‘Flashpoint’ dives into the temperature of GE2025 political rallies—the noise, the heat, the restless undercurrent you can’t put into words. Each photographer is given full creative freedom to interpret the rallies in their own distinct style and capture the raw energy that slips past speeches and slogans.
Chee Seng Tan is a 33-year-old photographer who has spent the past seven years using photography as a personal diary, capturing subjects that intrigue him. For this piece, he offers a gritty, black-and-white perspective of the Progress Singapore Party’s first-ever physical rally at Catholic High School.
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I had never attended a rally before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. In my mind, I pictured a packed field full of fervent supporters cheering for the opposition party.
As I approached the school entrance, I saw a group of PAP supporters handing out flyers and fans to people entering. I thought this seemed a bit unnecessary, but I guess they don’t miss any opportunity to sway even a single vote.
Midway through the rally, there were probably a few hundred people. It wasn’t very packed; everyone had ample personal space.
Perhaps my expectations were too high, but the mood was generally quite sedated.
I was focused on finding interesting subjects to interview, so I didn’t catch everything that was said on stage.
But I did notice how the candidates would raise their tone in an attempt to stir the crowd’s emotions. Only a handful of people seemed to reciprocate.
For these photos, I focused on gestures, expressions, and symbols that can represent the rally.
I usually prefer taking photos of faces, but this time, I chose to capture more shots of people’s backs. I wanted to convey the perspective of being part of the audience, listening to the speeches.
For me, colour represents reality, while black and white is an expression of my feelings.
I don’t have a strong preference for either, but I chose to use black and white to reflect my personal experience at a rally for the first time. I would likely use colour if I were documenting rallies as part of a project.
Midway through the rally, I realised I had captured several shots featuring hands. The PSP logo, which reminded me of a hand, inspired me to relate those gestures to the party.
It wasn’t a theme I had in mind at the start, but it naturally developed as the rally went on.
At the start, a man was holding up an anti-vax sign and walking around the crowd. I took a few shots of him, but he looked uncomfortable when he noticed me, almost as if he was afraid.
About 30 minutes later, I saw him speaking with two security members. After that, he disappeared. Perhaps he was removed from the rally because of the sign.
My favourite photo is of a lady holding a hand fan with the PAP logo. It was a hot and humid night, with barely any wind. The PAP logo stood out awkwardly, but the fan was definitely more useful than the clappers that other supporters had.
I managed to frame her against the PSP logo in the background, creating an interesting juxtaposition. At the same time, another lady in front turned around, which helped draw focus to the main subject.
The one thing that stood out to me was that most people stayed for the entire three hours. It wasn’t a dramatic or eventful rally. Towards the end, I started to wonder what the people around me were thinking.
Maybe they were reflecting on what the PSP candidates had said, or perhaps they were just waiting for something more entertaining to happen as the rally came to a close.
Looking through my photos, most people were standing around, seemingly there just to listen to what PSP had to say. A few discussed their views amongst themselves, but the majority remained quiet.
On one hand, it seemed to me that Singaporeans are pragmatic enough not to let their emotions run high.
On the other hand, I couldn’t help but wonder if Singaporeans are too timid to express their opinions in a public space, even at an event like a rally.
Surely, there must be some with strong views on the current state of affairs, right? Still, actions speak louder than words, cheers or juicy zingers on stage. In the end, it’s the votes that truly matter.
