‘Please save the forests’: Opposition leaders attend Maju Rally at Hong Lim Park

On August 16, over 2,000 attendees gathered at Hong Lim Park for the Maju For The People Rally, organized by SG Climate Rally. The event advocated for the protection of Singapore’s nature areas, transparency, and a say in related decisions, while redefining progress in terms of wellbeing and fairness, not just economic growth. The rally came after Gillman Barracks and Sunset Way were announced for housing development, with significant deforestation concerns raised by residents and Members of Parliament.

Several opposition MPs attended the rally, including Workers’ Party MPs Kenneth Tiong and Fadli Fawzi, Hougang’s Dennis Tan, Sengkang’s Jamus Lim, and Non-Constituency MP Eileen Chong. Aljunied’s Kenneth Tiong hoped the rally would inspire more Singaporeans to voice their concerns on preserving green spaces, which are already scarce. Dennis Tan emphasized that the rally should be seen as the beginning of a movement for more Singaporeans to raise awareness about preserving the limited green spaces in Singapore.

The Singapore Democratic Party chair, Paul Tambyah, praised the rally as "inspiring" and commended the large attendance, particularly the participation of young people from the Young Democrats. Former Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai, head of the Progress Singapore Party, was also present, citing the party’s vocal stance on the issue. Anthea Ong, a former Non-Constituency MP, expressed her awe at the passion and conviction of the young people present, noting their refusal to give up hope and action.