The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) on Saturday (Aug 22) opened its new office at Ang Mo Kio Street 62, saying that it is “good and ready to go” for the election. The political party was previously based in Jalan Gelenggeng.
The election, which is widely expected to be called in the next few weeks, will be the first time Secretary-General Chee Soon Juan will be contesting after being discharged of bankruptcy in 2012. He was barred from contesting in the previous two general elections (2006 and 2011) due to the charge.
“I cannot wait to stand,” he said, “To get up on stage and connect with Singaporeans again.” He said his message to voters was that Singapore “can be much better than we are today”.
Dr Chee said the party will be announcing its line-up “very soon”, saying that the SDP is eyeing five constituencies: Holland-Bukit Timah and Marsiling-Yew Tee, both four-member GRCs, and the single seat wards of Bukit Batok, Bukit Panjang and Yuhua. Party leaders said they have continued to walk the ground since after the 2011 election, on top of publishing alternative policy proposals on issues such as housing, healthcare and education.
Referring to the People’s Action Party (PAP) suite of infrastructural plans announced at the unveiling of its Holland-Bukit Timah slate on Saturday morning, Dr Chee said, “It just sounds very much what you would expect them to do before an election … What is lacking in every PAP-run constituency is that it’s very brick-and-mortar, steel. But where is that X-factor where we can involve the people, not just to upgrade their quality of life, their well-being? And I think all that is missing from Holland-Bukit Timah.”
On giving up Sembawang GRC to the National Solidarity Party in order to avoid a multi-party fight with the incumbent People’s Action Party, Dr Chee said it was “the most difficult decision we had to make”, and that Sembawang “is very dear to us”. He added that giving way to the NSP on the matter of Sembawang had “released some pressure” in the horse-trading discussions, and that this did not mean that the party was giving up the GRC. “We look forward to the day when we shall return”, said Dr Chee.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
