New party for Singapore tsunami?

Dr Tan rapped Lee Hsien Loong government for lack of transparency and accountability

By Ivan Lim
Contributor to AsiaN

Singapore: In 2018, the political sphere in Singapore was abuzz with talk of the opposition replicating the “Malaysia tsunami” effect to sweep the entrenched ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) from power in the next general election before 2021.

This referred to the feat of the Pakatan Harapan (PH or Alliance of Hope), forged by several opposition parties and led by retired Prime Minister Mahathir Mohmmad,92, in exploiting a major corruption scandal involving the Malaysian Development Berhad  funds and soaring cost of living and tapping the groundswell of voter unhappiness to topple the incumbent Barisan National against all official polling forecast.

In the” Singapore tsunami” envisioned by opposition activists, former presidential candidate and retired PAP Member of Parliament Dr Tan Cheng Bock, is cast in the key role of the charismatic Dr. Mahathir in the electoral campaign.

Egged on by his die-hard supporters and encouraged by members of the public who told him “not to retie quietly into the night”, Dr Tan formed the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), showing he is keen to challenge the PAP’s hold on power.

“My party and I are working hard to bring change to the political landscape,” he said during a media conference on Friday.

In a nod to the Mahathir-led party coalition, the 79-year-old Dr Tan declared he was ready to help forge and head an alliance of opposition parties.

“I have been approached by many of them as to whether I can take the lead to form a very loose alliance so that we can go into the general election to be a much larger force to challenge the PAP,” he said, – referring to the Workers Party and Singapore Democratic Party, among others, during a question- and- answer . session at the conference.

“This is to avoid a three-corner fight [that will split the votes to the disadvantage of the opposition].”

However, in a departure from the Malaysia tsunami game-plan of capturing power, Dr Tan said “it would be good if together we can deprive the PAP of their two-thirds majority [that will enable them to pass laws and change the constitution].”

Dr Tan also declared he would not do another Mahathir. “It’s not me, I don’t want to be Prime Minister.” He sees himself as more of a mentor to share his experience and help guide younger politicians to put “country before self”.

What he wanted to do was to show the people that there is another party other than the PAP to provide good governance.

Noted for speaking his own mind during his past 26 years as a PAP MP, the PSP secretary general faulted the PAP for eroding the people’s trust.

“Over the years, inequality has grown, and we have become more polarized. We need to bridge that gap.,” he said.