SINGAPORE: Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, has joined the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) led by Dr Tan Cheng Bock.
Dr Tan announced this on Wednesday morning (Jun 24) after having breakfast with Mr Lee at Tiong Bahru Market.
“I have great pleasure in giving this (Progress Singapore Party) membership card to Lee Hsien Yang,” said Dr Tan, adding that Mr Lee joined “some time ago, but we couldn’t communicate this”.
“But now we are able to come together, and this morning we use this occasion to hand him this precious card.”
Dr Tan did not confirm if Mr Lee will be contesting in the upcoming General Election.
When asked how he would contribute to the party, Mr Lee said there were “many ways” to do so.
“I think it’s not difficult to guess what ways they are; there are many ways to do it,” he said.
When asked if he will be contesting in the election, Mr Lee said: “(If) people think it’s a good idea, we can think about it.”
He added: “You’ll hear (about) it quite quickly.”
Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Tan Cheng Bock at Tiong Bahru Market on Jun 24, 2020. (Photo: Amir Yusof)
Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Tan Cheng Bock at Tiong Bahru Market on Jun 24, 2020. (Photo: Amir Yusof)
PSP’s announcement comes a day after the Prime Minister announced in a televised address on Tuesday that he had advised President Halimah Yacob to dissolve Parliament and issue the Writ of Election.
Following this, the Prime Minister’s Office announced the dissolution of Parliament, paving the way for Nomination Day to be held on Jun 30. The Elections Department announced later that Polling Day will fall on Jul 10.
In July 2019, Dr Tan said he would welcome Mr Lee if he decided to join the party’s ranks, provided he adheres to PSP’s terms.
Mr Lee, who has been seen in public with Dr Tan on more than one occasion, said in a Facebook post earlier this year said that Dr Tan was “the leader Singapore deserves”.
“I have known Cheng Bock for many years and he has consistently put the interests of the people first,” said Mr Lee in the post dated Jan 24, 2019.
“We are fortunate that he has stepped forward to serve Singapore,” he added.
Mr Lee, along with his sister Lee Wei Ling, has been involved in a public spat with the Prime Minister over whether the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s family home at 38 Oxley Road should be demolished in due course.
On Tuesday, Dr Tan said that PSP was interested in contesting the West Coast, Tanjong Pagar and Chua Chu Kang Group Representation Constituencies as well as the Hong Kah North, Marymount, Pioneer, Yio Chu Kang and Kebun Baru Single Member Constituencies.
However Dr Tan, who was answering questions from members of the media at a virtual press conference, maintained that things could change, and the final decision on the seats that PSP will contest would only be unveiled on Nomination Day.
