SDA’s Harminder Singh falls ill during walkabout in Pasir Ris

SINGAPORE — Mr Harminder Pal Singh, the chief media officer of opposition coalition Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), had to be taken to a hospital midway through a walkabout in Pasir Ris on Monday (June 22) evening. 

The coalition chairman, Mr Desmond Lim, told reporters later that SDA was planning to contest in Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC) and a few party members were filming a promotional video when Mr Singh, 48, suddenly became ill and could not stand.

Earlier, the group greeted patrons dining at Kimly Coffeeshop on Pasir Ris Drive 6, and they were each waving at the camera for the video shoot.

During his segment, Mr Singh appeared to stumble as he waved at the camera.

Complaining of a “heavy chest”, he became temporarily immobile. He was unable to stand and had to squat on the floor while being supported by Mr Lim and Mr Kelvin Ong, a fellow member of the group, before he was seated on a chair. 

While Mr Ong called for an ambulance, Mr Lim was seen massaging Mr Singh's arms and talking to him to ensure that he remained conscious. 

A paramedic from the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived at the scene on a motorcycle at around 8.50pm.

An ambulance came 10 minutes after that and took Mr Singh to the Changi General Hospital. 

Mr Lim told TODAY later that Mr Singh had taken his blood test and was feeling better, but he would be warded for observation.

He suspected that Mr Singh's condition might have been caused by food poisoning from a day-old meal he had taken and fatigue from preparing for the upcoming elections.

Mr Singh, who works as a chief executive officer of a learning firm, had contested in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC in the 2015 elections where SDA received 27.11 per cent of the vote. 

In 2011, Mr Singh led the SDA team in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC where they got 35.21 per cent of the vote. 

Before Mr Singh took ill, Mr Lim was telling the media during the walkabout that SDA will be contesting only in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC as it had been doing for the past three elections in 2006, 2011 and 2015. 

“We'd rather focus on one constituency so we can serve them better. We have been here almost every day serving food with our volunteers,” he said. 

“Imagine, for Punggol East, I lost twice, but I am still here to serve them because of commitment. The opponent is very strong but I cannot run away, otherwise how can I defend Singapore?”

Responding to TODAY’s query on the alliance with four smaller opposition parties that did not happen as indicated, Mr Lim attributed their inability to co-operate to a “difference in values”.

It was supposed to form an opposition bloc with People's Power Party, Reform Party, Singaporeans First and Democratic Progressive Party for the upcoming General Election.