PSP wants to fight a ‘very clean fight’, expects members to conduct themselves well: Tan Cheng Bock
"We don’t want to use tactics that shouldn’t be carried out in Singapore," says the Progress Singapore Party's chairman.
Chairman of the Progress Singapore Party Dr Tan Cheng Bock and his fellow party members Wendy Low, Abas Kasmani and Sami Ismail during a walkabout at Keat Hong Market on Jan 12, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
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Speaking to journalists after a walkabout at Keat Hong Food Centre & Market on Sunday morning, he added: “I would expect all my people here to conduct themselves well, because that’s what Singaporeans, from young, we’ve been taught to have fairness.”
He was responding to questions about a video released by a People’s Action Party (PAP) volunteer on Thursday that alleged a PSP volunteer had slapped him during a walkabout in Bukit Gombak.
Dr Tan said in a Facebook post on Friday there was "no evidence of any slapping" in the video, "merely subtitles alleging so".
He added that he "did not see any evidence of shirt pulling as alleged", referring to earlier allegations by Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang GRC, Ms Low Yen Ling, that another PAP volunteer had his shirt pulled by a PSP volunteer.
In response, Ms Low said in a Facebook post on Friday that she will leave the matter in the hands of the police and that her volunteers will hand over all evidence to them.
PSP first accused PAP volunteers of following them around last Saturday and taking photos and videos of them when they were visiting residents in the estate.
Dr Tan said he felt “a bit disturbed” when he heard about the incident. He added that the party would let the police investigate the issue.
“But the message to Singaporeans is that we want to fight a very clean fight. We don’t want to use tactics that shouldn’t be carried out in Singapore,” he said.
“We are a city quite well known for good behaviour. Let us not be involved in any other kind of rude or those types of behaviour that’s uncalled for.”
Party chief Hazel Poa confirmed that the police have contacted the PSP about the incident.
“We’re just letting the police investigate this and hope that the truth comes out,” she said.
In the past, Dr Tan said he had “very terrible encounters” and is quite used to such incidents.
“But that time we wanted to put it away. We cannot have that sort of behaviour back in Singapore. We all must expect that also, cannot lower standards.”
Dr Tan was accompanied by Ms Poa, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai, and other PSP members and volunteers on the walkabout on Sunday morning.
Mr Desmond Lim of the Singapore Democratic Alliance also made an appearance, greeting Dr Tan and other PSP members.
