As the May 3 election results trickled in, Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan found himself again on the wrong side of the electoral ledger – a familiar outcome in a three-decade political journey defined as much by its longevity as its unending losing streak.
His fight in the single-seat constituency of Sembawang West, with 46.81 per cent of the vote against a ruling-party candidate, was his best performance in the polls since 1997 and the third-closest of the night, coming after the Workers’ Party’s (WP) narrow defeat in the multi-seat ward in Tampines, with 1 percentage point separating the WP and SDP.
In a post-election interview with This Week in Asia, Chee said the result offered some comfort, though his broader vision of a democratic Singapore was still far from realised – possibly not in his lifetime.
A viral video filmed from a distance in a stadium for the SDP’s watch party had gained Chee much post-election sympathy as he cut a forlorn figure while wiping away tears. He clarified he was merely weary that night and had removed his glasses to rub his eyes – a moment of fatigue rather than any dramatic display.
“Change comes when you stand on the shoulders of those who come before you,” he said. “Change may come only when you have gone from the scene. But whatever you do, you lay the groundwork for the next generation.”
Chee is one of the many opposition figures in Singapore who have failed to make it past the ballot box despite multiple attempts but they are not about to give up.
