In a press conference called yesterday, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) secretary-general Dr Chee Soon Juan attempted to clear the air on what happened in the 1990s, which led to Mr Chiam See Tong being expelled from the party.
In an article titled ‘Proof that Chee did not oust Chiam’, SDP indicated the timeline which led to Mr Chiam’s ouster from the political party and the court case that followed. (link: http://yoursdp.org/news/timeline_of_events_of_the_sdp_chiam_saga/2016-05-14-6121)
Dr Chee also quoted the trial judge Warren Khoo’s judgment which said: “It may be fairly said that he (Mr Chiam See Tong) brought the disciplinary proceedings and the court action on himself,” to suggest that there was no bad faith or malice in the SDP’s actions.
The judgment is downloadable here: http://yoursdp.org/load/justice_warren_khoo_39_s_grounds_of_decision/1-1-0-16. Justice Khoo ruled that SDP tried to expel Mr Chiam See Tong from SDP in an unlawful and invalid manner. His order further restrained SDP from expelling Mr Chiam from the party and from taking any further steps to do so. Justice Khoo ordered one-third of the costs to Mr Chiam.
This is not the first time SDP had attempted to ‘clear the air on the matter’. It had done so a few times in the past, at least from the year 2010 (link: http://yoursdp.org/publ/the_truth_about/chiam_39_s_exit_from_the_sdp/part_1_the_truth_about_chiam_see_tong_39_s_departure/11-1-0-16)
The Singapore People’s Party chairman Mrs Lina Chiam in responding to SDP’s press conference yesterday said that she will respond to Dr Chee’s allegations in a book which is to be published soon. She refused further comment on the matter.
During the Bukit Batok by-election period, Mrs Chiam took issue that SDP was circulating an old newsletter which carried the picture of Mr Chiam and Dr Chee on it. She said that both she and her husband did not endorse any candidates for the by-election. She did not however disparage the former protege of Mr Chiam who was contesting the election.
