Darryl Lo Kar Keong (Singapore Politician)

Darryl Lo Kar Keong is a 28-year-old Singaporean law graduate and independent political candidate who contested Radin Mas Single Member Constituency (SMC) in the 2025 General Election. Born and raised in Bukit Purmei, Lo emerged as part of a new generation of independent candidates who brought fresh perspectives and policy proposals to Singapore's political landscape.

Darryl Lo Kar Keong
Born	1997
Education	Bachelor of Laws
Alma mater	Radin Mas Primary School Outram Secondary School Serangoon Junior College Singapore Management University (SMU)

Despite not winning the election, Lo achieved a significant 23.47% of the vote share, outperforming a seasoned opposition candidate and succeeding in his stated goal of reducing the People's Action Party's (PAP) margin of victory in what was previously one of their strongest constituencies.

Early life & education

Darryl Lo grew up in an HDB flat in Bukit Purmei, within the Radin Mas constituency. Lo also attended Radin Mas Primary School, Outram Secondary School, and Serangoon Junior College before pursuing higher education.

Education

Lo received his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Singapore Management University (SMU), graduating in 2022. During his studies, he gained legal experience through various internships, including a position at the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 2021.

Career

Technology sector experience

After graduating from law school, Lo worked for start-ups in the technology sector rather than pursuing traditional legal practice. According to his LinkedIn profile, he first worked as a Community Manager and subsequently as a Trust and Safety Associate at OpenSea, a prominent platform in the Web3 and NFT space.

Political activities

Preparation for political campaign

Lo became unemployed in January 2025 in preparation for his campaign as an independent candidate. This decision reflected his commitment to full-time service should he be elected, as he told Mothership he had "no private sector job" or "private commitment" that would divide his attention.

"In his view, if MPs 'really have the heart to serve', they should be 'serving wholeheartedly instead of putting a couple of hours a week for Meet-the-People sessions.'"

2025 General Election Campaign

Candidacy announcement

On April 16, 2025 (initially reported as April 17), Lo announced his intention to contest Radin Mas SMC as an independent candidate via Instagram. In his announcement post, he addressed the residents of Radin Mas:

"I am considering stepping forward as an independent candidate in the upcoming General Election to be a voice that reflects your concerns and aspirations."

Darryl Lo on his walkabout at Crescent Food Market. Photo from Instagram.

His campaign featured the slogan "Your voice, our future." He positioned himself as a non-partisan voice for residents, believing that "more diverse voices in Parliament can lead to better discussions and policies."

Lo relied heavily on grassroots engagement, conducting extensive walkabouts throughout Radin Mas. His face-to-face approach allowed him to focus on hyperlocal issues in the constituency, such as cleanliness in Bukit Purmei and the proposal for a community dog run.

In a three-part TikTok series uploaded on April 21, Lo introduced himself to voters with a candid and personal look at his journey. He maintained an active presence on social media throughout the campaign, ultimately gaining 6,400 Instagram followers.

Key policy proposals

Lo's campaign centered on three main policy proposals:

1. Stricter Drink Driving Penalties: Lo proposed a two-week mandatory jail term for anyone caught drink driving, aiming to deter such incidents and save lives on the road.

2. Expanded Financial Assistance for Education: He advocated for increasing the Ministry of Education's Financial Assistance Scheme eligibility cap from S$3,000 to S$5,000 per household income. This would help more low-income families qualify for financial support in schools.

3. HDB Housing Reform for Singles: Lo proposed that singles should be able to attain public housing without any age requirement and without any restriction on the type of housing (not limited to 2-room flats), just like married couples. This represented a significant departure from existing policies that restricted singles under 35 to only 2-room flats.

Lo wrapped up his campaign statement with a pledge of full-time commitment:

"Because MPs are paid with your taxes, and you should expect full-time service in return."

He also invoked historical significance, telling voters:

"Since Singapore's independence, there has never been an elected independent candidate. We can make history together. Vote me into parliament. They do not need another person to vote for an increase in GST."

Darryl Lo's rally speech at Bendemeer Primary School. Photo from Instagram.

Vote results

On May 3, 2025, the results showed that PAP's Melvin Yong won Radin Mas SMC with 69.17% of the vote. The full breakdown was:

Candidate	Party	Votes	Percentage
Melvin Yong	PAP	15,801	69.17%
Darryl Lo Kar Keong	Independent	5,362	23.47%
Kumar Appavoo	PAR	1,682	7.36%

A total of 22,845 valid votes were cast.[3]

Achieving the goal

Heading into the election, Lo had a clear objective: to reduce the incumbent PAP's vote share in Radin Mas. He succeeded spectacularly.

Radin Mas SMC was the PAP's strongest-performing SMC in 2020, when Yong secured 74.01% of the vote share. Lo's campaign reduced this to 69.17%, representing a swing of nearly 5 percentage points away from the PAP, a significant achievement in what had been considered a safe seat.

Lo also outperformed seasoned opposition candidate Kumar Appavoo, who garnered only 7.36% despite having contested the constituency twice before.

Post-Election reaction

Riding the high after the campaign, Lo told Mothership he felt he did "all right," and was "pretty happy with the results" considering he achieved his main objective of lowering PAP's vote share. However, he admitted he "expected to do better" initially.

Lo speculated that voters appreciated that he was "putting in some research" and doing "well-measured approaches" to policies, as compared to just "shouting and screaming."

On May 4, 2025, the day after the election, Lo posted to Instagram screenshots of an email he sent to Melvin Yong. In the message, he congratulated Yong on his win and thanked him for the clean contest in the election.

The email also proposed suggestions on issues he learned from residents while walking on the ground, including:

• Sightings of rats and cockroaches at night along Block 103 and 104 of Bukit Purmei and the Bukit Purmei Hillock
• A cockroach nest outside the condominium at 100 Wishart Road

Lo reiterated his three main policy proposals and signed off as a "Radin Mas Resident" rather than as a former candidate, signaling his continued connection to the community.

Although not elected, Lo pledged to remain active in political discourse and community engagement.[5] He expressed his intention to continue engaging with Singaporeans on key issues using his campaign platforms and social media reach.

However, when asked about his future plans, Lo was initially coy, saying he was unsure if he would continue being involved in politics.