In an exclusive interview with Wake Up Singapore, Kumaran Pillai, the Progress Singapore Party’s candidate for Kebun Baru SMC in the 2020 General Elections and its former head of communications, explains why he resigned from PSP.
In his first electoral outing during an election where outreach efforts were stymied by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kumaran garnered a very respectable 37% of votes in a constituency that was largely carved out of PAP strongholds like Nee Soon GRC and the Prime Minister’s own constituency of Ang Mo Kio GRC.
The media veteran, who was a former chief editor of The Online Citizen and the owner of, amongst other local and regional publications, The Independent Singapore, also shared with us his assessment of PSP’s performance in parliament and his future plans in the areas of alternative media and opposition politics in Singapore.
On 6 January 2022, Kumaran notified PSP’s Secretary-General, Francis Yuen, of his intention to resign from the party. This comes almost a year after Kumaran sought a leave of absence from the Central Executive Committee, to which he was co-opted in March 2021, and his role as the party’s spokesperson and head of communications.
Our interview with Kumaran is reproduced verbatim below.
When and why did you resign from PSP entirely?
I sent a Whatsapp message to Mr Francis Yuen, Secretary General of Progress Singapore Party on Friday 6th of January at about 6.50pm and spoke on the phone with Francis later that night and Francis has asked me to complete my CEC term till the 25th of March 2023.
I joined PSP to strengthen their communications strategy and worked behind the scenes for GE2020. I was involved with the media training and helped the party develop a media kit for the general elections.
There is a new communications team headed by Mr Jonathan Tee and I nominated some of my comms team members into the party’s cadres in 2021. It is in good hands now, and I think time has come for me to go and help the other opposition parties.
We note that this resignation from the party comes more than a year after your resignation as communications chief. What changed in this intervening period?
I took time off to do some health checks and I was suffering from a frozen shoulder back then. I have spent time nursing it and have restored 100% mobility to my shoulders. I also took time to reflect on what I set out to do and whether I was able to achieve that.
In the meantime, I have been in talks with various people of the other opposition parties, and they have asked me to help them out and to strengthen their comms team.
What do you make of the recent spate of high-level departures from PSP?
Our political institutions are weak or rather lopsided in favour of PAP and joining the opposition ranks is a long-term commitment and changes are not going to happen overnight. Also, in many ways, PSP is an offshoot of PAP and some old habits die hard. So, anybody joining any party should moderate their expectations and help contribute when they can.
It is not rude to leave, it is extremely rude to hang around and hold on to positions especially if they’re not adding value. So, to all those who have left PSP, I take it upon myself to thank them for their contributions.
What is your assessment of PSP’s performance in Parliament and outside of it thus far?
PSP is a new political party that was cobbled together just before GE2020 and it is in a constant work-in-progress. There have been some good highlights and performance by Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa. But you need to understand that there is an information asymmetry and PAP MPs have all the data points and information.
So, it seems like our NCMPs are often up the creek as far as parliamentary debates are concerned. Therefore, in my view, we need to take this as a learning journey, strengthen the core and develop good policy positions that’ll resonate with the voters, and in the process have more robust debates.
Is this the end of the road for you as far as your political journey is concerned?
No, not at all, I am looking at ways to strengthen our political institutions in any way I can. So, do expect me to come in another avatar in the future.
What do you have to say to the residents of Keban Baru SMC and your volunteers?
I have over 70 volunteers in Kebun Baru and it is bigger than most of the smaller parties here in Singapore. I am going to spend some time talking to them and seeking their help in my future political work.
What are your fondest memories from your political journey?
Meeting the residents in Kebun Baru especially in Sembawang Hills, Thomson Hills, Casuarina and Teacher’s Estate. A lot of them invited me to their homes and gave me shelter when there was a downpour. I remember on one occasion, there was one Gen Z who started giving me a quick lesson on how I should speak in front of the camera and gave me a lot of tips on how to win the younger voters – that conversation changed my view of the world.
What are some moments that you wish to forget from this journey?
I hope I don’t forget anything, even the bad events and experiences. I take it as a learning journey and hopefully I’ll use the experiences to avoid such situations in the future.
What is some advice you would give to aspiring opposition politicians?
In my words, be loyal to your country, followed by the party and lastly to the political personalities you’re following. Your voters and the others in the party can read you like a book so don’t fake it. And stay away from politics of envy and brickbats on social media.
What are your parting words, if any, to PSP?
Thank you, and goodbye.
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