Singapore—In a refreshing display of friendship across party lines, ruling People Action Party’s (PAP) Tan Chuan Jin, the 10th Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore and MP from the Marine Parade GRC, paid a visit to Workers’ Party’s (WP) MP Low Thia Khiang, who has been recovering from injuries sustained from a bad fall.
On his Facebook page on Tuesday (June 23), Mr Tan posted a photo of the two men in masks. He began his caption with #GuessWho?
https://www.facebook.com/TanChuanJin1/photos/a.257251717650944/3166098353432918/?type=3&theater
The MP wrote that he was glad to see Mr Low again, and that the two had been in touch since the latter’s fall, which occurred at his home on April 30.
The WP issued a statement after the fall, which read that that the Aljunied GRC MP was conscious. “He is being monitored in the Intensive Care Unit. Mr Low is conscious. Mr Low’s family has requested for privacy so he can focus on his recuperation”, they added.
When he was visited by Mr Tan yesterday, the former WP secretary-general was said to be in “good spirits and recovering.
Mr Tan wrote that the two had “a nice long chat on a range of topics,” and he thanked Mr Low for “the tea and bak chang.” He had brought the Lows a gift of durian and pears, which he said he hoped that they would enjoy.
He also thanked Mrs Low for her “wonderful hospitality yet again.”
Mr Low, who has been in politics for several decades and a Member of Parliament since 1991, had been discharged from hospital on May 21. He and his family expressed their thanks to the staff of the ICU and Ward A82 of the Khoo Teck Puat General Hospital for their dedication and professionalism during his stay. During Mr Low’s absence from work, the other Aljunied GRC MPs covered his constituency duties, assisted by former NCMP Gerald Giam.
He joined the WP in 1982 and became its secretary-general in 2001 and went on to lead the party for 17 years. He stepped down as party chief in 2018 and was succeeded by Pritam Singh. He is credited with being the first opposition leader to win a Group Representation Constituency when the WP team he led won Aljunied GRC in 2011.
On June 18, Mr Giam wrote in a Facebook post that Mr Low was “recovering well” from his injuries. And the following day, when Singapore entered Phase 2 of the country’s reopening, Mr Pritam visited Mr Low at his home.
He wrote in a Facebook post, “I visited Mr Low at his home this evening to see how he was doing after his bad fall in April. I had to speak to him over the phone before this as the enhanced circuit breaker prevented me from visiting him earlier.”
Even with the dissolution of Parliament and the date of the GE annnounced, it is uncertain whether Mr Low will be contesting in the upcoming election.
Mr Tan’s post has been widely shared, with many netizens voicing appreciation of the friendship the two men have.
-/TISG
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WP politician reveals Low Thia Khiang is “recovering well” from his injuries