Dr Chee pointed out that the public image of the SDP is now
different as how it was viewed in the past. (Yahoo! …
Singapore Democratic
Party (SDP) secretary-general Chee Soon Juan says a
rejuvenated SDP is emerging with a new public image as compared to
in the past.
"I think you're seeing a very rejuvenated SDP emerging and as you
can see from the candidates, the ideas are there, the platform is
there and now we've got the candidates to back everything up, so we
are very hopeful," he said.
Dr Chee also pointed out that the party's public image is now
different as how it was viewed in the past as some would associate
it with confrontational politics and civil disobedience.
He attributed this change in perspective to the rise in new media
which allows the party to projects its true image. "Now with the
internet, you're seeing a very different ball game and that is
translating into a very different kind of situation for us in the
SDP," he said.
The SDP chief was speaking at the unveiling of its second batch of
five candidates at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
They are: Mohd Isa Abdul Aziz, 53, a business development manager;
Dr Ang Yong Guan, 56, a psychiatrist ; Sadasivan Veriyah, 58, a
former teacher and currently a businessman; Gerald Sng, 45, a
marketing manager; and Tan Jee Say, 57, investment adviser and
former principal private secretary to Senior Minister Goh Chok
Tong.
Isa and Sng have electoral experience under their belt, contesting
in Sembawang GRC in the last election.
The party, who announced its first
six candidates on Thursday, will be fielding a total of 11
candidates come May 7.
They will be contesting in Yuhua and Bukit Panjang single-member
constituency (SMCs), and Holland-Bukit Timah and
Sembawang group-representation
constituencies (GRCs).
The SDP also unveiled its second batch of five candidates on
Friday. (Yahoo! photo)
When asked about the party's slate of candidates for the coming
election, Dr Chee said that they will be more than able to bring
SDP forward.
"I think we are looking at a very exciting future for the party and
we certainly will be pushing them forward and making sure that our
party's objectives are achieved."
Among its newly-introduced candidates are two of the party's
"prize-catch" -- Mr Tan and Dr Ang -- who were former senior
government officials.
For Mr Tan, joining the opposition was not an easy choice. He was a
former government scholar and official, and was often associated
with members of the ruling People's Action
Party (PAP).
He only decided to contest as a SDP candidate on Wednesday,
revealing that he didn't discuss his decision with any of his
family members except for his wife, who is very supportive of him
contesting in the elections.
Apart from being the former principal private secretary to SM Goh
from 1985 to 1990, he also revealed sharing cordial relationships
with some of the ministers including Mr Mah Bow Tan and Mr George
Yeo.
"It's not easy because to people it's like you are biting the hand
that feeds the mouth.
"I came from a poor family and without a government scholarship I
would never make it to university and much less to Oxford. I'm
grateful to them," he said.
While he has a deep sense of gratitude towards the government and
its leaders for allowing him to further his studies through a
government scholarship, he stressed that "gratitude is not
servitude".
"It is not blind loyalty; it does not mean giving up the sense of
what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is bad,"
said Mr Tan, adding that the government has lost both its way and
moral compass.
Addressing the country's economic policies, he highlighted that one
of the flaws lies in the country's emphasis on the manufacturing
industry which has resulted on the dependence of foreign workers,
leading to other problems.
"The emphasis on manufacturing as the prime mover of the economy
has resulted in the dependence of workers, especially cheap workers
and that has caused a lot of problems, depressing the wages and
social problems."
Although he reiterated that the SDP is not against foreign workers,
Mr Tan took issue with the number and speed of foreign workers
coming into the country.
A different
public image?
Mr Tan shared that while the SDP used to have a public image
problem, there is no more of that.
"It has got a softer image to the credit of Dr Chee. He has
changed, he has improved, he has learned his lessons and we are
moving forward. But I'm sure it's all for the better of
Singapore."
He also pointed out that Dr Chee "is not the kind of demon that he
was made out to be".
"He (Dr Chee) is quite an amenable, flexible person and that shows
in the organisation of the party, it is very well organised.
Dr Chee has been able to attract very passionate people to work for
him and for no pay, no salary, no material gain but just a belief
that they have to do something for the country," said Mr Tan.
First time candidate Dr Ang added that the public perception of the
opposition as a whole is changing.
"I think it's changing now. It's a symbolic meaning that we are
trying to create and hopefully remove the fear of getting involved
in opposition politics so that more will come forward," he
said.
"As I said, to join the opposition must be as easy as joining the
PAP politics, then indeed we would have arrived."
Dr Ang, who has been involved in the grassroots for more than 15
years, also stressed that it is very difficult to initiate change
from within the PAP because it is "overpowering and
domineering".
"That's why I feel that the best is to work from outside and not
from within. When you work from outside you can apply pressure and
keep them on their toes and things move faster," he said.
This coming election will also see a number of former government
scholars contesting under the opposition banner. They include
husband and wife team Hazel Poa and Tony Tan from the National Solidarity
Party (NSP), and Benjamin Pwee and Jimmy Lee of
the Singapore People's
Party (SPP)among others.
Mr Tan said that it is a "good sign" that former government
scholars are coming out and taking their stand in politics, despite
the risks that it carried especially by joining the opposition.
"It is good that these people come out. There is no conspiracy or
plan to rise in the opposition to the government but they do give
encouragement to others and I'm sure it rubs off
subconsciously.
"There are enormous risks for anyone coming into opposition
politics, we put risks to our career, family members and yet we are
prepared to come out," he said.
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