PSP Member Ravi Philemon resigns, allegedly over “Anonymous” video saga

Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member Ravi Philemon resigned from the party on Tuesday (May 12).

His resignation follows the expulsion of a member who confessed to making an anonymous video which made accusations against Mr Philemon, fellow PSP members and others.

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”.

Mr Philemon did not provide a reason for his resignation but the 52-year-old was said to have been unhappy with the party’s handling of a video that accused him of being funded by foreign sources.

While the party said in a statement on Facebook (May 11) that it “is satisfied that the members implicated in this libellous accusation are all exonerated and are innocent”, adding that it frowns upon “dirty politics” in the lead-up to the next general election, Mr Philemon posted the following in the comment section, “Yes, I am exonerated. But why proclaim that I am ‘innocent’? No police report was made against me with regards to the malicious allegations contained against me in the video, for me to prove my innocence. Instead, I made a police report against the creator of the video and its content”.

“I am concerned because personal integrity is most important to me. The statement makes it seem that I was only found innocent since Daniel Teo apologized unreservedly. What if he had never apologized?”

In another comment, Mr Philemon also added, “I asked a question which is central to my personal integrity and only because the statement is now in public domain. It is about openness – which happens to be one of the core values of the party”.

Mr Philemon is believed to have been PSP’s intended candidate in Hong Kah North for the upcoming elections.

Formerly a member of the Singapore People’s Party (SPP), Mr Philemon contested in Hong Kah North under the SPP’s banner in 2015.

Dr Amy Khor from the People’s Action Party currently serves as the Member of Parliament there.

In March this year, vice-chairman of PSP, Michelle Lee who was also part of PSP’s CEC resigned amid rumours of party infighting, which the party later denied.

When posed with the question of what’s next for him and if he is considering joining another party or starting a new one, Mr Philemon said that he is currently considering all options. /TISG