Chiam See Tong, 84, Steps Down As SPP Leader After Four Decades In Politics

Even if you don’t care about politics, Chiam See Tong is probably a name you’ve heard a few times just because of how long he’s been in Singapore politics.

In fact, he’s the second longest-serving Opposition Leader in terms of time served at 26 years and 4 months, for a total of 40 years in politics.

Here’s what he looks like at the current age of 84:

Step Down From Singapore People’s Party On 16 Oct 2019

This happened at the SPP’s biennial Ordinary Party Conference, with him giving up his post as secretary-general.

His name was not put forward during a vote for the party’s new central executive committee (CEC). Although, he will remain as a party member.

This isn’t exactly old news though. His wife, Lina Chiam, 70, the party’s chairman, was one of the 12 elected to the party’s CEC and had said last month that party leadership would be handed to a younger team.

Law undergraduate Ariffin Sha, 22, Mr Jose Raymond, 47, head of a communications firm, and Mr Eman Lim, 39, director of corporate development in a training consultancy are new CEC members.

According to The Straits Times, it seems likely that the front runners for the new secretary-general are Mr Raymond and organising secretary Steve Chia, 48, former Non-Constituency MP from the National Solidarity Party.

The CEC has to meet within three weeks to decide on key appointments and the party’s future.

40 Years In Politics

Before I talk about his history, here’s how he looked like in 2006:

And then in 2011:

Holy shit! Is this what politics does to you or is that just the fate of Asian people to rapidly age?

Anyway, so about Mr Chiam. He started running for Parliament in 1976, losing the contest for Cairnhill ward.

In 1980, he failed a bid for Potong Pasir, but then was elected as MP in 1984.

1993, he stepped down as Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leader due to internal disagreements.

He then joined SPP, created by a breakaway SDP faction, and took on leadership of the party in Dec 1996.

2001, he set up the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), which is a group of opposition parties working together to contest the general elections.

But in 2011, he was removed as SDA chairman because of health issues. SPP quit the alliance later.

Chiam became Singapore’s longest-serving opposition MP until 2011’s general election (longest serving record later became Low Thia Khiang), where he left Potong Pasir to lead an SPP team in the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, which was unsuccessful.

Well Respected By Residents And Rivals

Having served as Potong Pasir’s MP for 27 years, it’s not hard to see that residents like him.

A florist who had been operating her shop at block 146, Potong Pasir Avenue 1 since 1985, Woon Siew Ling, 72, said that Mr Chiam often walked around the estate and was very caring.

“Some of my customers have shared that he helped them out of his own pocket, such as when they could not pay their water bills or town council utilities bills. And he never expected anything in return.”

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong had said that Mr Chiam was a “well-meaning, decent and honest politician and Member of Parliament“, and SDA chairman Desmond Lim says Mr Chiam “believed the country always came first”.

It’s definitely not easy to have such a good reputation in a career where disagreements are likely to be the norm.