Reform Party Chief Has a SHN & MOH Isn’t Going to Waive the Notice for Him

This is Kenneth Jeyarenetnam, secretary-general for the opposition party Reform Party.

He is also one of the seven potential candidates the Reform Party revealed for the upcoming General Election 2020.

But there’s just a tiny problem for him this coming election: he just returned from Britain, which means he must complete his 14-day stay-home-notice (SHN). He had gone over to visit his son who was studying there.

What this means is that he won’t be able to campaign since his SHN most likely ends on Cooling-Off Day, 9 July 2020, which is just one day before polling.

Oof.

Requested For A Shorter SHN, But Was Rejected

According to the Reform Party chairman Andy Zhu, Jeyaretnam had applied for a shorter SHN.

But in a joint statement by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Elections Department (ELD), Jeyaretnam had apparently asked for a waiver of the SHN.

Anyway, he was told that he must complete all 14 days.

Since he must stay at home, MOH and ELD say he is allowed to send a representative to deliver his nomination papers on 30 June to contest in the GE.

As for the things required like Political Donation Certificate, Minority Certificate and election deposit, he can do it online.

“MOH is prepared to grant Mr Jeyaretnam access to the persons required in order for him to issue the Power of Attorney, as well as to make his statutory declaration that the statements made in his nomination papers are true,” wrote the joint statement.

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Who Is Kenneth Jeyarenetnam?

(This section is grossly oversimplified and shouldn’t be used to form any political opinions without further research.)

(Wait, you shouldn’t form any political opinions from Goody Feed in the first place. We’re here to make information entertaining, not to make you think that you should vote for Ooi Boon Ewe.)

When people mention Jeyaretnam, they probably think of Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, AKA JBJ, who is known as the first opposition politician to win a seat in Parliament, leader of the Worker’s Party from 1971 to 2001.

To most, JBJ is a role model for the opposition.

JBJ subsequently got sued by the PAP for libel, resulting in S$465,000 and S$250,000 in court costs, forcing him to go bankrupt and to leave the Worker’s Party.

In 2007, JBJ was discharged from bankruptcy, so he set up the Reform Party in June 2008. But, unfortunately, JBJ didn’t get to do anything as he died of heart failure in Sep 2008.

Somehow, this led to Kenneth Jeyarenetnam, the son of JBJ, to join the Reform Party.

Take note: before this, Kenneth mostly worked overseas and had zero to little involvement in Singapore politics.

Kenneth regularly writes on his blog, so if you want his political opinions, read that instead.

Also, this comment made him famous:

On a more relevant note to the upcoming GE 2020, the Reform Party won’t be contesting in West Coast GRC.

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