SINGAPORE: The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) said on Thursday (Feb 20) that its secretary-general Chee Soon Juan intends to contest in Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency (SMC) in the upcoming General Election.
Dr Chee, who has been SDP chief since 1993, contested in Bukit Batok SMC in the 2020 General Election.
In response to CNA’s queries, a party spokesperson said: “The party will continue to keep its primary focus on the constituencies it has established a presence in, and looks forward to sharing more information on its plans when the EBRC (Electoral Boundaries Review Committee) report is issued.”
The next General Election must be held by Nov 23.
Electoral boundaries for the next election have not been determined. The Elections Department (ELD) announced on Jan 22 that the EBRC has been formed to conduct its review.
The committee has been directed to recommend the number and size of Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and SMCs.
SDP contested two GRCs and three SMCs in the previous General Election, but failed to win any seats in parliament.
Dr Chee had contested against Mr Murali Pillai from the People’s Action Party (PAP), but lost with 45.2 per cent of votes. This was an increase from the 38.8 per cent he got in the 2016 by-election.
The by-election was called after PAP’s David Ong stepped down as Member of Parliament for Bukit Batok, citing a “personal indiscretion”. He was said to have had an extra-marital affair with a grassroots activist.
Dr Chee posted a video on his Facebook page on Wednesday about a fundraising dinner for the party’s Bukit Batok campaign.
In the video, Dr Chee spoke about the current education system, stating that the Ministry of Education’s content-driven and exam-oriented approach “has not produced a community equipped with skills” to take Singapore forward.
He said that the SDP has laid out alternative proposals which include cultivating “creative minds and critical thinking”, reducing class sizes and doing away with the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
Dr Chee asked people to pick a date between Feb 18 and Feb 26 for the dinner. It is only open to Singaporeans, he added.
