GE2025: Chee Soon Juan needs to explain why he abandoned Bukit Batok for Sembawang West, says Ong Ye Kung

In his speech, Mr Ong also addressed recent public claims by Dr Chee which he said, tried to paint Sembawang West SMC as “a lonely island”, separate from the Sembawang family.

“I thought about it and realised why Dr Chee said these things. Dr Chee doesn’t want Sembawang West to be part of the bigger Sembawang family. Why? Politically, I think he knows it disadvantages him,” said the health minister.

“Better for Sembawang West to become a lonely island, cut off from the rest of Sembawang town. Make Sembawang West residents feel it’s unfair. Make you feel upset. Make you feel angry. Then he has a better chance to win the elections.”

CALCULATED POLITICAL MOVE

Mr Ong called Dr Chee’s move from Bukit Batok to Sembawang West a “calculated political move”, a decision taken after a decade of not being interested in that area.

He noted that during the 2016 by-election in Bukit Batok, the SDP chief had “abandoned” his Holland-Bukit Timah GRC team to stand in that contest.

He lost that contest and also the 2020 General Election in that ward, noted Mr Ong.

“When the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee published its report recently, he told Bukit Batok residents … ‘You know me, I am not going anywhere’. Shortly after that, he packed up and left, and came to Sembawang West,” said Mr Ong.

While his explanation for going back on his commitment on Bukit Batok was that it has become part of Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC, the SDP has also given up on Holland-Bukit Timah GRC this election and freeing up its resources, noted Mr Ong.

“After 10 years of not being interested in Sembawang GRC, it is forming a team to compete and contest in Sembawang GRC. He could’ve easily formed a team, if he was really committed to Bukit Batok, to contest in the new Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC. He chose not to,” he said.