To be a reporter means to learn to stalk

We sat at a bus stop in Bedok, unsure of how to proceed with our assignment. Madam had told us to tag along with the Workers’ Party (WP) members who were sure to be out and about over the weekend giving out oranges for the Chinese New Year. But, hey, Aljunied GRC is a big place and we didn’t know where we should park ourselves.

It wasn’t for want of trying. Over the past week, we had sent emails to WP chief and MP Pritam Singh, Non-constituency MP Daniel Goh and the party’s media team asking for their walkabout schedule. The only reply we got was from Dr Goh, a central executive committee member, who said it was “standing instruction we do not allow this at the party level”.

We even visited the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council office. The staff members were unable to help but gave us the contact number of the legislative assistant of Mr Png Eng Huat, who is the WP MP for Hougang. The assistant did not answer our call.

We were prepared to leave empty-handed when my classmate Gwen alerted us to an instastory posted on the WP’s account. It was a video of WP MP Low Thia Khiang speaking to residents at a void deck with a caption that read “NRP exhibition at Blk 421 Hougang Ave 10”.

Finally, we had our lead.

Ethan Tay