MAN IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT
DR CHEE took the party into unchartered territory.
He led party leaders on overseas missions to places such as
Australia, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Malaysia to build ties with human
rights groups. Dr Chee also went on at least three fellowship
stints abroad.
Back home, initially, he tried to take on the Government on cost of
living issues, including appearing on a Select Committee on
health-care costs.
But Dr Chee and his party were exposed for being shoddy with the
facts and found guilty of contempt of Parliament.
By the time the 1997 election rolled around, the SDP's share of the
votes declined to 33.1 per cent, down 15.5 percentage points from
1991. Mr Ling and Mr Cheo lost their seats. Dr Chee scored only
34.9 per cent of the votes in MacPherson.
By then, Mr Chiam had left to join another party - the Singapore
People's Party - and was re-elected in Potong Pasir.
Perceptibly after 1997, Dr Chee took more pains to cultivate
regional and international alliances rather than tend to the home
turf.
In the late 1990s, he campaigned for free speech, by speaking in
public without licence. He earned a jail sentence for not paying
the fines.
The SDP also fared poorly in the 2001 General Election, with Dr
Chee's team in Jurong GRC scoring 20.2 per cent of the votes. His
heckling of a popular prime minister, Mr Goh, did not go down well
with voters, who made their disapproval plain both at the ballot
box and in letters to the press.
During the run-up to the polls, Dr Chee heckled Mr Goh about an
alleged $17 billion loan to former Indonesian president Suharto.
The remarks were defamatory and the court hearing was over the
damages Dr Chee had to pay.
In 2001, former SDP candidate Vincent Yeo blamed Dr Chee for the
party's losses.
Several sources close to the party say Dr Chee's style has not
endeared the party to the people and it is facing a dwindling
support base.
A party source tells Insight that membership has been pared down to
no more than 40 members now, compared with around 200 during the
party's heyday.
Meetings are still conducted, once a month or every fortnight, at
the party's headquarters at Serangoon Road.
But it is usually attended by the 'same faces' of not more than a
dozen people, including Ms Chee.
'At times, it can get very depressing,' says Mr Ernest Chee, who
has attended all except one meeting since January.
Issues discussed revolve around party administrative matters, human
rights and freedom of speech.
'We seldom discuss local bread-and-butter issues such as the high
medical costs or utilities bills,' adds Mr Ernest Chee.
Political watcher and former Nominated MP Zulkifli Baharudin says:
'Their concentration doesn't seem to be on the ground, where the
battle is supposed to be.
'It is more issues-oriented and they choose rather controversial
topics but whether it really connects with the crowd here, is not
clear.'
Political science lecturer Hussin Mutalib adds: 'If its
international focus is not balanced with greater involvement with
local or domestic issues, it may be counter-productive, resulting
in less support from both SDP members and the electorate at
large.'
Dr Chee's supporters, however, say he has had no choice but to seek
the international limelight and alliances with other human rights
groups to make a name for the party and himself. He has to make a
living, adds Mr Ernest Chee.
The party, as its website says, is also focused on restoring human,
civil and political rights to Singaporeans, fostering a vibrant and
dynamic society, cultivating a transparent and accountable
political system, and cooperating with democratic parties and
organisations in Asia to achieve peace and sustainable development
in the region.
But grassroots activities here to further these aims appear to be
barely existent. Party sources say there is no strategy to 'work
the ground' and win over new supporters or attract professional
talent, apart from selling its newsletter, The New Democrat, to the
public.
But SDP meetings have focused on ways to attract potential
supporters lately. Ideas suggested included door-to-door visits,
distributing pamphlets and also telemarketing and networking
events.
'So far, nothing is finalised,' Mr Ernest Chee says, adding that he
hopes things will move faster now that Dr Chee is back in
Singapore.
