LY SMU Publication: The Straits Times, p A36 & A39 Date: 14 December 2009 Headline: Keeping opposition flames burning for 25 years

Chiam-8 career oaer the years 11964 t o m Taught at Cedar Girls' Secondary Schod 111974; Obtained law w e e from London's Inner Temple, Returned t? . Singagore to work as a w e r at P W Wong & Ca before set* up his own law firm, Chiam& Company, in 1976. 1- Contested as an independent candidate at CaimM in the general election against Mr Lim kin^ SdD from the Peopleas Action Party. MI Lim was then Commmications and National Development Minister. Mr Chiam lost with 31.8 per cent of the votes. 1S7% Contested PoQong Pasir for the first t h e in a by-election as an independent the PAP'S Mr Howe Yoon Chong,~DefanceMhister. Loat Mth 33.2 per cent of the votes. 11980: Set up the Singapore Democratic Partv (SDP) and contested Potoncc Pasir ag& Mrkowe again. LM wit6 41 per cent of the vokes. mlS8k Became the only o~position member ever to clinch a settlement for libel from a PAP lesder. MI Chiam sued then Foreign Minister S. Dhanabaian for remarks related to his professional capacity and competeno8 made at an election rally. Mr Dhanabalan pub&& apologkd and settled the matter out of court. MI Howe also apologised and compensated him far malting similar remks. 1 1- Bected Potong Pasir MP after defeating the PAP'S MI Mah Bow Tan with 60.3 per cent of the votes. 11910% Retained Potong P& with 63.1 per cent of the votes against the PAP'S MI Kenneth Chen.

Refainect Potong P& with 69.6 per cent of the votes against the PAP'S Mr Andy Gan. Declared the uncffielal leader ofthe opposition after SrlP also won two other wards in Bukit Gombak and Nee Soon Central. 8- Rwgned as SDP. secretary-general ever d#erenw with the m y ' s central executive committee ICEC). H& protegeI Dr Chee Soon Juan, took over as a- head MpeUed from tkep&ybyiksC:EC, hdrcbiantookthe CZC to aourt, whbbrulpdthM the sackhgwas andhewasreinswed as a cadre SL r m l o w the shgapm PCO~WS P~YIY (SPP), which was set in 1994 by a -way facti~n of the Z P . .- Retained Pot- Pasir with 551 perceatofthevotessgainst~Gan. m2OQSt Set up the Sbg@om Dmocmtic ~ e I S D d 3 , a s a n ~ c e o f opposition parties to pool resource8 and contest elections as a united front. It con@& the SPP, SiagapoFe Malay N a W Or- WiGMSf, wgapore Justice Batty an8 N a t h d Solidnrity Partp which left the grouphg in 2007. Retained Potong Pasir with R.4 per cmt ofthe mtes agelnst the PAP'S MI Sitoh Yih Pin.

a2002 Retkedriomhwprac&eto become Mlull-he MP. .ZOO& m e d Pot- P& with 55.8 per cent of the votes against MI Sitoh,

@UlyZ008Eflrffetedamitdstr&. W Decemb~ ZOO& Simdled his intention to contest a group re&esentative ~ e n e v at the next e l a e h clue bv

Keepz~g opposztzon flames burning for

Today, Mr Chiam See Tang marks his 25th year as Potong Pasir MP. No more jokes d l about his name, which in H&en sounds like [[hanging on temporarily". From a lone campaigner in his Vokwagen Beetle to Singapore's longest-serving oppositim politician, he has demonstrated his staying power and commitment to public- service. But at years 74, is he a spenffo~ce? W1 he be able to make his last hurrah? Insight takes a look at his chequered political career.

I BY SUB.ANN CEU Taking on PAP stalwart Li Kim the political Me has conymqe4 to & ~ h N b N 6 San in the tniniste~'~ Caim$ill ttuf, flow in MI Chiam's famur 1n the five

the teacher-turned-lawyes declared: elections that followed, peaking in

A smwaitd her bus- "We can uphold demoffacy only if 1991 when his vote share hit ahnost

ban& to finish there we at W h n r o parkies - one in 70 per cent. Meet.-the-People saPsion, power and the other, an opposition Yet, for all his &orb, some be- hdrs Lisa - sat on a who wUl serve as a check against the lieve he could have achieved more. stone bemh, wing excesses "d improper use of powers "MI Clriam has been very dogged

through old photographs. by the ding pasty." inhis atio ion t o p e ~ t mop- They hd yenowed with age but He (Iid not win. But neither did pesition voice in Psrbment and to

time did not dim her 4 de peopk forget the independent candi- optimise the use of his resources on her moments. date who campaigned wrth his ma- tlie p d in servEng people in Po-

Most of the faces were not fw- roonVobwagenBeetle and his politi- tang Pas$," notes Dr Gdban Koh, a iar, for the baspect& man cal mantra - both of which he still senior research fe1low with the

tute of Policy Studies. with an earnest smile has stood h O % ~ f ~ % p u b l i c support, the "He would have a richer legacy if the test Of time as Singve's long- Anglo-Chinese .%hoo1 alumnus and he had adsieved as much in building &-serving opposition MP. The foouci was on MI Ck See f m e r school swimmer took gnotber up a strong poutieal pwty and one

Tong, with $ar- cm the dive intopolitics, in ttle 1979by-&- mund a positive and clear set of campaign tr&, or at the tion, and again in the I980 GE as 8 ideals~eople canidentify with... This back of a kQw with a loudhaller in candidate of the Singapore Demomat- would be critical for higl to secure a bd &ghis dctov ic Parly (SDP) whieh he had founded larger footprint in the political scene

There were also pictures after the a few earlier. than the one he has today." sho7aing hi,,, awding a Both times, he faced PAP heavy-

wedding of a potong %& resident, we- Hoftre Yoen ChOng -tong The g d guy meeting reporters at a dee shop, Pasin, and lost. But with eaah round, a d h a m wi& sqpfiexs. Score im~rmed. MR CHLW would probabb concede

Vietoq came in Romd 4 when he that he is not ambiti'ous, asgg*t in 19z372tcnE2$2 defeated PAP rookie ~ a h ~ o w ~ n n , his remark crier the years. tion potong p d . siace *,.he who is now the Natk-d Dedop- ~n on intemiew after the 1991 has his s t a m power* retam- merit in the 1984 porn. pob, at the heigM of hi$ political ea- ing the seat in the five pons that &I- pe:~w*kT:f a t h e ~ V ~ , " ~ ~ O ~ ~ r ~ , he said ~~t apologetic all^: lowed. You see, 1 have ready no

T-,. sorpe of h e shots P&, ra- a surge of suppofi @eat ambitions of my lected by his unfe will be screenedat some believe co* be due to re- own. 1% being caught in a dinner ta celebrate Mr Chiam's made by *-mMinis- a tide which I canmt ~ 5 t h yeac as MP for Potong pasit. ter &up. It's just pushing me

a is a silve~ jubilee that testifies to Lee had m t w * W ' s his bemendous w n e t b n to sing+ and Mr Chiam*s 0-hel results, insin- pore's democratic system, say pollti- WBw that the latter in 2004, when asked c d observers. not as smart as his about his achieve- 'MI CW's ri$htfui place in siq- P~ opponent - a rnws in 20 years as

gapwe's p o w history lies in his Ccimment that an M P , he replied: unbending belief that there should be dd have driven "To keep the idea and a wnstitutiod rob for the oppo$- mD'e people t1 p~essnee ofthe wkmst- tion a d that he bad kept this ideal- fortheunder tion in the minds of ism and hope alive," says Dr Ho Khai dog. Singaporeans is al- Leong from Nanyang Technolegkal Since ready a big s u c ~ ~ g s in Universitr. Sbgap~&s context.

But the avuncvlar politician, known as Ah Cbigm or Uncle Chiam, is not reedy to dl It quits.

Hishairhairwhitened,hisgaitis He decked to be Inter- more stooped after he suffered a viewed for this feature, but his stroke last year, but noWngseems to stop the 74-year-old opposition war- For the modest man who dared horse from charging on. ' tochalle~thePAPandn+n,hisvit- He bas already thrown his hat into tue of service before self has en-

tke next electoral ring, signslling his intentionto wntest a group repr~sen- dedkation to the care of his wustitu- tation constituency (GRC) for the ency. Most cont3nue to support him firsttime - amow viewedashislast and the larger oppositioa C L ~ S B he hurrah. represents, spurning t b PAP'S over-

But is the veteran MP, who was at hues such as estate upgrading. one point the unofficiel opposition Engineer Robyn Yeo, 33, who has Leader in Parliament, still a Eormida- lived in Potong Pasir since 1984, re- ble force to be reckoned with? counts how seriously MI Chbn took

his work. He had called the Town F'O~iticu~l Contest Council to compM about deaners

who refused to remove Big-item MR C W contested hisfisst gene- : rubbish. Later that night, Mr Chiam al election (GE) as a lone crusader called and spoke to his mother. with the sde mission of breaking the "My mother told Mr Chiam that Peopk'S Action Party's ~Ilc?-pdY she was very surprised that heboth- rule. ered to dl us. MI Chiam then told

her, 'You're my resident, i have tom- derstand your concerns'," he says. 'Thatphonedstill%gersinmy

Who %eyeing what? The buzz wtztinues NEWS of a proposed ohage to the electoral campelgn process has ~evived spentlsfion of a looming genera election.

Last week, P&ne M t e r Lee H s h Loong broached the idea of s one-day UcooEng-ofT period - ri$ht before Polling; Day - for voter8 to think over thtit voting &ions.

Amid the bwz over an election whkh is due by early ZOU, Insight finds out who's eyeing what.

Fm now, the spatlight is onthe next move of omsition veteran Chiam See Tong: wili be stay put in the Potong Pasir single-member constituency (SMC) or

he leave to contest a group representation cwrstiuancy (mC)? E akr Chiam vacates the wad, who

wlll he appoint as his successor: his wife, daughter e ra member of his Singapore People% Party (SPP)? Since late lasf yea, Mr Clbiam, 74, has exprewed his desire to lead a GRC team at the ne& polls.

nis lilrely choice is believed to be Bishan-Toa Payoh ERC because of its poxhiitp to Potong Pasir. In a sign of his intent, Mr Chiam went cm a walkabout at the B i i MRT station in September.

ML Dwnond Lim Bak Chuan, secretary-general Demomatie Alliance of the (SDA) Singapore chaired by

5 Chiam, says it is targeting Pasir Rm-Punggol GRC too.

MI L b , who led the SDA team in, the GRC at the 2006 PO%, sags someone from the same team is being prepared for the possiiltp of contesting a new SMC carped out of the six-- GRC.

This was in Pha light of a package of pditicd changes to the Nominated MP, Non-Comtituency MP and GRC schemes anneunwSbyMrhinMaJrthisyear. The changes wiU result in fewer

&-member GRCs by the next election. There will also be at least 12 SMCs. wi . * from the current nine,

Pasir Ris-Pungg016RC is also eyed by the Workext Party (WP), which is Ld by Ytougan$ M P LMR Thia Khiang.

The WP has a h been s~otted in B&it Panlpag, Bukit ~imah andkishun, and is said to be tazgethg new areas such as Bishan-Toa Payoh ORC.

Du~ing an interview with The W t s Times in March, Ms Low said the party is looking at pm%xs o~nstbencks~that it contested in the ZOO6 pons.

AyslaiedGRC is likedy to remsrinthe 'fmtheparty.l'tsentan

"A team edkch&nanSvlsialimto toftuhot Tt take on the ~edple's Action party team led by Foreign W e r George Yeo. The WP secured 44 LW cent of votes there.

As for the ~ h n s l Solidarity Pat-Q @IS@, its president Seba&an TBQ says it is e~& tbree GRCs - Iurong, Jab Besm and Tampines - and three sitlgle-seat uV& is Yio Chu Keng, Nee Soon Cenhal and MaePhmn.

He says the party started working the epund in MacPherson in March this year and has Plreadv covered 60 blocks so far.

d n ? It is becay of its D I O X ~ V t0 l k b a r Gw. W h l d l NSP con-bteh at the last two polls, says Mr Teo. The NSP's vote Bhare rose from 25.5 per cent at khe 2001 el& to 30.7 per cent at the 2066 polls,

Reform Partrr lRP) &ef Kenneth feyaretnam t i &&t his party is "miouslv wnside*" the two s i h g l e - ~ & ~ b f & a c h u ~ n g a d Joo Chzat, and laso two GRCs in Hang Kah and 'Fampiaes. l%eNSP,whichwasintheSDAuntil

it left ln 2007, hati contested the Chua Chu Xmg ward and Tampines GRC, while 100 Chiat was the battkgcound for the WP'S DI Tan Bin seng.

Would the RP's plans lead to possible three--red fights in these wards?

Mr Jeymetaam, wke took over as BP babkthisyear,say.shewillt%lktoall oppa&hparties toavoidwchafIgW.

But he also calls on the Govermned to releasetheJ$lectoral ~ ~ e s Report " ! U l W ~ ~ ~ t h a ~ ~ r y ~ & , m t h s n s k months befozethenert electi0n".

As for the -me Deywatic Party XSDB),Zhweare""&nsltoonldbe eyeeng W t P-SMC again, Wai& it contested in Z006.

SDP, whI& hss been selling its newsletters in the BMm-Tm Payoh GRC, Outobsr hunched opposing a petition the proposed Campaign ssle in of a

wetlnerketinF&rRoadtotheSheng slow w w m a w ohin. WOIIW(BOIG

Source: The Straits Times O Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction,

LY SMU Publication: The Straits Times, p A36 & A39 Date: 14 December 2009 Headline: Keeping opposition flames burning for 25 years

Still Q force to SMS, e-mail US

be reckoned with As Mr Chiam See Tong marks his 25th anniversary as MP for Potong Pasir today, how would you assess his performance and his contributions to Singapore?

inroads over the years as a long-time Does Singapore need more

champion of compulsory education. opposition figures like him? He has also had his moments in Parlia- At 74, should he retire and make

mind and reaffirms my Support for Mr merit - his objection to a PAP MP'S racist way for a younger person? Should Chiam." comment that Serangoon Road was he contest in Potong Pasir for a

Praise also came from the PAP camp. llpitch dark", and he has debated many seventh term, or move out to lead In an earlier interview, Mr Sitoh Yih national policies from the cost of public a group representation

Pin, his fiercest PAP rival who shaved Mr housing to buil&g more li- constituency team? Chiam's win to 52.4 per cent in the ZOO1 braries. E-mail stpol@sph.com.sg or election, related an exchange he had with A robust session in which chiam send an SMS to 9827-7514. the MP. pressed for more transparency in proper- For SMS messages, type stpol At last year's National Day Rally, he ty perks enjoyed by politicians led chatted briefly with Mr Chiam who was then-senior ~ i ~ i ~ t ~ ~ L~~ K~~ yew to re-

followed by a space, your name

still recovering from his stroke. and then your message. mark in 1996:

"I told him to look after himself and ''1 hope he wins the next election, I get well Soon," said Mr Sitoh, who stood think he has done on the whole good for against Mr Chiam in the last two polls. the House. I was wrong when I thought

"He said, 'Don't worry, when I get he was not going to do much good, but in Confirming talk of a possible tie-up, well, I will c0me and beat You agm'." his somewhat honest, bumbling way, he Mr Jeyaretnam says: "The Reform Party

Recalling the friendly repartee, he add- has been a voice of sanity." got a lot of feedback from people about ed: "I must say, Chiam's a good guy." While he is not an eloquent speaker, what they thought of Mr Chiam before en-

observers say he is a skilled strategist tering into discussions with him about a The man and his critics who has been able to adapt nimbly to the potential alliance ... we found that people

PAP-dominant political system. had good things to say about him. DESPITE his winning ways, Mr Chiam is He is credited as the architect of the "I would hope that he continues to pro- not without his detractors. by-election strategy - that is, contesting vide inspiration to the next generation of

Even criticisms come from within his fewer than half the seats and returning opposition politicians." own Singapore People's Party (SPP), the PAP to power on Nomination Day so which he joined after leaving SDP.

Why is Mr Chiam contemplating the that people would be more inclined to

"His work has been satisfactory," says vote for the opposition. It was first used audacious idea of leading a GRC team as

SPP chairman Sin Kek Tong, who has had to great effect in the 1991 GE. his last hurrah in the next polls? To ob-

public spats with Mr Chiam over his lead- It resulted in four opposition candi- servers, it is all about breaking a "politi-

ership style. Both maintain cordial ties. dates - including Mr Chiam - getting in- cal-psychological barrier" as the PAP has "The outstanding part is that he has to Parliament. Two others were from the Mr C h h re- at honn with his wife Una in a Rb p t o from 1995. The humble man has sdd contested GRC since the

been able to gain support from residents SDP, while the fourth was the Workers' that he has no grand dmam of "bying to be the rukr . TNP FILE PHOTO scheme started in 1988. over the years. But he didn't do it alone. Party's Low Thia Khiang. As SMU's Eugene Tan notes: "It may Without the help of the party and support- With three prized seats, the SDP was well serve his intent to leave a lasting lega- ers, it is questionable whether he would hailed as the most promising opposition On the political scene. to keep the opposition flame burning cy politically and to rally people to step have been able to pull it off." "There is no clear heir-apparent to Mr bright. forward and join the opposition parties." party and became the unoffi-

Chiam at the moment. He may well have He is reported to be seeking an alliance But not all think it is a good idea, as his Others point to Mr Chiam's patchy par- cial leader of the opposition. liamentary performance, his inability to Yet, for all his political wisdom, he been stung by his Own in SDp with the Reform headed byMr Ken- age and health could work against him on grow the opposition ranks in Parliament, failed to stop the seeds of discord from when he lost of the party Dr neth JeYaretnamv to form a team the arduous campaign trail. and his lack of a political successor. growing within the sDP. ~h~ culmi- Chee," notes Mr Eugene Tan from the Sin- to take on a GRC. And what about his diehard loyal con-

The first can be blamed on his child- nated in a fight over a hunger st&e by gapore Management University (SMU). His push for such a tie-up could spring hood. ~h~ othertwo, onhis political expe- M~ chiamps protggg, D~ thee soon J , , ~ , But could it be water under the bridge from his desire for opposition unity. He Would they not aban-

riences that caused him to be once bitten, in 1993. D~ thee was protesting against now, as Dr Chee is attending the celebra- was instrumental in forming the Singa- doned? As resident Mohd

twice shy. his dismissal from the National Universi- tion as a guest? pore Democratic miance (SDA), an -- Abu Bakar* 30* an assistant

an interview with ~ ~ i ~ ~ ~ ~ k mags- ty of singapore as a neuropsyc~o~ogy let- Congratulating Mr Chiam, the SDP's brella group for three opposition parties. officer* says: "Residents

zine in 1986, Mr Chiam confessed that no- turer for misusing research funds. secretary-general says: "It is a significant Law lecturer Eugene Tan says: "The want him to end on by stay-

body squabbled within his family, which chiam lost in the ensuing battle milestone in the history of opposition poli- SDA has been important in helping to ing in Pasir'"

he believes his lack of oratorical and eventually resigned from his party tics in Singapore. We wish MI Chiam d avoid three-cornered fights and to dem- direction he Chi- skills during parliamentary debates. post in 1993. A year and a half later, ~r the very best and may he continue to hold onstrate that a united front against the am Wants show that he is not a 'pent

"I was taught to behave well and not Chee became the party boss. this office for many more years." P~ is useful for the opposi- force and that he is still the man to watch

to quarrel with people," said the politi- Political observers say that experience tion. It's a pooling of resources, especial- opposition politics.

cian who avoids the adversarial approach could have discouraged MI Chiam from The future of the opposition ly candidates, and that helps give the im- of opposing for the sake of opposing. grooming other aspiring politicians who pression of some degree of cohesiveness sueannLph.caw

Despite his shortcomings, he has made might have made his party a bigger player IT IS a wish that Mr Chiam intends to ful- within the opposition ranks." bm@wJh-

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