The Singapore People’s Party (SPP) has said that it does not intend to concede any of the wards it contested in the 2015 General Election (GE), pending the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) report.

In a statement to The Independent, the SPP said: “Pending the release of the report of the EBRC, Singapore People’s Party has not, and does not intend to give up on any of the constituencies it had contested in the last GE.”

The party added: “SPP will work with all political parties when the EBRCR is out to ensure there is a smooth and fair challenge to contest the PAP in its constituencies. In the meantime, SPP will continue to focus on our engagement with residents in these constituencies.”

The party made this statement when asked about its continued presence in Mountbatten Single Member Constituency (SMC) despite the resignation of Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss – the candidate who contested the ward under the SPP’s ticket in the 2015 GE.

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Ms Chong-Aruldoss contested Mountbatten SMC under the National Solidarity Party (NSP) ticket in the 2011 GE. It was a close match but Ms Chong-Aruldoss lost the election with 41.35 per cent of the vote. The politician joined the SPP thereafter and brought her claim to Mountbatten SMC with her. She contested the same ward as an SPP candidate in the 2015 GE but lost to the incumbent from the ruling party.

Interestingly, when Ms Chong-Aruldoss left the NSP, the party conceded Mountbatten SMC and allowed her to contest the ward under the banner of another political party without disputing her claim to the ward.

Ms Chong-Aruldoss, who was a member of the SPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), announced last month that she resigned from the party. The SPP appeared to have moved on when party member Williiamson Lee was spotted walking the ground at Mountbatten SMC, about two weeks ago.

Mr Lee posted a photo of himself in the ward, decked in SPP gear, and captioned the picture: “Hello Mountbatten SMC” – indicating that he is walking the ground on behalf of the SPP and could be fielded there during the next election if the electoral boundaries remain the same.

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Mr Lee, who has never contested any election, was working closely with Ms Chong-Aruldoss and was one of the SPP members who accompanied Ms Chong-Aruldoss in her walkabouts and community outreach activities in Mountbatten SMC, since at least October 2018.

Last Thursday (26 Sept), the SPP confirmed that it is continuing its outreach in the ward Ms Chong-Aruldoss brought to the party. Sharing photos of Mr Lee and other members visiting homes in the constituency, the SPP wrote on Facebook: “Our work in Mountbatten continues! Thank you to everyone we met last night and sharing your evening with us.”

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