View source for Samuel Lee I look left look right (GE2025)

[[File:Samuel Lee look left look right.jpg|thumb|''The moment Samuel sang. Photo from [https://www.tiktok.com/@mothershipsg/video/7496078090129411336?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc TikTok video].'']]
"I Look Left Look Right" is a Singaporean political meme and viral catchphrase from the 2025 General Election that originated from People's Power Party (PPP) candidate Samuel Lee's adapted rendition of the Mandopop song "I'm Just A Tiny Tiny Bird" (我是一只小小鸟).<ref name=":0">Chua, Ilyda. "[https://mothership.sg/2025/05/samuel-lee-resigns-from-ppp/ Samuel Lee resigns from PPP]" ''Mothership,'' 27 May, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref><ref name=":1">Khine Zin Htet. "[https://mothership.sg/2025/05/ppps-samuel-lee-adapts-look-left-look-right-song-for-an-ad/ PPP's Samuel Lee adapts 'look left, look right' song for an ad]" ''Mothership'', 17 May, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref>

==Context==

===Samuel Lee's candidacy===
Samuel Lee, a 33-year-old activist, was selected as part of the People's Power Party's (PPP) team to contest Ang Mo Kio GRC during the 2025 General Election.<ref name=":2">Soon, Xue Ling. "[https://sureboh.sg/2025/05/27/samuel-lee-resigns-from-ppp-after-ge2025-says-he-look-left-look-right-for-new-opportunities/ Samuel Lee resigns from PPP after GE2025, says he 'look left, look right' for new opportunities]" ''Sureboh,'' 27 May, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref> The constituency was particularly significant as it was being contested by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his People's Action Party (PAP) team, making it a high-profile electoral battleground.<ref name=":3">Li, Winnie. "[https://mothership.sg/2025/06/samuel-lee-memes-podcast-rishi-budhrani/ 'I really left a legacy': ex-PPP member Samuel Lee on being 1 of the most memed GE2025 candidates]" ''Mothership,'' 8 June 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref>

Lee's candidacy was controversial due to his recent criminal history. In June 2024, he had been sentenced to six weeks in prison for reckless behavior endangering the lives of others during a road rage incident in February 2022 at a pedestrian crossing near Victory Family Centre in Toa Payoh.<ref>Ang, Matthias. "[https://mothership.sg/2025/04/ppp-candidate-road-rage-history/ PPP AMK candidate Samuel Lee jailed 6 weeks in 2024 for road rage confrontation with delivery rider]" ''Mothership,'' 25 April, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref><ref>"[https://mustsharenews.com/samuel-lee-road-rage/ PPP's Samuel Lee previously jailed 6 weeks for road rage confrontation with delivery rider]" ''Mustsharenews,'' 25 April, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref> Despite this, PPP Secretary-General Goh Meng Seng defended Lee's candidacy, stating the party believed in rehabilitation and second chances.<ref name=":4">Zhi Hao. "[https://goodyfeed.com/samuel-lee-resign-ppp-look/ 'Look Left, Look Right' Candidate Samuel Lee Resigns from PPP After GE2025]" ''Goody Feed'', 27 May, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref><ref>Oh, Ethan. "[https://mustsharenews.com/samuel-lee-ppp/ PPP candidate Samuel Lee apologises & bows for road rage incident, Goh Meng Seng stands by him]" ''Mustsharenews,''  27 April, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref>

===The original song===
The song Lee adapted was "I'm Just A Tiny Tiny Bird" (我是一只小小鸟), a Mandopop classic originally performed by Malaysian singer Ah-Niu.<ref name=":1" /> The original lyrics expressed the desire for a warm embrace, asking: "I search and search for a warm embrace. Is that too much to ask?"<ref name=":5">Yang, Gary. "[https://mustsharenews.com/gan-kim-yong-look-left-look-right/ Gan Kim Yong parodies viral 'look left, look right' song by PPP candidate Samuel Lee, netizens approve of it]" ''Mustsharenews,'' 27 April, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref>

==The viral moment==
On Nomination Day, 23 April 2025, during a PPP press conference interview, Samuel Lee delivered his adapted version of the song. He explained that he had been inspired by the Chinese song but decided to "edit" the lyrics with his own twist.<ref name=":6">Tan, Charlotte. "[https://mustsharenews.com/ge2025-memes/ 5 top-tier memes & moments from GE2025 to look back on till the next election]" ''Mustsharenews,'' 4 May, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref> Lee's adapted lyrics were:<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><blockquote>''"I look left, look right, look left, look right, for a career path. Is this a request considered too high?"''</blockquote>
[[File:Gan Kim Yong parody.jpg|thumb|''Gan Kim Yong's parody. Photo from [https://www.instagram.com/reels/DI8Iyx8S3NN/ Instagram video].'']]
Within hours of the press conference, clips of Lee's performance began circulating on TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms. The clip quickly became the subject of widespread laughter and was described as sending "the Internet into fits of laughter.” Mothership's TikTok video of the performance garnered over 32k likes and over 1k comments.<ref>"[https://www.tiktok.com/@mothershipsg/video/7496078090129411336?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc @mothershipsg]" ''TikTok,'' 22 April, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref>

The song became popularly known on social media as the "look left look right" song, eclipsing its original title.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

===Meme culture and parodies===
TikTok users wasted no time creating memes and parody content. Popular formats included:<ref name=":6" />

*Videos showing people "looking left and right" for their mothers in supermarkets
*Clips of people checking LinkedIn at work
*Scenes of employees asking bosses for raises
*Traffic safety PSA parodies suggesting the audio should be installed at traffic lights

Popular Instagram account Yeolo, with over 9k followers, jumped on the trend, sharing memes with captions like "Me asking my boss for a raise" and "Me checking LinkedIn at work."<ref name=":5" />

===Gan Kim Yong’s parody===
In a remarkable display of political humor, People's Action Party's Gan Kim Yong posted his own parody of the viral song on Instagram on 27 April 2025. In the video, Gan adapted the lyrics with a political twist:<blockquote>''"I look up to grow our economy. I look down to keep our household costs low. I look ahead to prepare for the future, and I look back to make sure no one is left behind. I am Gan Kim Yong."''</blockquote>The video then cut to a flashback of a COVID-19 era press conference, showing Gan glancing at then-Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during a Multi-Ministry Taskforce briefing, while Ah-Niu's song played in the background.<ref name=":5" /> The caption read: "While I sometimes look right at my colleague, I always look out for Singapore's future."<ref name=":5" />

===Critique following road rage revelation===
The viral moment however, took a controversial turn when news broke that Lee had previously been jailed for road rage. Following this revelation, public discourse shifted from pure amusement to debate about whether someone with a recent criminal record should be fielded as a candidate.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":6" />
[[File:Samuel in the ad from Goodman Interior.jpg|thumb|''Samuel in the ad from Goodman Interior. Photo from [https://www.tiktok.com/@goodmaninterior.com/video/7504973008834972935?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc TikTok video].'']]
On 26 April 2025, Lee publicly addressed the road rage incident during a doorstop interview, bowing and apologizing for his actions and to the delivery rider involved. He stated he would ignore online scrutiny and mockery.<ref>Lay, Belmont. "[https://mothership.sg/2025/04/ppps-samuel-lee-bows-apologises-for-road-rage-incident-from-2022/ PPP's Samuel Lee bows & apologises for road rage incident from 2022]" ''Mothership,'' 26 April, 2025. Accessed 21 January 2026.</ref>

==Samuel Lee's response==

===Embracing the Meme===
In June 2025, Lee appeared on comedian Rishi Budhrani's podcast "The Rishi Report" to discuss being one of the most memed candidates of GE2025.<ref name=":3" /> When asked how he felt about his viral fame, Lee demonstrated good humor and self-awareness about the phenomenon. Lee said: "Look right, look left" was still living rent free in people's heads, acknowledging the lasting cultural impact of his performance.<ref name=":3" />

===Clarifying the "Correct Meme Quote"===
During the podcast, Lee clarified what he considered the "correct meme quote" from his GE2025 appearances. He stated it should be "Produce, you cannot. Reproduce, you also cannot," noting that the full sentence had been "conveniently" cut off by meme creators.<ref name=":3" /> This reference was to another controversial statement Lee had made during the campaign period that had also generated discussion online.<ref name=":3" /> Lee stated during the podcast: "I really left a legacy," acknowledging that his viral moment would be remembered as one of the defining memes of GE2025.<ref name=":3" />

==Post-Election==

===Resignation from PPP===
On 27 May 2025, Lee announced via social media that he had resigned from the People's Power Party on 23 May 2025.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> In his resignation statement, he explained:<blockquote>''"I am grateful for the lessons learnt and wish PPP well in its future. I will pursue new opportunities, while continuing my commitment to activism and advocating for a better Singapore."''</blockquote>In a playful callback to his viral song, Lee accompanied his resignation announcement with a 20-second TikTok audio clip, with observers noting he was now literally "looking left and right for new opportunities."<ref name=":2" />

==References/Citations==
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[[Category:Singapore Culture]]