Singapore's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament
Chiam See Tong has chalked up 25 years in office.
Speaking at a dinner bash in his Potong Pasir ward to commemorate
the occasion, Mr Chiam said his greatest contribution to promoting
democracy in Singapore is by winning elections again and
again.
He also repeated his call for more opposition MPs to be elected
into parliament to check on the ruling party.
Jeremy Koh tells us more :
It is clear that Mr Chiam has lost the
vigour of his younger days.
He had to be supported on stage by assistants.
But his devotion to the opposition cause has never
wavered.
In his 11 minute speech, Mr Chiam said the opposition cause has to
be kept alive :
Let us the opposition strive for a change to win more SMCs and GRCs
in the coming election despite whatever obstacles you may encounter
from the PAP.
Mr Chiam also lauded the residents of Potong Pasir for sticking by
him through the years.
He said that together, they've changed the face of politics in
Singapore.
And he expressed a wish for Potong Pasir to be a powerbase and a
beacon for more opposition victories.
A glaring omission in his speech, however, was any indication of
his future plans.
It has been said that Mr Chiam is thinking of giving up his Potong
Pasir seat and gunning for a GRC in the next general
election.
But an announcement on that might well be better suited for a
different occasion, as the dinner bash was all about celebrating Mr
Chiam's many achievements.
And significantly, the dinner brought together the who's who in the
opposition.
Mr Low Thia Khiang from the Workers' Party was there, former
non-constituency MP Steve Chia was there, and even Mr Chiam's
one-time protege Dr Chee Soon Juan was there.
While they may not see eye-to-eye on every issue, for just one
night, all their differences were put aside.
And together on stage, they sang the Hokkien song ai pia jia eh
ya which means that one must strive in order to
win.
A song that no doubt spells out the opposition's aspirations in
Singapore.
--938Live