PAP counts influencers among new Friends to reach wider audience

Analysts warn of potential conflicts of interest and risks to the party’s credibility

- Wong Pei Ting

Call it the star power of their guests. The continuing chatter around the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) Refresh PAP event at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on June 8 was not about the new blood spotted in its ranks, but the identities of some 140 non-members in the 400strong crowd.

Analysts and observers interpreted the party's efforts to grow the group, known as the Friends of the PAP, as an extension of its longstanding practice of co-opting likeminded individuals and entities into its cause.

But they detected something different this time round a sense that the PAP is leaning on those Friends, who are social media influencers, as a strategy to reach a wider, decidedly younger dience.

While business owners and people active in community dialogues were also among the group not wearing the party colours of white on white on June 8, it was these content creators that seized the limelight.

STAR-STUDDED CAST

TikTokers seen taking photos and interacting with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and various ministers included SGAG senior content strategist Amy Ang of "Chinese teacher" fame; Mr Simon Khung, better known as Simonboy; and Mr Tommy Wong, who is known by his online moniker TommyNBCB.

Ms Ang is a 20-year-old bilingual content creator with more than 150,000 followers on TikTok, while Mr Khung is a full-time content creator with close to 200,000 followers on the video sharing platform. Mr Wong, who also founded the Nothing But Cheeseburgers burger chain, has some 96,000 followers on TikTok.

Mr Wong had recently taken part in a Drug Victims Remembrance Day panel discussion, organised as part of the Central Narcotics Bureau's drug-free campaign.

Also at the Refresh PAP event was Mr Royal Pek, the co-founder of food kiosk Xian Dan Chao Ren, who posted an Instagram story saying "Today wear white".