For all the talk about how Singapore need an alternate voice to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), there are a lot of Singaporeans who believed that none of the opposition parties and its members has the quality to match the PAP. The latest troubles at the Singapore People’s Party (SPP) will not helping matters.
Even through the SPP is one of the minor political parties in Singapore, it has been able to punch above its weight due to presence of its veteran leader Mr. Chiam See Tong. However differences within the party became public the SPP’s first assistant secretary-general Mr. Wilfred Leung informed the SPP central executive committee (CEC) that he does not intend to run for a position in the committee. This is major news within the SPP as Mr. Leung was expected to succeed Mr. Chiam See Tong as the party’s next secretary-general.
The problem seems to be discontent with Mr. Chiam and his wife, Mrs. Lina Chiam. Key members of the party had said to have lock with Mrs Lina Chiam, who had taken over her husband’s position within the SPP. Sadly, I kind of expected this.
Despite (or because) his status as the longest serving opposition in Singapore, Mr. Chiam has a long history of falling out with senior member of the political party he was in. It happened in the Singapore Democratic Party, with the Singapore Democratic Alliance and now with the SPP. I see a trend here.
However I do hope that the Chiams and the members of the SPP can come up with some sort of agreement or comprise. The SPP is already a minor party within the opposition, the last thing they (and the opposition) need right now is a spilt within the party.
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