The Most Valuable Party officially registered as Singapore’s 21st political party

Singapore’s political roster has expanded with the formal registration of The Most Valuable Party (MVP), approved by the Registry of Societies on 18 December 2025.

The party’s registration was announced in the Government Gazette published on 19 December, confirming its status as Singapore’s newest political party.

Its formation brings the number of officially registered political parties back up to 21.

Chia Yun Kai, a 32-year-old restaurant owner, founded the party and confirmed to The Straits Times that he had submitted the application in April.

“The intention all along was to create something official... and now that things are, we welcome more people to join us,” he said.

The MVP’s registered address is at Icon Village in Tanjong Pagar, where Chia also operates a mala eatery.

Ahead of the May 2025 general election, Chia had initially planned to contest East Coast GRC with his own party. However, he ultimately stood in Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC under the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) banner.

The SDA, a coalition comprising the Singapore Justice Party (SJP) and the Singapore Malay National Organisation, secured 32.34 percent of the vote in that contest against the People’s Action Party (PAP).

Chia had contested as a member of the SJP. Following the election on 4 May, he submitted his resignation from the party. SDA chief Desmond Lim confirmed his departure, stating Chia left “to pursue his political ambitions”.

Lim added: “Congratulations and best wishes for his political endeavours.”

Chia has not disclosed how many members MVP currently has, nor their identities. He indicated, however, that the party plans to run independently in future elections and “put up a good fight wherever we’ll be at”.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which oversees the Registry of Societies, said Chia’s application was received on 11 April—just four days before the Writ of Election was issued on 15 April. Nomination Day followed on 23 April.

In response to The Straits Times’ queries about the timeline, the ministry noted that applications are carefully evaluated.

“(The Registry) must satisfy itself that the proposed society will have proper management and governance, will be used for lawful purposes, and will not undermine Singapore’s national security or interests before approving its registration,” it said.

Under the normal process, registration typically takes two months or more.

To register a political society in Singapore, applicants must submit a constitution in English, pay an application fee of S$300 or S$400, and include any necessary letters of support.

The law requires that political party membership be limited to Singaporean citizens and prohibits affiliation with foreign organisations deemed contrary to national interests.

Notably, MVP’s registration comes just two weeks after the deregistration of 14 inactive political parties.

On 4 December 2025, the MHA published a notice in the Government Gazette stating that the parties had failed to respond to regulatory requirements under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA).

In August, the Registry of Societies had issued a call for these parties to confirm their activity within three months. None responded.

The deregistered entities included historically significant groups such as Barisan Sosialis and the United People’s Party, the latter founded by former PAP leader Ong Eng Guan in 1961.

MHA stated that these parties likely no longer functioned, having failed to submit the necessary disclosures or respond to official contact.

FICA requires all political parties—designated as politically significant persons—to make annual declarations regarding donations, leadership, and affiliations. Foreign donations are prohibited, and migration benefits such as honorary citizenship must be disclosed.

The deregistration reduced Singapore’s number of registered political parties from 34 to 20. MVP’s formal entry brings the total back to 21.