VOlUME 05 ISSUE 05 May 2026
Dr. Noraini Bte Yunus
Swiss School of Business Management (SSBM)
DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i5n02Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT
Community engagement and grassroots visibility have long been recognized as critical determinants of political trust and civic participation. This paper examines how consistent, embodied participation in community activities — exemplified by recreational activities such as pickleball — enables political and civic leaders to cultivate social capital, build interpersonal trust, and reinforce democratic accountability at the grassroots level. Drawing on Putnam's (2000) framework of social capital, Norris's (2004) civic voluntarism model, and empirical studies on participatory governance in Southeast Asia, this study argues that physical presence and recreational co-participation are not peripheral to political leadership but constitute a substantive form of democratic practice. The paper contextualises this argument within the competitive electoral landscape of Singapore's Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency (AMKGRC), where opposition parties such as the Workers' Party (WP) have increasingly signalled interest. Findings suggest that sustained, visible community engagement — particularly through shared recreational and social activities — functions as a strategic platform for credibility-building, constituent relationship management, and electoral resilience. The paper concludes with recommendations for smaller parties and independent civic leaders seeking to leverage non-conventional engagement strategies in high-density urban constituencies.
KEYWORDS:community engagement, social capital, political visibility, grassroots leadership, Singapore politics, pickleball, civic participation, electoral strategy
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Cite this Article:Bte Yunus , D. N.(2026).Ground-Level Engagement as A Strategy for Political Visibility and Community Trust: Evidence from Grassroots Leadership in Singapore . INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMANITY & MANAGEMENT RESEARCHS, 5(5), 901-904. https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i5n02