Dr Chee to run in Bukit Batok by-election

SINGAPORE – Dr Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has announced that he will contest the upcoming by-election in Bukit Batok, capping a week where he visibly stepped up his presence in the ward following the shock resignation of its former Member of Parliament David Ong.

"Why do you look so surprised?" Dr Chee, SDP's secretary general, said in jest to reporters on Sunday morning after his candidacy was announced.

Dr Chee suggested in a statement that his campaign would focus on municipal issues and effective management of the ward's town council, with the SDP hoping to "surpass current levels of performance of PAP-run town councils" if they won in Bukit Batok. He also pledged to be "an effective voice in Parliament" for the residents if he was voted in.

Dr Chee has been noticeably active in the single member constituency since Mr Ong's shock resignation on March 12, citing "personal indiscretions". On March 13, a day after news of the political scandal broke, Dr Chee led an SDP walk about in Bukit Batok and informed residents that a by-election was coming up.

In the past week, Dr Chee has also regularly posted photos and updates on Facebook showing him engaging with Bukit Batok residents. On Saturday, he and his team took part in a blood donation drive at Bukit Batok Secondary School after several house visits.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said a by-election for Bukit Batok would be held "in due course", but gave no details. Experts suggest that the earliest polling dates are in May.

The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) won Bukit Batok with 73.02 per cent of the vote in last year's General Election, beating out SDP's Sadasivam Veriyah who got 26.4 per cent of the vote. Independent candidate Samir Salim Neji received just 0.6 per cent of the vote.

The PAP has not unveiled its candidate for Bukit Batok though Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said the party is looking at a few “very strong candidates” to defend its seat there.

A multi-cornered fight for Bukit Batok is on the cards. Mr Samir, the managing director of software firm Anaplan Asia, and Democratic Progressive Party chief Benjamin Pwee have suggested they would contest the seat.

However, the Workers' Party, the only Opposition party to have won seats in last year's , has ruled itself out of the contest.