GE2025: SDP launches campaign slogan ‘Thrive, Not Just Survive’ (2025)

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has launched its campaign slogan – Thrive, Not Just Survive – ahead of the upcoming general election.

The slogan was announced by the party’s secretary-general Chee Soon Juan on April 19 at Block 257 Bangkit Road, part of Bukit Panjang SMC, which the opposition party is set to contest.

Among the proposals in its campaign message is a reduction of the goods and services tax (GST) to 5 per cent and scrapping it for everyday essentials.

The party also wants to introduce a minimum wage Act and provide support “to reduce mental health problems due to overpopulation and high cost of living”.

Dr Chee, who is set to contest the newly carved out Sembawang West SMC, was accompanied by party members Alfred Tan and Damanhuri Abas, who are among SDP’s candidates for Sembawang GRC.

The other three candidates are SDP’s deputy head of policy James Gomez, party vice-chairman Bryan Lim, and party treasurer Surayah Akbar.

Dr Chee said the party came up with the slogan after hearing feedback from Singaporeans that they are just surviving while trying to keep pace with the rising cost of living.

“But this is not what Singapore is supposed to be.

“After 60 years of one-party rule and nation building, we’ve come to a stage... where we are just treading water,” he said.

“After 60 years (of independence), Singaporeans are entitled to ask – have we arrived where we can begin to enjoy the fruits of our labour and quality of life?”

He added that the country should be able to slow down and show compassion to those who are struggling.

The party, which has called for GST reduction and minimum wage in previous elections, was asked in a media interview if it had refined its proposal this time.

In response, Dr Chee said it wants to emphasise to Singaporeans that there are “essential policies” that the PAP is “stubbornly refusing to do”.

He added that social media lets the party reach out to younger voters who may be more amenable to SDP’s ideas.

The party has so far confirmed that it will be fielding candidates in four constituencies.

Party chairman Paul Tambyah will run again in Bukit Panjang SMC, where he secured 46.27 per cent of the vote in the 2020 General Election.

The opposition party has also unveiled its four-member slate for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, comprising party stalwart Jufri Salim, alternative news site founder Ariffin Sha, theatre director Alec Tok and full-time caregiver Gigene Wong. The team will be up against a PAP slate led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

The party is unlikely to field a team in the four-member Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, which it has contested in the past three elections, as it intends to consolidate its resources.

Dr Chee also took aim at the slate of new faces introduced by the ruling People’s Action Party, saying that the “majority of them come from the ranks of civil service and military service”.

“How does it bring value to what is needed in the next Parliament, where we can have people contributing innovative ideas on how we can take Singapore forward, rather than just the same groupthink?” he said.

When asked how SDP intends to inject fresh perspectives, given that many of its candidates are election veterans, Dr Chee said the party has had conversations with some of its younger members who may step forward in future elections.

Mr Ariffin Sha, the founder of alternative news site Wake Up Singapore, who at 27 is the party’s youngest candidate, will take the lead on youth issues such as mental health and job security in this election, Dr Chee added.

In 2020, the party’s slogan was Four Yes, One No – referring to its proposals such as the suspension of GST, retrenchment benefits, provision of income for retirees, putting people first, and pushback against what it said was the PAP’s plan to increase Singapore’s population to 10 million.

The PAP refuted claims that the Government had mooted having a population of 10 million in Singapore.

In 2015, the SDP campaign slogan was Your Voice In Parliament.

The party will release its manifesto on April 20.

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