A political casualty of internet hate bites the dust well before the General Elections even begun — veteran opposition leader Steve Chia has withdrawn from the whole kerfuffle.
The National Solidarity Party (NSP) member announced that he will not be taking part in the upcoming General Election and will not be contesting in the MacPherson single member constituency (SMC). This despite the NSP initially making a u-turn on their decision, making it clear last week that they’ll be contesting in the constituency against the ruling People’s Action Party and fellow opposition the Workers’ Party.
The reason behind Chia’s exodus? Internet trolls, apparently. In a Facebook post written yesterday morning (that has since been taken down), Chia wrote that “the trolls have won” and that his “lifelong ambition to be the people’s spokesman in Parliament ends today.”
Ever since he tossed his hat into the three-cornered ring for MacPherson SMC, he was inundated by fierce critics and hostility by netizens — some of whom started circulating disreputable photos of him that spread during the nude photography controversy he was embroiled in 2003.
With his withdrawal, the battle for the votes in MacPherson SMC is back to PAP versus WP.
Photo: NSP Facebook page
