SINGAPORE: Former head of communications for Progress Singapore Party (PSP), businessman Kumaran Pillai, expressed dissatisfaction over how the party handled its communications regarding the endorsement of presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian by Dr Tan Cheng Bock and the rather confusing messaging from the party that followed.
Mr Pillai wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday morning (Aug 30), “Hmm, PSP’s communication is not crisp and there are so many contradictions. While LMW (secretary-general Leong Mun Wai) says that Doc (Dr Tan) endorsed Tan Kin Lian in Doc’s personal capacity, there are others within PSP saying that Tan Cheng Bock is PSP and PSP is Tan Cheng Bock. Now this, while TKL alliance and endorsement has gone on a tail spin for PSP. This is anti-strategy, where the whole is smaller than the sum of parts. An ill-conceived comms plan.”
Dr Tan said in a Facebook post that day that he was endorsing Mr Tan in his personal capacity.
The following day, PSP secretary-general Leong Mun Wai said in a memo to party members that the PSP would not endorse any candidates.
Mr. Pillai attached a link to an article in TODAY that excerpted the memo from Mr. Leong, which stated that the party’s reason for not endorsing a candidate is “because we support the principles that the President, as a symbol of the unity of Singapore, is meant to be independent and non-partisan”.
The PSP chief also said that some members would not agree with the decision not to support any candidate, and others would be “angry no matter who we choose to endorse”.
The TODAY piece also noted that the following day, an email was sent to PSP volunteers seeking those who would sign up to be Mr Tan’s counting agents, which the party said had been drafted “at the initiative of an individual” and not the party itself.
It also quoted PSP member Mr Lee Chiu San expressing concern that in the public’s eye, Dr Tan Cheng Bock cannot be separated from the PSP.
“Nobody will ever believe that Tan Cheng Bock can ever separate himself from PSP… the public image is that Tan Cheng Bock is PSP and PSP is Tan Cheng Bock. Anything that a public figure does will have implications and repercussions.” /TISG
Mr Kumaran Pillai is the owner and publisher of The Independent Singapore. He was PSP’s candidate for Kebun Baru SMC in the 2020 General Elections and resigned from the party last year
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