his own three-minute video and put it up on his Facebook account. In it, he explained why he was a no-show for the broadcast and then pitched his plans for the constituency that he said would address the issues raised by residents to him.

Radin Mas SMC has more than 24,980 voters. The districts that are part of the constituency include Redhill, parts of Bukit Merah and Telok Blangah, Bukit Purmei and the Mount Faber area. 

PROPOSALS FOR RADIN MAS SMC

• Mr Appavoo noted that residents are mainly concerned about unemployment, cost of living and the lack of eldercare initiatives.

• “I would create a job bank by working with job agencies and government agencies closely,” he said.

• He hopes to create new jobs through the town council and re-examine town council service and conservancy charges.

• He plans to create a buddy system to better look after seniors’ basic and medical needs.

He said: “I'm excited to serve you, listen to you and be your voice where it matters. Together, we will make a difference.”