73-year-old Khew Nee Khweh, a member of the People’s Action Party’s Ulu Pandan branch, has proudly worn a unique party badge when attending party events for the past 40 years.
Mr Khiew’s party badge stands out among the other activists’ badges because it is in the shape of a rectangular card, with a party logo printed on the left of the card, and a phrase “We serve the people” in both English and Chinese, in party colours. He wore this badge to the Party Conference on 24 November 2024.
Mr Khiew, a long-serving party member, said he has dedicated 46 years to the party and worn the badge since joining in the 1970s.
“Wearing the badge reminds activists like me of our purpose: serving the people,” he said. “Although the party lacked a youth wing then, our branch had a youth group and activists donned the badge.”
Mr Khiew’s father, a fellow Hakka like PAP’s founding Secretary-General and Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew, encouraged him to join the party and serve Singaporeans.
“My father told me to volunteer for the party and help,” he recalled. “I may not be wealthy, but I’m happy to assist fellow citizens and strengthen our nation.”
At Ulu Pandan constituency, Mr Khiew has served under several Members of Parliament. They include Lim Boon Heng, who was then the Member of Parliament and Minister, as well as the Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress; Minister Vivian Balakrishnan; and the current MP, Christopher de Souza.
He reminisced: “We serve residents and help resolve their issues. We persuade them, often succeeding in assisting them. When wearing white uniforms, we were always met with applause and a ‘thumbs up’ affirmation.”
This sense of fulfillment keeps Mr Khiew motivated, and he is likely to don the same badge at the next Party event.
