‘Captains of sinking boats’ – PSP’s CEC member dismisses fringe opposition leaders’ alliance idea

A Central Executive Committee (CEC) member of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has dismissed a proposed opposition alliance that was recently mooted by the Reform Party (RP), Singaporeans First party (SingFirst), People’s Power Party (PPP) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The four parties, which are widely seen as “fringe” opposition groups, are planning to register a coalition by the end of this month, ahead of the upcoming General Election.

In a recent interview with The Online Citizen, PSP CEC member Alex Tan Tiong Hee said the parties in the proposed coalition were being led by “captains of sinking boats”.

He said that the leaders of the RP, PPP, DPP and SingFirst are “like four captains from their respective sinking boats — not even a ship! — clasping one another’s hands to save themselves from drowning.”

Earlier, SingFirst party leader Tan Jee Say revealed that Dr Tan Cheng Bock is still welcome to lead a new opposition alliance that is in the works. He said: “As GE is getting closer, we are thinking of going ahead with registering the proposed alliance and then invite Tan Cheng Bock to lead this formal alliance after we have registered it.”

While PSP leader Dr Tan Cheng Bock has maintained that he is open to working with other opposition parties, he has indicated that the PSP is not ready to commit to the proposed alliance at this point.

In September last year, Dr Tan indicated his openness to working with other parties. Declining to rule out the possibility of a coalition, Dr Tan said that the opposition parties should first maintain a relationship of understanding.

Advising opposition politicians to “keep it open and never close all your options,” Dr Tan called on party leaders to be “flexible” in their relations with their counterparts from other opposition parties.

Tan Cheng Bock is still welcome to lead new opposition alliance: Tan Jee Say