The election may be over but many Singaporeans still can’t get enough of defeated Reform Party candidate Charles Yeo’s antics.
Though the unlikely star of the campaign trail lost his bid to represent the Ang Mo Kio group constituency, he spent hours answering questions last night from fans on everything from his school performance and gaming habit to that bizarre Mandarin-language speech that endeared him to many.
Among the things Yeo, 30, revealed was that he actually scored a good grade on his Chinese examination despite his weak performance on a Chinese-language television station that brought smiles – and smirks – to many faces.
“A2 and distinction bro. Believe it or not. This is how fail education is in Sg lol. Shows that paper qualifications dont mean shit,” Yeo said of his Chinese oral exam in the every-bro idiom that has won him fans.
After the dust settled Friday, Yeo had been soundly defeated with only 28% of the vote. Overall, the People’s Action Party emerged on top again to form the government with 61% of the vote.
During the wide-ranging Instagram chat, he also commented on the time he was stood up by his own party members, and who got his vote in the Bukit Batok constituency.
It was his July 3 speech in Chinese language however that elevated his profile, for good or bad. Yeo said he was live-translating portions of it from the English version. His attempt was widely mocked but also won plaudits for his “bravery.”
He also addressed that other memorable moment, when three party colleagues failed to appear, leaving only him and member Noraini Yunus to speak for the Reform Party on national television. He defended their absence.
“Hahahaha they all had valid reasons so just cover lor,” he wrote.
The Bukit Batok resident even revealed his own vote.
“And yes one hundred percent I voted for [Dr. Chee]. I campaigned for him too man,” he said of Singapore Democratic Party leader Chee Soon Juan, who received 45% of the vote and lost to PAP’s Murali Pillai.
His followers then dug into details about his personal life, including relationships and his gaming hobby.
Yeo said he enjoys DOTA 2 – he plays Necrophos – but dislikes “shooting games.” When it comes to women, Yeo said he likes “pretty women” but finds relationships “tiring.”
Yeo contested Ang Mo Kio GRC along with Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Andy Zhu, Noraini Yunus, and Darren Soh, but they lost to the PAP’s team led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
The man also loves mutton soup and said it would be his celebratory meal if he ever “overthrows the administration.”
When the questions became too much for Yeo last night, he switched from typing responses via stories to live video, so he could go to bed.
“Ok I give up on answering the [questions] I did a live wanting to answer the like 20 plus left over [questions] and ended up swamped by so many more anyway thanks all my lovelies woohoo,” he wrote. He said that he might continue today.
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