| Country: | Singapore |
| Singaporeans First | |
| Lang1: | Chinese |
| Name Lang1: | 国人为先 Guórén Wéixiān |
| Lang2: | Malay |
| Name Lang2: | Warga Diutamakan ورݢ داوتاماكن |
| Lang3: | Tamil |
| Name Lang3: | சிங்கப்பூரர்களுக்கு முன்னுரிமை Ciṅkappūrarkaḷukku Muṉṉurimai |
| Founder: | Tan Jee Say |
| Chairman: | Ang Yong Guan |
| Split: | Singapore Democratic Party |
| Dissolution: | 25 June 2020 |
| Merged: | Singapore Democratic Party |
| Ideology: | Centrism |
| Position: | Centre |
| Website: | https://www.facebook.com/SingaporeansFirst/ |
Singaporeans First (SingFirst) was a political party in Singapore founded on 25 May 2014. The party was dissolved on 25 June 2020.[1] [2] [3]
In 2011, Tan Jee Say, a former civil servant, was known for his contests in both the general and presidential elections held that year, despite being endorsed by the opposition parties while defeated on both occasions.[4] Tan stood under the SDP banner under the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC (led by Vivian Balakrishnan), where the team attained their party's best result for the election.
After the party was founded, Tan used a stylised adaptation of the simple heart logo, a similar logo when Tan campaigned during his presidential election. Tan also led his 10-member Central Executive Committee, which members also include another former SDP candidate Ang Yong Guan.
On 22 March 2015, SingFirst unveiled a new 12-member Central Executive Committee (CEC) with five new faces at its inaugural dinner.[5] Assistant secretary-general Loke Pak Hoe, assistant treasurer Fatimah Akhthar, and Fahmi Rais stepped down from the CEC.
The party participated in their first general election, where they contested Jurong GRC and Tanjong Pagar GRC, both against the PAP. The party was defeated by the PAP by 20.72% and 22.29%, respectively.[6]
In July 2018, the party was among the seven other opposition parties (Reform Party, Singapore Democratic Party, People's Power Party, Democratic Progressive Party, National Solidarity Party (NSP) and People's Voice Party (PVP), the latter formed by former NSP chief Lim Tean), in a meeting led by former Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member Tan Cheng Bock, on a possibility of forming a coalition for the next election.[7]
The party chairman, Ang Yong Guan, appeared in a PSP video produced before 7 April 2020,[8] and was subsequently revealed to be PSP's candidate for Marymount Single Member Constituency for the 2020 Singaporean general election during the period between the dissolution of the 13th Parliament of Singapore and the nomination day.[9] [10] On 25 June 2020, Tan Jee Say dissolved the Singapore First party, claiming that this would be in the best interests of a united opposition, by avoiding three-cornered fights between more than two parties in the same constituency. Tan Jee Say subsequently contested under Singapore Democratic Party's banner for the Holland–Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency in the 2020 general election.[11]
SingFirst aimed to abolish the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and increase social spending.
In its manifesto for the 2015 election, the party stated it would:
Tan Jee Say said in a televised forum on 1 September that his party did not want the government to issue S Passes to foreigners.[12] Amongst the passes that the Ministry of Manpower (Singapore) issues, the S Pass allows mid-level skilled personnel to work in Singapore. Applicants need to earn at least S$2,200 a month and have the relevant qualifications and work experience.[13]
| Election | Seats up for election | Seats contested by party | Seats won by walkover | Contested seats won | Contested seats lost | Total seats won | Change | Total votes | Share of votes | Popular vote | Resulting Government | |
| 2015 | 89 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 50,791 | 21.49% | 2.25% |