Four opposition parties in Singapore plan to band together, with Lim Tean as their secretary-general and Kenneth Jeyaretnam as chairman.
These parties include People’s Voice (PV), the Reform Party (RP), People’s Power Party (PPP) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The alliance will be called the People’s Alliance.
The 4 parties will contest the next General Election, which must be held by 2025, under the banner of the People’s Alliance.
Lim, who is also the sec-gen of the PV, says the alliance will contest all the seats that the 4 parties contested at GE2020 and other seats as well.
Interestingly, if the registration is approved, this would be the second “People’s Alliance” in Singapore’s history.
The Singapore People’s Alliance was a political coalition in Singapore founded in 1958.
It comprised the Labour Front and Liberal Socialist Party, and was led by former Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock.
The alliance failed to win any seats in parliament and was disbanded in May 1965.
This is the press release published by the 4 parties:
PRESS RELEASE OF PEOPLE’S ALLIANCE
Over the years, Singaporeans have clamored for a United Opposition to take on the ruling People’s Action Party.
These calls have magnified in recent years given the deteriorating conditions of life Singaporeans find themselves in. Whether it is the excruciating cost of living, unaffordable property prices or job insecurity, amongst many other grievances, Singaporeans realise that the ruling PAP is no longer up to the task of moving our country forward.
Since January 2023, Peoples Voice, Reform Party, People’s Power Party and the Democratic Progressive Party have been engaged in discussions to form an alliance. Past attempts to forge an alliance of the opposition parties, most recently in 2018, when 7 parties came together for talks, unfortunately went nowhere.
We have heeded the calls of Singaporeans and decided that the time for talking about opposition unity without the formation of an alliance, is long past.
Today, we are pleased to inform Singapore that our four parties have agreed to form an alliance and that we are taking steps to register our Alliance with the Registry of Societies.
We intend for our four parties to contest the next General Election under the banner of The Alliance. We are agreed on the most critical issues affecting the prosperity of our people and country in the coming decades. We have a ready manifesto to take to the country for the General Election.
The Alliance will contest in all the seats which the respective parties contested in for GE 2020 and more, for the coming General Election.
The Alliance is called People’s Alliance. It means an alliance of the People of Singapore coming together to protect and further their interest as a community of citizens.
We hope that The Alliance will form meaningful alliances with other parties for the benefit of our country, so that finally, Singaporeans’ long held dream of a united opposition will be fulfilled.
We have agreed that the first Central Executive Committee of Peoples Alliance shall consist of the following office bearers:-
i. Kenneth Jeyaretnam – Chairman
ii. Peter Soh – Vice-Chairman
iii. Lim Tean – Secretary-General
iv. Yasmine Valentina – Assistant Secretary-General
v. Mohamad Hamim Bin Aliyas – Treasurer
vi. Michael Fang – Assistant Treasurer
vii. Goh Meng Seng – Organising Secretary
viii. Juliana Binte Juwahir – Assistant Organising Secretary
ix. Abdul Malik Bin Rahmat – Member
x. Lim Lian Chin – Member
xi. Chiu Shin Kong – Member
xii. Mahaboob Batcha s/o Abdul Rasheed – Member
After the registration has been approved, we shall hold a Press Conference and official launch for People’s Alliance.
Dated 1st June 2023.
KENNETH JEYARETNAM
SECRETARY-GENERAL
REFORM PARTY
LIM TEAN
LEADER
PEOPLES VOICE
GOH MENG SENG
SECRETARY-GENERAL
PEOPLE’S POWER PARTY
MOHAMAD HAMIM BIN ALIYAS
SECRETARY-GENERAL
DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY
