RP's donation appeal backfires as Singaporeans question party's viability

SINGAPORE: A fundraising appeal posted by The Reform Party (RP) on Facebook has sparked criticism online, after the party asked supporters to donate money to help maintain its bank account and cover recurring service charges.

Opposition supporters online noted that the party called on members and supporters to contribute funds to keep their bank account active, providing DBS banking details and a PayNow QR code for transfers. Donors were also asked to submit their transfer receipts for record-keeping.

Rather than drawing sympathy, the appeal triggered a wave of negative reactions. Many commenters questioned the party’s financial stability and organisational competence, with some asking whether a political party struggling to maintain a bank account could be trusted with public office.

Several users openly questioned how the party could manage larger responsibilities, such as overseeing a constituency or handling public funds, if it appeared unable to manage its own finances. Others cast doubt on its ability to undertake more ambitious political work, given the nature of the request.

More serious concerns were raised about the legitimacy and transparency of the appeal. A number of users questioned where the donations would go and who was responsible for collecting them, with some using terms such as “scam” and others even tagging the Singapore Police Force to query whether the appeal was lawful.

Although the post included bank account details and a PayNow option, it did not appear to provide additional information such as a named treasurer, a specific fundraising target, or a breakdown of how the funds would be used.

Alongside the criticism, the comment section was filled with ridicule. Users coined mocking nicknames for the party and made sarcastic suggestions about how it could raise money, including selling items or relying on personal funds. Some claimed, jokingly, to have made donations ranging from negligible sums to exaggerated amounts.

Some commenters argued that such parties risk fragmenting the opposition vote during general elections and suggested that they should either merge with more established parties or disband altogether.

Interestingly, RP did enter into an alliance with three other smaller parties ahead of the 2025 general election. The People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR) initially consisted of RP, People’s Voice, the Democratic Progressive Party and the People’s Power Party (PPP) before PPP withdrew from the alliance months before the polls.

The alliance contested in six constituencies and not only failed to win any ward but also lost its election deposits in two wards. Only one RP member was fielded in the 2025 general election, and he ran under the PAR banner at Queenstown SMC, which ended up seeing the biggest constituency-level share of the vote for the governing People's Action Party (PAP).

RP withdrew from PAR in July, just two months after the election in May.