SINGAPORE: Bukit Batok by-election: Possibility I'll be a candidate, says Chee Soon Juan

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Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) will decide on its candidate for the Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency (SMC) by-election "soon", and Secretary-General Chee Soon Juan did not rule himself out from running.
During a media doorstop before a walkabout at Bukit Batok on Sunday (Mar 13), Mr Chee said: "There will be a possibility that I'll be a candidate."
He added that the party has not been in contact with other opposition parties, which might be interested in contesting the SMC, since the announcement only came on Saturday afternoon.
"We do hope for a 1-to-1 contest with the PAP," he said, but added he cannot stop other parties from contesting.


Mr Chee's comments came after Mr David Ong announced he was resigning from his position as Bukit Batok SMC MP and a member of the People's Action Party (PAP), citing "personal indiscretions".
Channel NewsAsia has confirmed that he is resigning over an extramarital affair with a female PAP member and grassroots volunteer.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is also the Secretary-General of PAP, had accepted Mr Ong's resignation and said he intends to hold a by-election in "due course". MP for Jurong GRC Desmond Lee will take care of Bukit Batok residents in the meantime, he added.
On Saturday, the Secretary-General of SDP said his party "looks forward" to running in the Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency by-election. He said in a press release that the party will continue to push for the alternative polices it advocated during the last General Election (GE) in 2015, and hope to be the people's voice in Parliament.
The party's Sadasivam Veriyah had contested the SMC, which saw a three-cornered fight. He had garnered 26.38 per cent of the votes while independent candidate Samir Salim Neji had 0.6 per cent and lost his election deposit of S$14,500.
Mr Samir appeared undeterred by his poor showing at the polls last year though, telling 938LIVE it is "very likely" he will stand in the upcoming by-election and that serving the public is something he would like to do for the long term.