Tan Cheng Bock throws his hat into GE2025 ring

SINGAPORE: On Sunday morning (Feb 23), veteran politician Tan Cheng Bock announced his intention to contest in the upcoming General Election, which must be held no later than November 23, 2025.

Dr Tan, who turns 85 on his birthday on April 26, is the founder and chairman of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP). Previous to that, he had served as a Member of Parliament for Ayer Rajah SMC from 1980 to 2006 under the People’s Action Party.

At a walkabout at Clementi 448 Market and Food Centre, he told members of the media that “it’s a natural conclusion” that he will be present at the nomination centre on nomination day.

He also provided assurance concerning his health, saying that he goes for medical check-ups every year and that his last one had been okay.

“Look at me, I can still talk to you, I can still answer questions,” CNA quoted him as saying.

“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,” he added.

PSP posted photos from the walkabout at Clementi Market on Feb 23, including those where he was interviewed while flanked by PSP Non-Constituency Members of Parliament Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa. PSP is the only opposition party in Parliament at the moment aside from The Workers’ Party, which has eight elected MPs.

PSP said in the caption to the post that it is looking forward to the results of the report of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (ERBC), which was convened on Jan 23.

The CNA report also says that Dr Tan mentioned there could be a possible redrawing of electoral boundaries for this year’s polls.

“However West Coast is going to be cut, we will be there,” he also said.

Dr Tan, together with Ms Poa, Mr Leong, Nadarajah Loganathan and Jeffrey Khoo, were fielded as PSP’s slate in the General Election of 2020. It lost to a PAP team anchored by former Transport Minister by a very slim margin, with the PSP team getting 48.31 per cent of the vote.

He had also contested in the Presidential election in 2011, but by a 0.35 per cent margin to Tony Tan. He attempted to run again for the position in 2017. However, changes to the criteria of candidates meant he was ineligible to contest.

In 2019, together with 12 other founding members, Dr Tan launched the Progress Singapore Party. /TISG

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