SINGAPORE, July 12 — Progress Singapore Party (PSP) chief Tan Cheng Bock said today the party is still deciding on which two members will take the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seats available to it, and will likely make its decision tomorrow.
Speaking to reporters outside West Coast Market Place, Dr Tan kept his cards close to his chest, and did not reveal which members are likely to be chosen.
“I think you wait... Because we are going to be having a meeting tomorrow,” said Dr Tan when asked, referring to a meeting among the party’s central executive committee members “Then after that, we will let you know.”
The other members of the team also kept mum when asked about who will take the NCMP seats.
“Keep quiet, don’t tell anybody,” the 80-year-old told his four fellow team members who were candidates for West Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC). “The mystery has got to be continued.”
PSP’s West Coast GRC team won 48.31 per cent of the vote, losing narrowly to the People’s Action Party (PAP) team led by S Iswaran.
The members of the West Coast team led by Dr Tan were: Leong Mun Wai, 60, Hazel Poa, 50, Jeffrey Khoo, 51, and Nadarajah Loganathan, 57.
PSP, however, emerged as the “best losers”’ in the General Election as a result and will thus have the chance to field two members from the team of five, who will join the 10 elected opposition members from the Workers’ Party (WP).
The NCMP scheme, which was first introduced in 1984, allows losing opposition candidates with the highest percentage of votes during a GE to be offered seats in Parliament — if the number of elected opposition candidates falls short of a stipulated number, currently at least 12.
Although PSP did not win a single seat across the nine constituencies that it vied for, the fledgling party had a respectable maiden showing, garnering an average vote share of about 40 per cent.
Dr Tan had said at the start of the election campaign this year that he would not take up the NCMP seat if the opportunity presented itself, referring to reference to the prospect of NCMP seats going to the party as a “ploy” to entice people to vote for PAP.
Leong, who is also assistant secretary-general of the party, had also told reporters before that he would not want to take up the NCMP position, though he added that he would defer to Dr Tan’s judgement on the matter.
Asked again today for his decision, he would only say: “Depends on the party.”
When asked about the vote shares within each ward in the GRC — there are five within West Coast — Dr Tan said that his former ward Ayer Rajah scored “a little bit higher” than the other four — Nanyang, Boon Lay, Telok Blangah and West Coast.
“West Coast (GRC) is not the same place (as it was when) I was a Member of Parliament (MP) because remember, West Coast (GRC) is so big, it is five times the size of Ayer Rajah, so you can expect new people, who also won’t know me,” he said.
Dr Tan was MP under the PAP banner for the now-defunct Ayer Rajah Single Member Constituency (SMC) for 26 years, before stepping down in 2006, which was the year the constituency was absorbed by West Coast GRC.
Thanking residents, Dr Tan and team vow to be back
To thank residents for their support, Dr Tan and his team made five stops across the constituency today starting 9am, at 964 Jurong West Street 91, Boon Lay Place Market and Food Village, Teban Gardens Market and Food Centre, Ayer Rajah Market and West Coast Market Place.
As they walked about the markets, some residents told Dr Tan not to give up despite the narrow loss.
“Just a bit more,” one resident said to him. “Very close fight,” another one said.
Dr Tan and his team told many of the supporters: “We will be back” in response to their comments.
The response at Boon Lay and Jurong West was relatively muted, with mostly handshakes and gentle greetings, but there was a warmer reception at Teban Gardens and Ayer Rajah, closer to Dr Tan’s former stronghold at Ayer Rajah.
At Teban Gardens and Ayer Rajah Markets, many applauded Dr Tan’s team, while his name was shouted several times. At West Coast Market, several residents waited to take photos with the five unsuccessful candidates.
Residents present expressed mixed feelings about the West Coast team’s performance, but most hoped that Dr Tan would contest the next GE.
West Coast GRC resident Collar Derek John told TODAY he was “very upset” when PSP lost.
“I hope he will come back again… In the 1970s when he won Ayer Rajah, the way he did things, once he says he will do, he will do,” the 56-year-old said.
Other residents were surprised at the close result.
A resident who lives near Ayer Rajah Market, who wanted to be known only as Tay, said that although Dr Tan had been an MP there, that he had already been “out of the picture” for 14 years.
“I was surprised that he still can garner such a big support. (PAP’s) Iswaran has done a lot for the constituency over the last five years, so I thought the result would be a little further apart rather than so close.
“I guess there are bigger issues at play and perhaps the younger generation might vote differently,” the 63-year-old retiree added.
On role of opposition leader
When asked about his thoughts on WP chief Pritam Singh’s new official status as opposition leader, Dr Tan said that it would “change the whole of politics”.
“In the past, I remember they were talking about a leader of the opposition party, but the level of support that was given to the old opposition wasn’t there, because the numbers were pretty small — it was one or two (opposition MPs).
“But I think now having 10 (elected MPs)… And then maybe plus two more from NCMP. I think that’s a sizable number to begin this whole process of having an opposition leader… It would change the whole of politics”.
Dr Tan added that the opposition camps will “naturally” consolidate around Singh given his new appointment.
“(The PSP) will also share our own views, (and it) doesn’t mean some of our views may agree with (other opposition parties). But that’s good, that’s the diversity we are looking for in Parliament.” — TODAY
