Singapore People's Party

Singapore People's Party 新加坡人民党／新加坡人民黨 Parti Rakyat Singapura
Leader	Chiam See Tong
Founded	1994 (1994)
Headquarters	1 Siang Kuang Ave Singapore 347919
Ideology	Liberalism, social liberalism, liberal democracy
Official colours	White, red
Parliament	0 / 87
Website
spp.org.sg

The Singapore People's Party (abbrev: SPP; simplified Chinese: 新加坡人民党; traditional Chinese: 新加坡人民黨) is a left of centre opposition political party in Singapore. The party's leader is Chiam See Tong.

History

Foundation

The SPP was founded in 1994 by Sin Kek Tong, who led a pro-Chiam See Tong faction out of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). For three years, Sin was the stand-in leader of the party, until Chiam joined the party and became its leader after Parliament was dissolved ahead of the 1997 general election. Chiam then became the party's first Member of Parliament (MP) when he won the constituency of Potong Pasir at the election (he had previously represented the same constituency as an SDP MP).

Membership of the Singapore Democratic Alliance

In 2001, the SPP became a founding member of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), along with the National Solidarity Party (NSP), the Singapore Justice Party (SJP) and the Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS). Chiam became the founding Chairman of SDA, which aimed to provide a common grouping under which different oppositition parties could stand as a united front in elections against the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).

At the 2001 general election, Chiam was returned to Parliament as MP for Potong Pasir. Though Chiam was the only SDA member to win an elected seat in Parliament, he was joined in Parliament by SDA member Steve Chia (the leader of the National Solidarity Party) who became a non-constituency MP after securing 34.6% of the votes in the constituency of Chua Chu Kang, which was the highest percentage of the vote secured by a losing opposition candidate at the election. The result made Chiam the de facto leader of the opposition in Parliament, as the SDA had two representatives (Chiam and Chia), whereas the only other opposition party represented in Parliament (the Worker's Party) had only one (Hougang MP Low Thia Khiang).

At the 2006 general election, Chiam was again re-elected as MP for Potong Pasir. However the SDA did not win any other seats. Steve Chia lost his position as a non-constituency MP. Though Chia increased his share of the vote in Chua Chu Kang to 39.63%, this was lower than the 43.9% gained by the Worker's Party in Aljunied GRC. The role of de facto leader of the opposition in Parliament therefore passed from Chiam to the Worker's Party leader Low Thia Khiang.

Withdrawal from the Singapore Democratic Alliance

The NSP withdrew from the SDA in 2007, but the SPP remained in the alliance with the SJP and PKMS.

In 2010, Chiam tried to bring the Reform Party into the SDA. He reportedly accepted the conditions the Reform Party set out for joining the alliance, but the terms of entry were opposed by other members of the SDA's Council who blocked the move. Chiam also suffered a mild stroke in 2008, following which he had to cut back on some of his political activities. This led some members of the SDA's Council to question whether he was able to properly fulfil his role of Chairman of the alliance.

On 28 February 2011, the SDA's Council voted to relieve Chiam of his role as Chairman, however the Council stressed that they still hoped to field Chiam as a candidate at the next general election. Chiam had earlier announced that he planned to stand in a Group Representation Constituency rather than in the Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency at the next general election. Two days later, on 2 March 2011, Chiam announced that the Singapore People's Party was withdrawing from the SDA, and that he would stand under the banner of the SPP instead of the SDA at the next general election.

Lina Loh Woon Lee

For the Singapore General Election 2011, Lina Loh Woon Lee (sometimes referred to as Lina Chiam), the wife of Chiam See Tong became an SPP candidate in the Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency, Chiam See Tong's former constituency. Her husband became a candidate with other SPP candidates in a Group Representation Constituency and contested for Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency. This candidacy is a first for Lina Loh Woon Lee although she had campaigned with her husband over the years in many general elections in Singapore. She holds the 2nd Vice Chairman post in the SPP.

However, none of the SPP's candidates in the 2011 general election attained a majority in any constituency they contested. The PAP won the seats of Hong Kah North, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC and Chiam's former seat of Potong Pasir. In overall terms, the SPP managed to clinch 41.42% (62,504 votes) of the total number of votes in the constituencies that it contested in. Potong Pasir SMC was lost by Lina Loh Woon Lee with the narrowest margin of 0.72%. Lina Loh Woon Lee polled the highest amongst all losing candidates of all opposition parties in the 2011 general election. As such, she was entitled to take up a seat as a Non-constituency Member of Parliament and she accepted the seat.

External links

• Singapore People's Party official site
• ChannelNewsAsia 1 May 2011 on SPP candidate for Potong Pasir in GE 2011