SINGAPORE: Progress Singapore Party (PSP) founder Tan Cheng Bock confirmed that he plans to contest in the upcoming General Election.
“As long as I am able and I’m still relevant, I will be around… you all will see me there,” said the 84-year-old political veteran on Sunday (Feb 23) when asked the question by members of the media.
When asked again by the media to confirm if he would be at the nomination centre come nomination day, he said: “That’s a natural conclusion, right?”
“I think so long as I am relevant, and I think the country needs people, and I feel that I can contribute to the country, I cannot shirk that duty.”
When asked about his health, he added: “Look at me, I can still talk to you, I can still answer questions.”
“Every year I go for my medical (and) my last medical was ok,” he added.
He was leading a team of about 20 PSP members and volunteers for a walkabout at Clementi 448 Market and Food Centre, which is located within Jurong GRC.
Among the group were Non-Constituency Members of Parliament Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa, who is also the party’s secretary general.
When asked why the party was walking about in Jurong GRC rather than West Coast GRC, which they had contested during the last General Election, Dr Tan said that West Coast is “too big”, and that there could be a possible redrawing of the electoral boundaries.
“We have so many neighbours, we do not know what’s going to happen after the redrawing,” he said.
“We could be part of them, and they could be part of us,” he said.
Dr Tan was a Member of Parliament under the People’s Action Party (PAP) banner for Ayer Rajah SMC between 1980 and 2006, which was later absorbed into West Coast GRC.
He led his team to contest West Coast GRC in the 2020 General Election, garnering 48.32 per cent of the votes and narrowly losing out to the PAP team.
