SINGAPORE: Every Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) candidate pulls his own weight, the party's secretary-general Chee Soon Juan said on Tuesday (Jun 30) during a virtual press conference after Nomination Day.
He was responding to questions from the media on how decisions were made to field SDP candidates in unexpected wards. Party chairman Paul Tambyah, for instance, was fielded in Bukit Panjang SMC. He had been expected to lead the team for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"Every one, 11 of us, have that weight to be fielded as a candidate, and to be then elected as an MP, and we made a very conscious move to make sure that we streamlined our number and made sure that we emphasised on quality and not quantity," Dr Chee said.
"We wouldn't be fielding these 11 if we weren't confident that we can get us elected."
[h=3]READ: GE2020: SDP faces PAP for the second time in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC[/h]Candidates have been making their rounds in all the constituencies the SDP will be contesting in - Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, Yuhua SMC, Bukit Batok SMC and Bukit Panjang SMC - Dr Chee added.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHe said that the SDP is conscious that the party's ground campaign is "taken care of". This includes being ready when boundaries for constituencies are redrawn, he said
"When things are made clear, then we start to think of where to place candidates to maximise our chances of getting elected," he said.
CANDIDATES FIELDED IN UNEXPECTED CONSTITUENCIES
Apart from Dr Tambyah, Mr Benjamin Pwee's candidacy in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC was also unexpected as he had been seen on walkabouts in Yuhua SMC.
Dr James Gomez, on the other hand, was fielded in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC after being spotted frequently in Marsiling-Yew Tee.
[h=3]READ: GE2020: Straight fight for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC between PAP and SDP, with a slight twist[/h]When asked about being fielded in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Dr Gomez, a political scientist, said that he has lived in the constituency for 20 years and continues to do so.
He added that the situation of candidates moving to a different constituency is "consistent with the practice that we have seen from all political parties, including the People's Action Party (PAP)".
"To me that's a non-issue because it's the party that's important, that has been working the ground with the support base," he said. "This is no different, whether it's in Marsiling-Yew Tee or Holland-Bukit Timah or any other constituency that we have been expressing our interest."
Mr Pwee, a business development strategist, said that at the end of the day, members walk the ground as a party.
"I don't walk the ground as Ben Pwee. I walk the ground as SDP," he said, adding that information from the ground is shared with the party.
"It's not like 'oh, Ben is no more in Yuhua therefore SDP is not focusing on Yuhua'," he said.
Dr Tambyah, the president-elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases, did not speak at the virtual press conference.
TAN JEE SAY SAYS "NOT A SUDDEN DECISION" TO JOIN SDP
Former presidential candidate Tan Jee Say, founder of now-dissolved opposition party Singaporeans First (SingFirst), was also a surprise candidate.
He said in a Facebook post on Monday that he had reached out to Dr Chee on rejoining the party. SDP then confirmed that he made an application, without saying if he was accepted as a member.
Mr Tan will join Dr Gomez, marketing communications professional Min Cheong and businessman Alfred Tan in contesting Holland-Bukit Timah against the PAP.
In response to questions on whether his decision to return to SDP was sudden and whether it ruffled any feathers, Mr Tan said reception has been "quite warm", adding that he does not think anyone felt "left out or that it is so sudden".
Mr Tan started his political career with the SDP in 2011, contesting Holland-Bukit Timah GRC that year under its banner.
He said that he had to resign from the SDP to run in the Presidential Election in 2011. He later returned to the SDP but left again to form SingFirst in 2014.
On Tuesday, Mr Tan said that SDP members "always asked me to go back".
"Whenever I meet them outside, hawker centres, food courts, shopping malls or in the streets, they're always asking me to come back," he said.
"It's a credit to themselves, that I (am) finally coming back you know, it's like the return of the prodigal son, so (as) to speak."
When asked whether his candidacy would be an advantage or disadvantage in garnering support, Mr Tan said that he is known to the residents of the constituency.
Even though the news is "a bit surprisingly late to come out", "I'm known to a lot of people in Singapore", he said.
"It wouldn't be a disadvantage. It's just a matter of going back. It's like going back to your roots, the values that you champion for Singaporeans."
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