SINGAPORE, June 27 — The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has experienced a “Lee Hsien Yang effect” in the form of increased donations and support since the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was inducted into the opposition party on Wednesday (June 24), party chief Tan Cheng Bock said on Saturday.

But he continued to keep mum on whether Mr Lee will be running as a candidate for PSP in the upcoming General Election (GE) on July 10.

“It’s politics, things change. In politics, timing is important and in politics, how I move I do not tell you,” he said. “Whether he wants to be a candidate or not… is also up to the party.”

He was speaking to reporters while on a walkabout at 726 West Coast Food Centre, located in the West Coast Group Representation Constituency where he will be contesting.

Mr Lee’s son, Mr Li Shengwu, is among those who have made a donation to PSP since Wednesday, when Mr Lee was formally inducted and later that same day published a video calling on Singaporeans to support the party.

This morning, Mr Li said on Facebook that he had donated to the Workers’ Party and PSP, adding: “Singapore needs a strong opposition to prevent abuse of power.”

Dr Tan said the outpouring of support is an indication that Singaporeans believe a party like his has come to “give them hope”. 

He was, however, unable to reveal how much of an increase in donations the PSP has received since Mr Lee’s induction on Wednesday, saying that he has not yet looked at the numbers closely.

Dr Tan: Lee joined PSP to call for accountability

Dr Tan added that Mr Lee had joined the PSP because he believed in the party’s vision. 

He said: “His father was one of the great leaders who helped build this country. He knew his father. As a son, he wants to make sure this country doesn’t disintegrate. He is not very happy with his brother’s performance.

“So he came and talked to me and he believes in what I want to do. He believed that I always value accountability. We felt that there wasn’t much accountability.”

Mr Lee had told reporters on Wednesday that he had joined the party because he believes in its ideals and hopes to champion issues such as income inequality, poverty and transparency in governance. 

Dr Tan added today that in particular, both he and Mr Lee felt that the appointment of people into various institutions here is “very open for questioning”, and that there is a lack of transparency surrounding various issues.

He cited for example the fact that the salary of Mdm Ho Ching, the chief executive of sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings, is kept a secret.

Mdm Ho is the wife of Prime Minister Lee.

Temasek has previously debunked a claim by a Taiwanese talk show that her annual salary is around S$100 million (RM308 million), but stopped short of revealing what it actually is. 

It has only said that her compensation is neither the highest within Temasek, nor is she amongst the top five highest paid executives in the firm.

Asked if Mr Lee’s sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, will join PSP as well, Dr Tan said that she had not indicated any such intention, but was supportive of the party.

Well wishes to Goh Chok Tong

Dr Tan also commented on the retirement of Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, saying Mr Goh has contributed a lot to Singapore. 

“We’ve got to thank him. We are still friends. We may have political differences, but I think we have to maintain that sort of relationship to show to the world that well, politics is politics, friendship is friendship.”

He added: “So I hope he will have a very good retirement, he can continue playing his golf.”

He then contrasted his renewed involvement in politics at age 80 to Mr Goh’s retirement. 

Mr Goh is 79 years old.

“For me, my main concern is people like you, the younger generation… And this Covid-19 pandemic really reinforces my determination to really do what I can in my autumn years, I call it. My spirit is still strong,” he said. — TODAY