The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has refuted insinuations by former party member Daniel Teo that it has “been infiltrated and funded by foreign sources”, it said in a statement on Monday (May 4).
Mr Daniel Teo Weilong, a 36-year-old in the party’s communications team admitted to party chief Tan Cheng Bock that he was behind the video which claimed that PSP “has been infiltrated by foreign proxies”.
On Friday (May 1) night, Secretary-General Dr Tan Cheng Bock announced the expulsion of Mr Teo, via a broadcast message on the party members’ Telegram chat group.
The video clip claimed that 10 PSP members were working with Singapore People’s Party chairman Jose Raymond and historian Thum Ping Tjin.
The Straits Times reported Mr Teo as saying that he made the video after receiving information from a third party, who was not named.
“I wanted to make sure these allegations were cleared once and for all. If there’s no proof, then we could all move on,” he told the newspaper. “I had good intentions. I accept that I got expelled and am not unhappy.”
In response, the party said that it “refutes the claim made by Daniel in the Straits Times report dated 3rd May 2020, and any insinuation that the party has ‘been infiltrated and funded by foreign sources’. The video content did not point to PSP having received foreign funding and we would like to state categorically that our Party’s funding is in compliance with the Political Donations Act”.
“Daniel has made this allegation before to certain members of the Central Executive Committee previously. However, no evidence was presented by him”, they added.
“Should anyone wish to make potentially libellous allegations against any member of the party, proper evidence is required. The party does not react to hearsay or rumours. PSP stands by the previous statement given on Daniel’s involvement in the video and awaits further updates from the police on the pending investigations”, said PSP.
Some of those named, including Mr Kumaran Pillai, Mr Ravi Philemon and Mr Jose Raymond have made police reports on the matter.
https://www.facebook.com/kumaran.m.pillai/posts/10159917818907576
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Mr Jose Raymond’s lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam said the allegations in the video are “completely false and baseless”.
“We will be asking for (the maker of the video) to admit that there is no basis for his statements, to apologise, to undertake not to repeat these allegations, and to pay damages,” said Mr Thuraisingam. /TISG