Tan Cheng Bock talks about Lee Hsien Yang, election strategy and fake news laws
Dr Tan Cheng Bock (centre) and members of the Progress Singapore Party's Central Executive Committee.
FAKE NEWS LAWS
Among the questions asked was whether 79-year-old Dr Tan supports the fake news laws that were passed in May and how this could affect his electoral chances.
Saying that he does not support the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation (POFMA) Bill, he expressed the concern that it could be used against the opposition in the next GE to be called by April 2021.
Dr Tan said: “We might have our websites all closed down, then we will be in trouble because our GE is only eight or nine days. If anything happens on the first day, I have no recourse until later. I cannot even defend myself (due to its appeal process).”
He urged the PAP to “fight fairly”, saying: “If there is a GE fight, let’s all be honourable people.”
HOW ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY COULD AFFECT VOTING
Amid the escalating trade war between the United States and China, economists have sounded caution that it could result in a technical recession in Singapore, though Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said that a full-year recession is unlikely at this point.
For Dr Tan, he acknowledged that a recession or an economic downturn could worry the electorate, prompting them to gravitate towards the ruling party. Because of this, PSP “could face a little bit of a problem”, Dr Tan said, though he “won’t be deterred by it”.
“We will put up a good programme to tell them what to do in the event of a recession… You can be assured that we won’t let (this sentiment) pass by,” he added.
ELECTION STRATEGY AND LEE HSIEN YANG
Dr Tan declined to reveal more concrete strategies PSP has for the GE, such as the number of candidates it will field or the constituencies it will contest in, noting that the public will have to wait till Nomination Day to find out.
He also repeatedly declined to talk about policy proposals, saying they will be revealed at his party launch on Aug 3. But he did say that his party’s membership has grown to a “couple of hundred”.
In the last few months, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s younger brother, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, has been seen accompanying Dr Tan on walkabouts.
Responding to questions as to whether Mr Lee Hsien Yang is among his stable of potential candidates, Dr Tan revealed that he has not joined PSP.
But if he does, Dr Tan said there must be a clear distinction that he is joining the party not because of “his own political agenda”, but because he stands for what the party stands for.
“If his philosophy is the same as mine, and he does not allow his personal agenda to come into my PSP, I’d be prepared to take him,” said Dr Tan, noting that the younger Lee is a “good friend” who knows what PSP’s terms are.
