Latest news with #LeongMunWai
CNA
05-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Tan Cheng Bock and Hazel Poa step down from PSP's top decision-making body
SINGAPORE: Progress Singapore Party (PSP) announced on Saturday (Jul 5) that party founder Tan Cheng Bock and former secretary-general Hazel Poa have stepped down from its central executive committee, the party's top decision-making body. Dr Tan will be succeeded as party chairman by Mr A'bas Kasmani. Despite their resignations from the committee, both Dr Tan and Ms Poa remain members of the party. They were part of PSP's slate in West Coast GRC during the 2025 General Election. The party also confirmed that treasurer S Nallakaruppan has stepped down from his position but will remain in the party. To refresh its leadership, PSP said it has co-opted three new members into its central executive committee: Mr Sani Ismail, Mr Lawrence Pek and Ms Stephanie Tan. Mr Leong Mun Wai will remain as secretary-general of the party. PSP lost in all six constituencies it contested in the 2025 polls, ending its five-year presence in parliament through Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) seats held by Mr Leong and Ms Poa after their near-win in West Coast GRC in 2020. In particular, PSP's flagship West Coast-Jurong West GRC team – comprising party founder Tan Cheng Bock, Mr Leong, Ms Poa and newcomers Sumarleki Amjah and Mr Ismail – received 39.99 per cent of the vote, losing to a People's Action Party team led by Minister for Education Desmond Lee. In the 2020 General Election, Ms Poa contested under PSP in West Coast GRC West Coast GRC as part of a high-profile PSP team led by Dr Tan, alongside Mr Leong Mun Wai, Mr Nadarajah Loganathan and Mr Jeffrey Khoo. The team garnered 48.32 per cent of the vote – the best performance by a losing opposition team. That led to Ms Poa and Mr Leong being appointed NCMPs, bolstering PSP's visibility and their individual profiles. GE2025 DISAPPOINTMENT Given this, expectations were high going into the 2025 election. The poor showing – an eight-point drop – was met with disappointment within the party. Mr Leong described the results as "very shocking", adding that the PSP would study the results "seriously and humbly" and reconsider how it can gain further trust from Singaporeans. A few days later, he wrote in a Facebook post that the results were "disappointing" but did not signal the end for the party. 'Our call for checks and balances, an inclusive society and fairer opportunities for all remains unshaken. We will regroup, reflect, and return stronger.'
Malay Mail
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
‘We're not running away': Dr Tan Cheng Bock retires from Singapore's electoral politics at 85, says PSP to ‘regroup and return' after GE loss
SINGAPORE, May 11 – Progress Singapore Party (PSP) founder Dr Tan Cheng Bock announced yesterday that he will no longer contest in general elections (GE), although the party intends to continue participating in future polls. The Straits Times reported Dr Tan and party secretary-general Leong Mun Wai making the announcement at a walkabout at West Coast Market, a week after PSP failed to win any of the six seats it contested in the poll earlier this month. 'Today, it's just to come here and say thank you to those who voted for us, and also to show to those who didn't vote for us [that] we are not running away. We'll be back in maybe five years' time. By then, I hope a younger team will take over.' 'It's been a good journey for us, for the younger people. They know what it's like to fight in the direction [with] all the odds against you,' he was quoted saying, acknowledging the party's loss but urging members to remain optimistic. Dr Tan, who turned 85 on April 26, said he would stay on in the party to advise younger members and help groom them for future political challenges. Having spent 26 years in Parliament previously, the PSP chairman said he stood in this election to encourage younger candidates and hoped voters would eventually give them a chance. 'I told them, don't be discouraged. At least we were given the initial chance. But never mind, we will learn and come back,' he said, referring to PSP members. Leong echoed Dr Tan's sentiments, stating: 'PSP is not going to run away. We'll reflect, regroup and return,' and added that the party was currently reviewing its performance before announcing any plans. PSP's vice-chairman Hazel Poa also attended the walkabout, during which the party planned to visit four other locations, including Boon Lay Place and Jurong West. Leong and Poa, who served as Non-Constituency MPs, also lost their seats after the party's defeat in West Coast-Jurong West GRC, where they ran alongside Dr Tan. The People's Action Party (PAP) team led by Minister Desmond Lee secured 60.01 per cent of the vote in the GRC, compared to 51.68 per cent in 2020 when PSP had significantly narrowed the gap. The GRC had been renamed from West Coast to West Coast-Jurong West following boundary changes announced in March, with 158,581 voters allocated to the five-member constituency.
Malay Mail
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
PSP founder Dr Tan Cheng Bock retires from Singapore electoral politics, urges party to regroup after GE2025 loss
SINGAPORE, May 10 — Progress Singapore Party (PSP) founder and chairman Dr Tan Cheng Bock confirmed today that he will be stepping away from electoral politics, following the party's disappointing performance in the country's 2025 General Election last weekend. Speaking ahead of a thank-you walkabout at West Coast Market Square with about 20 PSP members and volunteers today, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported that Dr Tan said he would remain active within the party but will no longer contest elections. 'At the end of the day, we didn't do that well. I don't want to blame anybody now,' said Dr Tan, who turned 85 in April. The PSP failed to win any seats in Parliament and also lost its hold over the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) positions previously occupied by secretary-general Leong Mun Wai and first vice-chairman Hazel Poa. The party saw a dip in vote share across the constituencies it contested, including in West Coast-Jurong West GRC, where it had come closest to unseating the People's Action Party (PAP) in 2020. Despite the setback, Dr Tan remained defiant and optimistic about the party's future. 'And also to show to those who didn't vote for us, we are not running away. We'll be back soon. We'll be back in maybe five years' time,' he was quoted as saying. 'By then, I hope a younger team will take over and we hope the people will look at us in a different way.' Dr Tan said he had contested this election not for personal political ambition — having previously served as an MP — but in the hopes of ushering a new generation of leaders into Parliament. 'I tried my best. I think maybe they think we're not ready. But it's OK, because if Workers' Party took about 60 years to just gain 10 seats, I told them, don't be discouraged,' he said. The party, he added, is focused on preparing its younger members for leadership. 'We are looking forward to seeing how we can train them to understand what politics is and what it is like to represent the people.' PSP secretary-general Leong Mun Wai echoed Dr Tan's sentiment. 'PSP is not going to run away. We will reflect, regroup and return,' he said. 'At this moment, we cannot share much because we are still doing our internal deliberation. When we are ready, we promise that we'll give a full presentation to all of you as to what PSP is going to do.' According to CNA, party representatives did not take further questions from the media, citing a tight schedule for the rest of the day.
CNA
10-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
PSP founder Tan Cheng Bock to retire from electoral politics, not leaving party
SINGAPORE: Progress Singapore Party (PSP) founder and chairman Tan Cheng Bock confirmed on Saturday (May 10) that he will retire from electoral politics. He will, however, remain in the party, he told journalists before a walkabout at West Coast Market Square with about 20 PSP members and volunteers, including those who contested in West Coast-Jurong West GRC and Pioneer SMC. "At the end of the day, we didn't do that well. I don't want to blame anybody now," Dr Tan added. The PSP will not have a parliamentary presence following the General Election, as the results meant that the party loses its five-year hold over the Non-Constituency MP seats occupied by secretary-general Leong Mun Wai and first vice-chairperson Hazel Poa. The party lost in all the constituencies it was contesting. It also received a smaller vote share in the ones it was re-contesting, including West Coast-Jurong West GRC, which saw the closest contest between PSP and the ruling People's Action Party in the 2020 General Election. PSP went on a series of walkabouts on Saturday to thank Singaporeans who voted for them, said Dr Tan, who turned 85 in April. "And also to show to those who didn't vote for us, we are not running away. We'll be back soon. We'll be back in maybe five years time," he added. "By then, I hope a younger team will take over and we hope the people will look at us in a different way." The party is looking forward to seeing how it can train its younger members to understand what politics is and "what is it like to represent the people", Dr Tan added. He stood as a candidate in the 2025 General Election because he hoped to bring more young people into parliament, he said, noting that he had already been a Member of Parliament before. "I tried my best. I think maybe they think we're not ready. But it's ok, because if Workers' Party took about 60 years to just gain 10 seats, I told them, don't be discouraged," Dr Tan said.
CNA
07-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
GE2025: Results ‘disappointing' but not the end for PSP, says Leong Mun Wai
SINGAPORE: Progress Singapore Party (PSP) chief Leong Mun Wai said that while its General Election results were disappointing, it respects voters' decision, and it is not the end for the opposition party. In a Facebook post on Wednesday (May 7), Mr Leong said it has taken him a few days to recover from the 'shock result' of the May 3 election. 'The results of this GE2025 are not what we at PSP had hoped for. We accept the decision of the people with humility and respect,' Mr Leong wrote. 'Democracy speaks through the ballot box. We honour that voice, even though it brings disappointment.' The outcome of GE2025 resulted in PSP's exit from parliament, ending the party's five-year hold over the Non-Constituency MP seats occupied by Mr Leong and PSP vice-chairperson Hazel Poa. The party lost in all the constituencies it was contesting. It also received a smaller vote share in the ones it was re-contesting, including West Coast-Jurong West GRC, which saw the closest contest between PSP and the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in the 2020 General Election. In his Facebook post, Mr Leong promised that the party would regroup after the 'disappointing' results. 'To fellow Singaporeans, though this result is disappointing for us, it is not the end,' Mr Leong wrote. 'Our call for checks and balances, an inclusive society and fairer opportunities for all remains unshaken. We will regroup, reflect, and return stronger.' He also thanked the residents of West Coast-Jurong West GRC, the party's volunteers, campaign team and supporters. 'We may have fallen short this time, but this journey has only strengthened our commitment to you and to the future of this nation,' he added. PAP scored a landslide victory in this General Election, winning 65.57 per cent of votes and securing 87 out of 97 seats. In West Coast-Jurong West GRC, the PSP received 39.99 per cent of the vote, down from the 48.3 per cent the party secured in 2020. It fielded its flagship team, comprising party founder Tan Cheng Bock, Mr Leong, Ms Poa and newcomers Sumarleki Amjah and Sani Ismail. They were up against the PAP team led by National Development Minister Desmond Lee, alongside incumbents Shawn Huang and Ang Wei Neng, as well as new candidates Cassandra Lee and Hamid Razak. Congratulating the PAP on its victory, Mr Leong described Mr Lee as a "worthy opponent'. 'We have learnt a lot from the way PAP has executed this campaign,' Mr Leong said. 'We urge them to continue listening to the residents and to deliver on their promises.' Mr Leong promised to continue to speak up, serve and uphold the values of the party. 'Thank you for walking with us,' he wrote. 'Our journey continues.'
