Chiam See Tong is a
politicianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and
lawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
from
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. He is the country's longest-serving
oppositionIn politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
Member of ParliamentThe Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
(MP). Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of
Potong PasirPotong Pasir Single Member Constituency is a Single Member Constituency in the central region of Singapore.-Location:The SMC encompasses Potong Pasir, Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and Tannery...
in Singapore's Parliament.
Chiam was a member of the
Singapore Democratic PartyThe Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
(SDP) up to 1996, when he left the party to join the
Singapore People's PartyThe Singapore People's Party is a left of centre opposition political party in Singapore. The party's leader is Chiam See Tong.-Foundation:...
(SPP). He subsequently spearheaded the formation of the
Singapore Democratic AllianceThe Singapore Democratic Alliance is an alliance of political parties in Singapore. The SDA was formed shortly before the 2001 general election to provide a common grouping under which different opposition parties could stand as a united front in elections against the ruling People's Action Party...
(SDA), and was its Chairman and
de facto leader from 2001 to 2011. However in March 2011 he announced that he was withdrawing the SPP from the SDA grouping, and would contest the next general election under the SPP banner. He will leave his single ward constituency to contest in the group representation constituency of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC with four other party members, including former government scholars Benjamin Pwee and Jimmy Lee.
Political career
Chiam first entered politics in 1976 when he contested as an independent candidate in Cairnhill constituency, where he lost to the then-Minister for Communications and National Development,
Lim Kim SanLim Kim San ; was a Singaporean politician. He was credited for leading the successful public housing program in the Southeast Asian city-state during the early 1960s, which eased the acute housing shortage problem at that time....
. In the 1979 by-election, Chiam contested the Potong Pasir seat for the first time, again as an independent. He got 33% of the votes against the then-Defence Minister
Howe Yoon ChongHowe Yoon Chong was a Minister in the Cabinet of Singapore and a Member of Parliament for Potong Pasir from 1979 to 1984. He was key in developing Singapore's infrastructural and financial framework, including the Mass Rapid Transit system, Singapore Changi Airport and public housing...
.
Chiam founded the Singapore Democratic Party in 1980, and was the party's Secretary-General (leader) until 1993. He contested the Potong Pasir seat again in 1980 and lost to Howe again, but his vote share increased to 41%. In 1984, Chiam contested the seat against
Mah Bow TanMah Bow Tan is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently a Member of Parliament representing the Tampines Group Representation Constituency...
, and won with 60.3% of the votes, on a swing of 19 percent against the PAP.
In his subsequent five elections, Chiam continued to fend off challengers from the ruling People's Action Party. His winning margin reached a peak of 69.6% in the 1991 polls but has since fallen below 60% in most recent elections.
When Chiam was first elected to Parliament in 1984, he was only the second opposition politician ever to be elected to Singapore's Parliament after
J.B. JeyaretnamJoshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam was a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He was the leader of the Workers' Party from 1971 to 2001...
of the
Workers' PartyThe Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
, in 1981. After Jeyaretnam was expelled from Parliament in 1986, Chiam was Singapore's sole elected opposition MP until 1991.
At the 1991 general elections, two other SDP members,
Ling How DoongLing How Doong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. A member of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party , he served as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bukit Gombak from 1991 to 1997.-Political career:...
and
Cheo Chai ChenCheo Chai Chen is a politician and businessman from Singapore. He served as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Nee Soon Central from 1991 to 1997, when he was a member of the Singapore Democratic Party...
, were also elected to Parliament.
Low Thia KhiangLow Thia Khiang is a politician and businessman from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Workers' Party, and since 1991 has been a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Hougang until 2011 where he contested and won in Aljunied GRC. He is in charge of the Bedok...
of the Worker's Party was also elected, making a total of four opposition MPs, with Chiam effectively the leader of the opposition.
In 1992, Chiam recruited
Dr Chee Soon JuanChee Soon Juan, PhD is a politician and political activist from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party ....
, a psychology lecturer at the
National University of SingaporeThe National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
, to be an SDP candidate for a by-election in the
Marine Parade Group Representation ConstituencyMarine Parade Group Representation Constituency is a six-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central, eastern and north-eastern areas of Singapore. The constituency consists of a section of Bedok, Chai Chee, Geylang, Kaki Bukit, Kallang, Kembangan, Marine Parade, Mountbatten,...
. Although the SDP was unsuccessful in the by-election, the recruitment of Chee as a candidate generated considerable public interest. However differences between Chiam and Chee soon emerged. Chee was sacked from his job as a university lecturer in 1993, and publicly claimed that he had been the victim of a political vendetta by the governing
People's Action PartyThe People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
(PAP). Chiam wanted to censure Chee for these comments, but the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) backed Chee. Chiam then resigned as Secretary-General of the party, and was replaced by Chee. The CEC attempted to expel Chiam from the party after he publicly criticised them, but he won a court case to prevent them from doing so on procedural grounds. However the CEC appointed Ling How Doong to replace Chiam as the party's parliamentary leader.
Chiam left the SDP at the end of 1996 and accepted an invitation to join the Singapore People's Party (which was formed by a breakaway faction of the SDP in 1994) and became its Chairman. Standing for his new party, he was re-elected as MP for Potong Pasir in the 1997 General Election. The negative publicity generated by the disputes with Chiam affected the SDP's electoral prospects, and both Ling and Cheo lost their seats, leaving Chiam and Low Thia Khiang as the only two elected opposition MPs. Chiam and Low have remained the only two opposition MPs elected at all subsequent general elections to date. In the
2001 General ElectionThe Singapore parliamentary general elections of 2001 were held on 3 November. The People's Action Party, the incumbent ruling party, won 82 out of 84 seats in the election, including 55 walkovers...
, Chiam won Potong Pasir for the fifth time. In the
2006 General ElectionThe 2006 Singapore parliamentary general election was held on 6 May 2006. 1.22 million out of the 2.16 million eligible Singaporeans voted for Members of Parliament and elected their next government. The People's Action Party , in its first election under Lee Hsien Loong, won 66.6% of the overall...
, he won 55.82% of the votes to claim his sixth term, defeating the PAP's Sitoh Yih Pin. He had secured 8,245 votes against 6,527 for Sitoh. For many, this was a surprise victory for Chiam, as the PAP had offered an S$80 million upgrading package for the residents of Potong Pasir and had brought in
Senior MinisterSenior Minister is a political office in the political system of Singapore taken by a prime minister or senior cabinet minister when he or she retires from that office, but still has something to offer the government based on his or her long experience...
Goh Chok TongGoh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
to help the PAP's campaign in the constituency.
In early 2008, Chiam suffered a mild stroke which led to the suspension of his 'Meet-the-People' sessions. In 2011, Chiam said "there's still remnants of the stroke which I suffered".
In 2009, Chiam celebrated his 25th year as MP Potong Pasir. That year, he also announced that he did not plan to stand as a candidate for Potong Pasir at the next general election (due to be held on May 2011), and would instead be a candidate in a
Group Representation ConstituencyA Group Representation Constituency is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore, the Members of Parliament of which are voted into Parliament as a group...
(GRC).
In 2010, Chiam tried to bring the
Reform PartyThe Reform Party is a political party in Singapore. It was founded in 2008 by the late Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, and is currently headed by his son Kenneth Jeyaretnam, who succeeded him as party secretary-general after the elder Jeyaretnam died in 2008...
into the SDA. He reportedly accepted the conditions the Reform Party set out for joining the alliance, however the terms of entry were opposed by other members of the SDA's Council who blocked the move. In 2010 and early-2011, it was also reported that some members of the SDA's Council felt that Chiam was unable to properly fulfil his role of Chairman of the alliance, after he had cut back his political activities following his stroke in 2008. On 28 February 2011, the SDA's Council voted to relieve Chiam of his role as Chairman, however the Council stressed that they still hoped to field Chiam as a candidate at the next general election. But two days later, on 2 March 2011, Chiam announced that the Singapore People's Party was withdrawing from the SDA, and that he would stand under the banner of the SPP instead of the SDA at the next general election.
2011 Singapore general elections
For the Singaporean general election, 2011, Lina Loh Woon Lee (sometimes referred to as
Lina ChiamLina Loh Woon Lee is a Singaporean politician from the Singapore People's Party . She is a Non-constituency Member of Parliament of the 12th Parliament of Singapore.-Political career:...
), the wife of Chiam See Tong became an SPP candidate in the Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency, Chiam See Tong's former constituency. Chiam See Tong became a candidate with other SPP candidates in the
Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation ConstituencyBishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency located in the central region of Singapore. The GRC consists the entire areas of Bishan, the majority of Toa Payoh and parts of Thomson...
. This candidacy is a first for Lina Loh Woon Lee although she had campaigned with her husband over the years in many general elections in Singapore. In 2011, she holds the 2nd Vice Chairman post in the SPP.
In the 2011 election, Chiam's team in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC finished with 43% of the votes there, but was defeated by the team led by Deputy Prime Minister
Wong Kan SengWong Kan Seng is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served as the country's Deputy Prime Minister from 2005 to 2011...
. As for his wife, Lina, she failed to retain his old Potong Pasir seat and she was defeated by his opponent of the last two elections, the PAP's Sitoh Yih Pin only by a mere 114 votes (0.72%). This served as a major setback for the veteran politician whom held a seat in parliament as an opposition MP for 27 years till 2011.
Shortly after the 2011 General Elections, loyal residents of Chiam followed him in his lorry cheering repeatedly, "POTONG PASIR - CHIAM SEE TONG!" accompanied by whistles and waving flags of SPP. Soon after, they organized a petition in hopes for a by-election. The response was overwhelming and even welcomed residents from beyond Potong Pasir. Chiam graciously commented that it was against the rules.
A week later, the SPP announced that Lina Chiam would accept an offer to become an
Non-Constituency Member of ParliamentNon-Constituency Members of Parliament are members of the opposition parties who are appointed as members of the Parliament of Singapore even though they had lost in the parliamentary election....
, as one the best performing losing opposition candidates.
Life outside politics
Chiam was educated at
Anglo-Chinese SchoolThe Anglo-Chinese School ; is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore, and Indonesia.The name is usually abbreviated as "ACS", with the junior college as "ACJC", and its students and alumni referred to as "ACSians" , or "ACS boys" .ACS was the first school...
, before going on to study at the
University of CanterburyThe University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
and
Victoria University of WellingtonVictoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. After completing a
Bachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree, he worked as a teacher at Mahmud Secondary School in
Malaysia from 1962 to 1963, and at
Cedar Girls' Secondary SchoolCedar Girls' Secondary School is an all-girls educational institution/high school established in 1957 in Singapore with an enrolment of 507 girls, 13 classes and a staff of 18. The school went single session in 1992 and gained autonomous status in 1996. All classes are in the Express or Special...
in Singapore from 1964 to 1972.
Chiam qualified as a
barristerA barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
at the
Inner TempleThe Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1974. He then joined Philip Wong and Company as a lawyer, before starting his own law firm, Chiam and Company, in 1976.
Chiam retired from his law practice in 2002 to become a full-time politician.
He is married to Lina Loh Woon Lee. The couple have one daughter.
A Presbyterian, Chiam is a member of Prinsep Street Presbyterian Church, one of the oldest churches in Singapore.
Parliamentary Committee membership
Chiam has been a member of Parliament since 22 December 1984.
- Committee of Privileges
- 6th Parliament, 2nd Session
- 7th Parliament, 1st Session
- 7th Parliament, 2nd Session
- 7th Parliament, 3rd Session
- 9th Parliament, 1st Session
- 9th Parliament, 2nd Session
- 10th Parliament, 1st Session
- Estimates Committee
- 8th Parliament, 1st Session
- Select Committee on the Bankruptcy Bill
- 8th Parliament, 2nd Session
- Select Committee on the Companies (Amendment) Bill
- 8th Parliament, 1st Session
- Select Committee on the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 21) Bill
- 7th Parliament, 1st Session
- Select Committee on the Drug Trafficking (Confiscation of Benefits) Bill
- 8th Parliament, 1st Session
- Select Committee on the Goods and Services Tax Bill
- 8th Parliament, 1st Session
- Select Committee on the Interpretation (Amendment) Bill
- 9th Parliament, 1st Session
- Select Committee on the Land Transportation Policy
- 7th Parliament, 1st Session
- Select Committee on the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill
- 7th Parliament, 1st Session
- Select Committee on the Parliamentary Elections (Amendment) Bill and Constitution of the Republic
- 6th Parliament, 2nd Session
- Select Committee to Verify the Healthcare Subsidy of Government Polyclinics and Public Hospitals
- 8th Parliament, 2nd Session
- Special Select Committee on Nominations for Appointment as nominated Members of Parliament
- 7th Parliament, 2nd Session
- 8th Parliament, 1st Session
- Standing Orders Committee
- 6th Parliament, 1st Session
- 8th Parliament, 2nd Session
Education
| Date | Qualification | Institution |
| 1955 |
GCE 'A' Levels |
Anglo-Chinese School The Anglo-Chinese School ; is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore, and Indonesia.The name is usually abbreviated as "ACS", with the junior college as "ACJC", and its students and alumni referred to as "ACSians" , or "ACS boys" .ACS was the first school...
|
| 1961 |
Bachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
|
University of CanterburyThe University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
& Victoria University of WellingtonVictoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
, New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
|
| 1967 |
Certificate in Education The Certificate in Education is a professional qualification for teachers in the United Kingdom. There have been two incarnations of the Cert Ed over the years.-New Cert Ed:...
|
Teachers' Training College |
| 1974 |
Barrister-at-Law |
Inner TempleThe Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
|
Career
| Date | Workplace |
| 1962 to 1963 |
Mahmud Secondary School, Raub Pahang, Malaysia |
| 1964 to 1972 |
Cedar Girls' Secondary School Cedar Girls' Secondary School is an all-girls educational institution/high school established in 1957 in Singapore with an enrolment of 507 girls, 13 classes and a staff of 18. The school went single session in 1992 and gained autonomous status in 1996. All classes are in the Express or Special...
|
| 1974 to 1976 |
Philip Wong & Co (Advocates & Solicitors) |
| 1976 |
Advocate & Solicitor, Chiam & Co |
| 2002 |
(Advocates & Solicitors) (Retired) |
External links