SINGAPORE: Dr Chee Soon Juan, the secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party, announced that the SDP would be holding a public forum on ‘Political Leadership and Singapore’s Future’ on August 5 (Saturday) at the Rochester Mall branch of Orange & Teal, the restaurant he opened in 2021.
“At a time when Singapore faces an uncertain and challenging future, we need stable governance. Instead, Singaporeans get a raft of investigations, unethical conduct and scandals involving our political leaders,” wrote Dr Chee in a July 24 Facebook post announcing the forum.
The forum commemorates the 43rd anniversary of SDP, founded on Aug 6, 1980, by Mr Chiam See Tong.
“The Party will address this vexing issue and present the case for a mature political system which must necessarily include an institutionalised and responsible parliamentary opposition.
The SDP has been a loyal opposition to our Republic, never flinching in our call for democracy and transparency in Singapore all these decades. Now more than ever, Singapore needs an opposition that is responsible, mature and unwavering in our commitment to the nation,” he added.
Interested parties may register for the forum here.
On the poster Dr Chee put up for the forum, the faces of several MPs and former MPs from the ruling People’s Action Party who have been in the news lately are featured: former House Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin, former MP Cheng Li Hui, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, Transport Minister S Iswaran, and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Christoper de Souza.
On his part, SDP chair Professor Paul Ananth Tambyah wrote in a recent Facebook post that “perhaps it is time to consider an independent or neutral speaker as we had in our first two parliaments,” given that the past three PAP MPs who served as Speaker did not finish their terms, albeit for various reasons. /TISG