4 opposition parties form 'People’s Alliance' to contest next General Election: Lim Tean

SINGAPORE —  Four opposition parties, namely Peoples Voice, the Reform Party, People's Power Party and Democratic Progressive Party, have formed "The People's Alliance" to contest the next General Election (GE).

Mr Lim Tean, leader of Peoples Voice, said on Thursday (June 1) said that the alliance would contest all the seats that the four parties contested at GE2020 and other seats as well.

He is the secretary-general of The People's Alliance.

He said that the parties have been in discussions to form an alliance since January and will be taking steps to register the alliance with the Registry of Societies.

A press conference will be held after the approval, together with the alliance's official launch, Mr Lim added.

In response to TODAY's queries, Mr Lim said that the four individual constituent parties will continue to exist.

None of the four parties has a Member of Parliament.

In his post, Mr Lim said: “We have heeded the calls of Singaporeans and decided that the time for talking about opposition unity without the formation of an alliance, is long past.”

He noted that past attempts to forge an alliance, most recently in 2018 involving seven opposition parties, went nowhere.

"We intend for our four parties to contest the next General Election under the banner of The Alliance.

“We are agreed on the most critical issues affecting the prosperity of our people and country in the coming decades. We have a ready manifesto to take to the country for the General Election.

“The Alliance will contest in all the seats which the respective parties contested in for GE2020 and more, for the coming General Election,” Mr Lim said.

The next GE will take place by 2025.

The People’s Alliance’s first central executive committee will be:

• Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam (chairman)
• Mr Peter Soh (vice-chairman)
• Mr Lim Tean (secretary-general)
• Ms Yasmine Valentina (assistant secretary-general)
• Mr Mohamad Hamim Aliyas (treasurer)
• Mr Michael Fan (assistant treasurer)
• Mr Goh Meng Seng (organising secretary)
• Ms Juliana Juwahir (assistant organising secretary)
• Mr Abdul Malik Rahmat (member)
• Mr Lim Lian Chin (member)
• Mr Chiu Shin Kong (member)
• Mr Mahaboob Batcha Abdul Rasheed (member)

OTHER OPPOSITION ALLIANCE

The new People's Alliance is not the first opposition alliance to contest an election.

Back in June 28, 2001, a four-party coalition called the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) was formed.

It originally consisted of the Singapore People’s Party (SPP), National Solidarity Party (NSP), Singapore Justice Party (SJP), Singapore National Front (SNF) and Singapore Malay National Organisation (PKMS).

The alliance was originally led by Mr Chiam See Tong, SPP's secretary-general.

After the NSP and SPP left the alliance in 2007 and 2011 respectively, the alliance became a two-party coalition comprising SJP and PKMS, with Mr Desmond Lim Bak Chuan as its chairman.

The SDA contested during GE2020. Based on its official website and Facebook page, it is still conducting house visits with residents and sharing its stance on various political issues.