SDP’s chairman Paul Tambyah: ‘the reason why I didn’t join PAP’

Many have been waiting for Professor Paul Tambyah to reply to a comment made by TikTok user 520wen earlier in October, in which he said that the Singapore Democratic Party chairman will be able to contribute more if he joins the PAP and works towards a better society.

In a video reply posted over the weekend that attracted over 13,000 views, 400+ likes and nearly a hundred comments, another TikTok user ‘just wanna create smiles’ commented, “if not PAP, at least WP. The rest of the parties really not worth yours or our time.”

@paultambyah

Replying to @520wen the reason why i didn’t join the PAP! #tiktoksg #DidYouKnow #fyp #sgpolitics #xyzbca #teamSDP #singapore #politics #fypシ #sgtiktok #foryou #makeitviral #viral #healthcare #singaporetok #viralvideo #sg #opposition #healthieralternatives

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But Prof Tambyah is standing firm with the party that was last elected into parliament during the 1991 general election when they won three SMCs, Potong Pasir, Nee Soon Central, and Bukit Gombak.

“I don’t think I can contribute more by simply joining the PAP. The PAP has plenty of talented and capable people in their midst. What is different is the values,” Prof Tambyah said.

He also explained that PAP and the SDP have different sets of political beliefs, which is why it would not be easy for him to join another party.

“The SDP values rights above riches, wisdom above wealth, and people above profits. To try and change a large monolithic organisation like the PAP is really difficult. It’s like taking a little sampan, and trying to change the direction of a large ocean liner like the Titanic,” explained the infectious diseases expert.

A TikTok user ‘stonks’ commented that Prof Tambyah’s reply made him sound like someone coming from Singapore socialist party, while Michael Too believes that saying all these are easy, but the people not only need to see a good leader but also their proposals for the problems too.

Some comments may not be to Prof Paul’s liking, but there are others that are encouraging, as can be seen below: