Singapore People's Party (SPP) chairman Jose Raymond is retiring from politics to focus on expanding his business.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr Raymond, 49, announced his "political farewell" and thanked his supporters and volunteers for their efforts in his 2020 general election campaign in Potong Pasir.
"The time has come for me to focus on things which will help me create impact in other ways, to help others in different ways and to take my firm regional - something which I have been wanting to do ever since I started the firm in 2016," said Mr Raymond, who is chief strategy officer at the strategy and communications advisory firm SW Strategies.
"I am truly sorry if I have disappointed any of you in any way with my decision. The ones who need my help can continue to reach out and I will do whatever I can within my ability to help as much as possible."
Mr Raymond stood as a candidate for the first time in the July 10 election earlier this year. He lost to the People's Action Party's Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, the incumbent Potong Pasir MP, who won 60.67 per cent of the votes in the single seat.
Mr Raymond joined SPP in 2017. He became its chairman in November last year following the retirement of the party's former leader, veteran opposition politician Chiam See Tong, a month before.
Mr Raymond told The Straits Times his firm opened an office in Malaysia last year and has been exploring the possibility of expanding into Indonesia and Thailand.
"I was spending half my time in Malaysia before Covid-19, and now we are starting on the Jakarta chapter as well, which is why I need to stay focused on what I need to do," he said.
He added that he informed SPP of his decision last Thursday and will officially step down next month, after serving a 30-day notice period.
Said Mr Raymond: "This is the end of my political journey. I stood in the election because I wanted to fulfil one of my father's wishes for me... He told me that when I was 13 years old. I was my father's caregiver until he passed on in 2018 so I wanted to fulfil that wish."
SPP secretary-general Steve Chia confirmed the party's central executive committee had received Mr Raymond's resignation, and said it would "make a decision" at its next meeting. He declined to elaborate when asked.
SPP's former assistant secretary-general Ariffin Sha also resigned from the party in August, and the position has not been filled, according to Mr Raymond.
When contacted, Mr Ariffin, 23, confirmed that he had resigned in August but did not elaborate on why he did so.