The Progress Singapore Party’s (PSP) Assistant Secretary-General Leong Mun Wai has responded to the Reform Party’s accusations of the former not honouring a “gentleman’s agreement” to avoid 3-cornered fights.
In a Facebook post, the Reform Party (RP) announced that it reached an agreement with the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) over West Coast GRC.
However, things took a turn when RP Chairman Andy Zhu wrote in a Facebook post (June 25) that his party made it clear beforehand to PSP that with RP passing on West Coast GRC to them, the remaining constituencies they would be contesting in would be: Ang Mo Kio GRC, Yio Chu Kang SMC and Radin Mas SMC.
PSP recently announced that they too will be contesting in Yio Chu Kang SMC.
Mr Zhu wrote: “the PSP are deeply aware that after the ceding of West Coast GRC, we will be contesting in Ang Mo Kio GRC, Yio Chu Kang SMC and Radin Mas SMC. It seems like they are not honouring this gentleman’s agreement that they had with our SG-Kenneth. Yio Chu Kang SMC was part of Ang Mo Kio and the rights to contest should be given to us.”
In response, Dr Tan said, “There must be certain criteria on why we go to certain places”. He continued explaining that he falls back on his past experiences.
“When we look at West Coast and the areas around West Coast, I have experiences in the part. First being the MP in a small area Ayer Rajah. I was the chairman of the town council so I have walked that area before. I was the CDC chair also. I have been there before”, Dr Tan added.
“We don’t want to go into other areas where opposition parties have stood there before so we look for new constituencies. We have picked for new constituencies that have never been contested before”, he said.
Representing PSP in discussions and interactions with other parties, Asst Sec Gen Mr Leong said that his experience in talking to other parties has been very good and that he has been very impressed. With regards with Reform party, he added that he was in direct contact with party Chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam.
“He is a very honourable man and we have exchanged a lot of ideas. But all the ideas need to get our individual party’s CEC to agree to. We didn’t arrive, agree to a formal agreement between the two parties. A lot of ideas and principles were discussed. We were surprised that they say they came out to break the agreement”.
Mr Leong apologized to Mr Jeyaretnam and RP for the misunderstanding. He added that he hoped they will not attack Dr Tan directly, who is a man of integrity and character. He also asked that they stop making further accusations and focus on the GE.
Nomination day is slated for June 30, with cooling-off day on July 9, and polling day on July 10. /TISG