Should Chee leave politics?

SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan is adamant he will stay on in politics despite garnering only 38.79 per cent of the votes in the recent Bukit Batok by-election.

But is his string of five losses in close to 25 years an indication that he should leave instead?

CHEE'S SWANSONG

Political analyst Mustafa Izzuddin told The New Paper: "As much as I believe the Bukit Batok by-election was Dr Chee's swansong in his political career, I do not believe he will quit politics, because it has been in his DNA for more than 20 years."

National University of Singapore sociologist Tan Ern Ser agreed, adding that there are many examples of opposition leaders elsewhere whose tenacity eventually paid off.

"Moreover, he has already invested much time and energy in politics and it'd seem like a waste to his cause (to exit politics)," he said.

But Dr Mustafa, a fellow at the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute, remains sceptical about Dr Chee's chances of being elected into Parliament.

DOUBTFUL HE WILL STRIKE PARLIAMENTARY GOLD

"As much as one has to applaud the determination of Dr Chee to keep going despite losing every time he has contested, it is highly doubtful that he will strike parliamentary gold eventually.

"It will take an extraordinary turn of events, both politically and economically, for Dr Chee to make it into Parliament under the current circumstances of entrenched one-party dominance," he explained.

Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University, on the other hand, saw a possibility with a caveat: Dr Chee needs to make a "substantive change".
 

 CHARACTER IS PERMANENT

But he quickly added: "I don't think a leopard will ever change its spots."

He said: "This is someone who's trying to milk voters' sympathy. He was trying essentially to reinforce that he has been persecuted - not only him, but his entire family has had to suffer, and so that's why he's deserving of people's support."

POWER HUNGER

The law don said he also saw Dr Chee's hunger for power in the by-election.

When the People's Action Party (PAP) incumbent MP David Ong resigned, Dr Chee was the one who decided he would contest in the by-election.

"He made the decision on his own accord. Unless he did a CEC (central executive committee) meeting over the phone," he said.
 
 ELECTION NOT ABOUT PARTY OR EVEN VOTERS. IT WAS ALL ABOUT CHEE.

Calling SDP Dr Chee's alter ego, he said: "The election was not about the party, or even the voters. It was all about him."

Political experts pointed to what they felt is a more pertinent question: Should Dr Chee continue to be the SDP's main man?

GOING FORWARD, DOES SDP WANT TO REMAIN A CHEE-CENTRIC PARTY?

Said Dr Mustafa: "The decision SDP has to make is whether they would want to remain a Chee-centric party or look beyond Dr Chee, with others fronting the party, going forward.

"While one can foresee SDP contesting Bukit Batok SMC again in future, it is less certain at this point whether it will be Dr Chee who will stand there again in the next election."

Prof Tan said: "To put it bluntly, despite what is generally regarded as a good showing, Dr Chee should really examine if he's the best person to lead the SDP."

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