Edwin Koo

10/05/2025

Goodbye, Papa Francesco
Grief is a slow, silent tide. You think it’s passed, until memory brings it back.

When the news broke on 21 April that Pope Francis had passed away—just after Easter—I was stunned. We had just prayed for his recovery from pneumonia. There was hope, and then, he was gone.

It puzzled me, this ache. I had only encountered Papa Francesco over three days in Singapore, yet the sorrow was deep. I was part of a team of 40+ volunteer photographers documenting his historic visit in Sept 2024. We trained, planned, gave up credit and copyrights—offering our work as a gift to the Church. It was humbling, and unexpectedly personal.

Before that, I knew Pope Francis from afar—as a beloved public figure, a shepherd for the global Church. But during his visit, he became more than that. I followed him from Jurassic Mile, to the Papal Mass, and finally to St Theresa’s Home. I was within earshot of his words, seeing him not through headlines, but through my lens.

And on that last day, something moved me. I put down my camera, took out my rosary, and asked, “Papa, please bless my rosary.” He stopped, took my hands, covered the beads, and smiled.

That was the photo I never took. But it’s forever etched in my heart.

That moment changed him from Pope to spiritual father. Kin. Now I understand why grief was slow in coming—because I didn’t know how to say goodbye. The closer the bond, the harder the farewell.

With a new Pope now guiding us, I can finally say it:
Goodbye, Papa. I love you. Goodbye.

The last photo was taken by my colleague Alexandria, when Pope Francis blessed my rosary beads.


Photo credit: The Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore. Used with permission.

04/05/2025

I followed WP MP-elects He Ting Ru, 41; Jamus Lim, 49; and Louis Chua, 37; and Abdul Muhaimin, 36, on a 4-hour thank you parade around Sengkang.

On Polling Day in GE2025, the team took 66,383 of the 117,888 valid ballots, clinching a 56.31 per cent win over PAP in Sengkang GRC. This win is a wider margin compared with 52.12% in GE2020, entrenching WP’s hold over north-east Singapore.

In a GRC comprising 85% HDB dwellers, it was obvious to me what won the ground for WP here in Sengkang - the daily bread and butter issues. As the team went around waving and thanking residents, the gestures were reflected back with genuine show of affection - a thumbs up sticking out of the car window, a hammer sticking out of the window, or a fan-like scream of excitement welcoming the MPs. It was beginning to feel like a mini-Hougang, with its own unique Sengkang swagger.

04/05/2025

3 May, 2025. Polling night.

Nothing could dampen the spirit of Hougang at Block 322. So after hearing the sample counts come in at Serangoon Stadium, I decided to head down to the unofficial HQ for the WP. Perhaps I was looking for distractions from the disappointment. The party was raucous, and amidst that fanfare, was the pain of knowing that change will have to wait.

As I went home that night, many thoughts swam through my mind. Where is Singapore headed, and what is the future that awaits my children? Majulah, Singapura.

01/05/2025

At the final WP rally:
Anderson Serangoon Junior College bursted at the seams at capacity
The surrounding Hougang neighbourhood was a roaring carnival
Salvos were fired back at the incumbent PAP in rapid succession during the speeches
Police were activated in full force to regulate human traffic around the rally site
Emotions ran high, at the end of an exhausting nine-day hustings

Majulah Singapura. Vote wisely.

01/05/2025

We look up, to hope, to leadership, to moral authority. That’s why we elect leaders. Despite our differences, we have a common experience, simply because we are citizens of Singapore. We stand by the same beds and clean the same toilets when we serve National Service. For the white collar workers, we both dread and look forward to lunchtime, because it is frenetic, but also a good break from the frenetic Singaporean pace. (I guess that’s why the lunchtime rallies were packed).

We experience the same erratic climate, because you can never predict how many times it will rain today. We also experience an average of 167 thunderstorm days per year - so many we are known as the “lighting capital”. And we don’t just seek shelter from rain, we also love to hide from the blistering Equatorial sun. And even though the weather is brutal, we have learned to have picnics in the park. Sometimes, it can be muddy and uncomfortable, but no problem, we love our Crocs and flipflops - the ubiquitous footwear on this sunny island called Sin-ka-por.

Sometimes we find ways to kick back and relak one corner, even at electoral rallies - because we all need to open spaces to space out. This is after all one of the smallest nations in the world, 750 square kilometres small, or as we like to say, it takes 1 hour to go from Changi to Jurong.

Still we love to rub shoulders with one another, we are accustomed to crowds - just look at the MRT platforms at peak hours. But it is apparently not a problem to have 6.9 million people and beyond, because 80% of us live in HDB flats, so we can all stack up nicely like kueh lapis.

What’s not to love about the HDB? They last 99 years and they give you an excellent view of the election rallies. Speaking of rallies, it might be a good idea to bring your children there, because even if they don’t understand what’s going on, they will remember. Because how we choose today, and how we vote, maps the future for our generations to come.

Majulah. Singapura.

30/04/2025

It was the first WP rally in which the field wasn’t filled to capacity. The torrential downpour which started at 6pm lasted more than an hour, and the lightning risk warning did not let up until 7.45pm. The prospect of a cancelled rally was real.

Still, supporters braved the rain and marched to the stadium, but were kept at the gates, as the grandstand seats were already packed full.

When the red siren was finally silenced at 745pm, eager supporters sprinted towards the rally stage. The air horns blasted, the chants started. And as night wore on, the rain was shrugged off, the dampness forgotten. Once again, the audience was transported into an alternative universe of change and hope. Despite the absence of the other half of the stadium, the party continued, the ubiquitous chant “Worker Party, Worker Party…” kept beckoning more people to Bedok Stadium.

29/04/2025

In GE2025, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) was the only opposition to stage its own version of the Fullerton Rally in the CBD. On a blistering afternoon, the crowds gathered to lounge and listen - many were seated on the steps of UOB Promenade. It was as if this was a picnic in the park, not a political rally.

Despite the punishing afternoon sun, the crowd maintained good cheer. There was a palpable thirst for Opposition rhetoric. In response, the crowd would punctuate their applause with jibes, whoots and jeers.

I noticed that sitting in the front row was a quiet old man, who didn’t flinch as the blistering heat beat down on him. He didn’t even attempt to take out an umbrella. Dexter, I found out later, is all of 84 years old and still going strong. He had attended one other rally - WP rally at Punggol. When I asked him why he didn’t go hide in the shade, he said: “If you choose to come then you cannot choose comfort, just come to the front.”

Now, this is the can-do spirit that we need to preserve.

28/04/2025

The third WP rally was held at Yusof Ishak Secondary School field at Punggol GRC, an open field surrounded by new HDB flats. Having highrise flats around a rally site usually makes capturing an aerial view of the turnout easier. However, the newer BTO HDB flats are designed with very limited common corridor spaces. There were not many openings which overlook the spaces outside. It would not have been possible to get an aerial shot unless a kind and gracious resident opens up his or her doors to give me a vantage point. But then, something magical happened.

As I got lost in the maze of corridors looking for an opening to shoot the crowd below, I decided to thicken my skin and ask a resident for access.

So a special shoutout to Jason of Punggol Block 314B for being that kind soul to open his doors for me to capture the first photograph of this series. In the midst of busy family life (dinner, tidying the house, getting kid to shower), he and his wife showed me to the different rooms with different windows overlooking the WP rally. They even gave me a can of ice-cold 7-Up before I left. Such graciousness is something that money cannot buy. And such graciousness is what makes me proud to call Singapore my country, my home. Thank you, Jason and family.

28/04/2025

We all baked under the afternoon sun on Day 6 of the hustings. Traditionally, at every General Elections in Singapore there will be one rally held at lunchtime, the only one done in the heat of the day. It was known as the Lunchtime Rally, or more historically the Fullerton Rally.

The first Fullerton rally was held in 1959. This was at Fullerton Square, near the old General Post Office, when Singapore became a self-governing state. Then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew used this platform to reach the English-educated office crowd. He had wanted to bypass the media, which he felt misrepresented the PAP as “extremists.”

Even though the ruling party no longer has to deal with this perceived problem with the media, the tradition continues. I believe this rally holds a special place in the hearts of all Singaporeans. And the rally site is also open to the opposition - The Singapore Democratic Party will speak there tomorrow at 12pm.

27/04/2025

Today is Day 5 of hustings. I went to Sengkang in the morning to see how two relatively young and hip teams were vying for the ground. Both the PAP and WP were eager to give out as many flyers as possible, and to shake as many hands as possible.

WP went to Rivervale New Market and then to Rivervale Plaza. After serving as MPs for 5 years, you can see how being the incumbent had its advantages. People were easier to warm up, and stayed around to chat about daily happenings and problems.

The PAP team hit the ground at Sengkang Grand Mall, a new development with an airy and spacious hawker centre connected to a shopping mall. There were many families having their meals, and some welcomed the candidates. Volunteers would move ahead to ensure a friendly exchange.

Walking the ground is never easy.

26/04/2025

The people descended like dewfall on the field of Temasek Junior College. By 830pm, the field was dotted with faces, expecting a good show. I was at the Workers’ Party rally for Tampines GRC. It was one of the surprise moves by the opposition party in a bid to garner more seats in the Parliament. Led by Faisal Manap, one of the original Fab Five who took down Aljunied GRC in 2011, was a team of fresh faces: businessman Jimmy Tan, clinical psychologist Ong Lue Ping, former diplomat Eileen Chong and start-up founder Michael Thng.

And although rallies have always been a showcase of new faces and new ideas, old is gold. The old guard recounted their stories, reminding everyone that the slate of new candidates were fruits of the old. Sylvia Lim reminisced after serving for 19 years in Parliament, she herself is now a senior, and urged Singaporeans to create their own “silver tsunami”. Faisal Manap choked back tears, thanking the Kaki Bukit residents he had served for the last 14 years. Much like how the old Indian chiefs would pass on wisdom to the younger Cherokees over a campfire, this was a night of generational storytelling, paving the way for new things to come.

25/04/2025