The brother of Singapore’s prime minister who recently signed on with the opposition was nowhere to be found today among his party’s roster of candidates contesting next month’s election.
Despite never saying he intended to run for office, Lee Hsien Yang’s decision to join the Progress Singapore Party two days ago led many to believe he would do so. Though his name was not on the list of 24 candidates it is fielding in nine constituencies, party leader Tan Cheng Bock coyly suggested that could change.
“But let me remind you, in politics, change can happen. Candidates can be switched all around, you know. So you will just have to wait and see,” Tan was quoted saying. “You can speculate as you do now, very good. But always remember what I say – the confirmation comes from me.”
Anything can change between now and Tuesday’s Nomination Day, when the parties announce their slates of candidates.
At 80, Tan will be among them. He’s said to lead a team of four candidates seeking to represent the West Coast group constituency.
The party said it will also run candidates in the Tanjong Pagar GRC, Chua Chu Kang GRC, Nee Soon GRC, the Marymount SMC, Yio Chu Kang SMC, Kebun Baru SMC, Pioneer SMC, and Hong Kah North SMC.
His candidates include Bradley Bowyer, who in November became the first person Singapore ordered under the “fake news law” to change a Facebook post questioning the independence of the Temasek Holdings state investment firm and the GIC sovereign wealth fund. Bowyer is expected to seek office in Nee Soon.
With race likely to provide a subtext to the coming campaign – no white Singaporean has ever held office – Tan took to Twitter this morning to say voters should “look beyond race.”
“I’m fielding Singaporeans not Chinese, Indian, Malays or Others,” he wrote. “Look at the person, look beyond the race!”
We’re fielding Singaporeans not Chinese, Indian, Malays or Others. Look at the person, look beyond the race!#ProgressSingaporeParty
— Dr Tan Cheng Bock (@TanChengBock) June 26, 2020
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