The brother of Singapore’s prime minister has officially joined an opposition party led by former presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock.
Lee Hsien Yang’s membership in the Progress Singapore Party, or PSP, was announced to the press at the Tiong Bahru Market this morning, with Tan handing a political party membership card to Lee in front of reporters. Both wore party T-shirts.
“This morning, I have great pleasure in giving the Progress Party membership card to Lee Hsien Yang,” Tan said. According to him, Lee had already joined the party “some time ago.”
It wasn’t clear if Lee would be running in the coming general election.
Tan had earlier announced that he was fielding candidates in the western parts of Singapore, namely West Coast, Chua Chu Kang, Nee Soon, and Tanjong Pagar GRCs as well as Pioneer, Hong Kah North, Marymount, Kebun Bahru, and Yio Chu Kang SMCs.
Meeting the press at Tiong Bahru market#progresssingaporeparty pic.twitter.com/HUB8W7JP8B
— Dr Tan Cheng Bock (@TanChengBock) June 24, 2020
Tan, 80, had contested the 2011 presidential election but marginally lost to Tony Tan. He had intended to run again in 2017 but that plan backfired after the constitution was amended to reserve the presidential election to a member of the minority, paving the way for a walkover victory for Halimah Yacob.
Lee, 62, who is the younger brother of Lee Hsien Loong, has been reportedly at odds with his brother over whether to demolish or preserve the house where their father, the late Lee Kuan Yew, had lived on Oxley Road.
The announcement of Lee’s party membership comes a day after the prime minister called for a general election. The official nomination of candidates is slated for June 30 and Singaporeans will go to the polls July 10.
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