CHEE Soon Juan said he and his Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) were “just as determined” to continue working for residents of Bukit Batok, a day after he lost the by-election for the single seat.
The promises made to Bukit Batok voters over the campaign period “were not just for consumption and then, after the (election), we don’t continue”, he said yesterday.
“It’s been a good campaign, we gave it all we had, the attention should go to our members,” he added.
“Everybody deserves a good rest, and then we’ll be back again.”
Dr Chee got 38.8 per cent of the votes in Saturday’s poll. Murali Pillai of the People’s Action Party (PAP) won with 61.2 per cent.
The Straits Times, AsiaOne
Yesterday, Dr Chee stopped short of giving details about how he aims to build on his result in Bukit Batok, his best performance in five electoral outings.
He said he was constrained by “the PAP town council”.
“This question is better put to the PAP town council because, every time we make a move, they stop us,” he said, citing an application to hold a health screening during the campaign period that was turned down.
“You need space, physical space, to talk to people, explain to people, right?
“If we can’t use space there, what are you going to do?” he added.
Dr Chee said despite such constraints, the SDP will continue to reach out to residents after taking the next few days to analyse the by-election results.
During yesterday’s thank-you procession, he and six other SDP members went around the estate on the back of a lorry, shaking hands and waving to supporters.
Loudspeakers blared: “Thank you residents of Bukit Batok for your support and encouragement. We look forward to seeing you again.”
Several residents waved back, and shouts of “Thank you, sir” and “Never say die” were heard.
The encouragement seemed to energise a visibly tired Dr Chee. “It is a journey, a process, regardless of the outcome of this election,” he said.
yanliang@sph.com.sg
Get MyPaper for more stories.
