Ex-PSP members seek to set up new party to contest next election

Two former Progress Singapore Party (PSP) members have applied to register a new political party named Red Dot United, with the intention of contesting the next general election.

Mr Ravi Philemon and Ms Michelle Lee, who resigned separately this year from the party led by Dr Tan Cheng Bock, said they submitted the application to register the party with the Registry of Societies on Tuesday.

If approved, it will bring the total number of opposition parties here to 12.

Mr Philemon said: "Our goal is to build a political-social platform, and not just another political party. Matters of government and policy must be accessible and easily understood by all Singaporeans whether old or young, or a new citizen."

The Ministry of Home Affairs previously said the average processing time for registering a new political party would be about two months. Mr Philemon said that since it is possible that an election may be called before the party is registered, its members will request the Registry of Societies to expedite the process.

Mr Philemon insisted that his party would have the resources to contest an election, but did not say which seats or how many it planned to contest.

He was believed to be the PSP's intended candidate for Hong Kah North before his departure. He had contested there in 2015 under the Singapore People's Party banner.

Ms Lee had contested in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC in 2011, under the Singapore Democratic Party banner.

Ms Lee, who will be party chairman, said they chose to start a new party instead of joining an existing one as they felt there is a need to bring a "new perspective, new ideas and new methods" into the political landscape here.

Mr Philemon said Red Dot United will not focus on any key individual, and will target young people. "Politics as we know it in Singapore has always been centred on different personalities... always personality driven. Whereas the kind of politics that we envision would be a politics which is centred on the right policies to take Singapore forward."

Both Mr Philemon's and Ms Lee's resignations from PSP had raised eyebrows and sparked talk of infighting in the party.

Ms Lee quit PSP in March, less than two months after being appointed vice-chairman. She cited family commitments, though there was speculation of internal disagreements over appointments of new central committee members.

Ms Lee said yesterday that she had resigned because the work was too exhausting. But she added that she is now back in the political scene as she had "benefited from this time out".

Mr Philemon quit PSP earlier this month. He did not provide a reason then but was said to be unhappy about the party's handling the incident of a video that accused him of being funded by foreign sources.

When asked again yesterday why he left PSP, Mr Philemon said without elaborating: "It is possible that we asked too many questions."

At least five PSP members have resigned or been expelled since March. Addressing the departures during a recent virtual outreach session on Facebook, Dr Tan said certain members went beyond the limits the party had allowed for them to air their disappointments and dissatisfaction.

"We give everybody a chance. But sometimes, they got very big egos. And when you got big egos, it is very difficult. When their egos get hurt, they react very negatively," he said.