GE2020: PAP's Murali, SDP's Chee speak out on 'scurrilous attack' on the former's family
People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Murali Pillai will face Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan at the polls in Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency (SMC). (Photos: Gaya Chandramohan)
SINGAPORE: The two candidates squaring up on opposite sides of the political divide in Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency (SMC) spoke with one voice on Tuesday (Jun 30) against a "scurrilous" online attack against one of their families.
Murali Pillai, who is standing for the People's Action Party (PAP) in Bukit Batok in the General Election, posted a video on Facebook during which he spoke of a "scurrilous attack against my family". He referred to a post online about his son.
What was said online about his son, who Mr Murali said was a victim in a scandal and is also serving a sentence for offences, has "terribly affected" him, said Mr Murali. He added that the courts have "dealt with all these matters".
He then went on to criticise the timing of the post, which he said "leaves nothing to the imagination". He said he was not a perfect father and that families have issues. However, such things should "not be brought into politics".
Later on Tuesday, Chee Soon Juan, the Singapore Democratic Party's candidate for Bukit Batok, lent his support to his political rival, saying that this "is not what politics should be".
In a Facebook post, Dr Chee spoke of Mr Murali's "anguished response".
"I stand with Mr Murali on this," Dr Chee said. "Politics is about ideas on how we can make our nation better, not personal attacks like this."
He added that while he may disagree with Mr Murali on his political views, differences "must not be allowed to degenerate into unseemly smears against the candidates and their families".
READ: GE2020: PAP’s Murali Pillai to face SDP’s Chee Soon Juan in Bukit Batok SMC
The two men are vying for the single seat in Bukit Batok after Mr Murali won 61.2 per cent of votes for the constituency in a 2016 by-election against Dr Chee.
The narrowest margin in the SMC in recent decades was in 1991, when PAP's Ong Chit Chung won the seat from SDP's Kwan Yue Keng with 51.8 per cent of the votes.
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