Chiam See Tong | |
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詹时中 | |
![]() Chiam in 2006 | |
6th Leader of the Opposition | |
In office 26 May 1997 – 20 April 2006 | |
Prime Minister | Goh Chok Tong Lee Hsien Loong |
Preceded by | Ling How Doong |
Succeeded by | Low Thia Khiang |
In office 10 November 1986 – 17 May 1993 | |
Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew Goh Chok Tong |
Preceded by | J. B. Jeyaretnam |
Succeeded by | Ling How Doong |
2nd Secretary-General of the Singapore People's Party | |
In office December 1996 – 16 October 2019[1] | |
Chairman | Lina Loh (2012 — 2019) Sin Kek Tong (1996 — 2012) |
Preceded by | Sin Kek Tong |
Succeeded by | Steve Chia |
Member of Parliament for Potong Pasir SMC | |
In office 22 December 1984 – 19 April 2011 | |
Preceded by | Howe Yoon Chong |
Succeeded by | Sitoh Yih Pin |
Majority | 1,718 (11.6%) |
1st Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party | |
In office 6 August 1980 – 17 May 1993 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Chee Soon Juan |
1st Chairman of the Singapore Democratic Alliance | |
In office 2001–2011 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Desmond Lim |
Personal details | |
Born | [2] Singapore, Straits Settlements, British Malaya | 12 March 1935
Political party | Singapore People's Party (2011–2019) |
Other political affiliations | Independent (1976–1979) Singapore Democratic Party (1980–1984) Singapore Democratic Alliance (2001–2011) |
Spouse | |
Children | 1 |
Occupation |
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Chiam See Tong | |||||||||||
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Simplified Chinese | 詹时中 | ||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 詹時中 | ||||||||||
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Chiam See Tong (Chinese: 詹时中; pinyin: Zhān Shízhōng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chiam Sî-tiong; born 12 March 1935)[2] is a Singaporean retired politician, lawyer, secretary-General of SDP between 1980 and 1993, secretary-General of SPP between 2011 and 2019 and the chairman of SDA between 2001 and 2011 and de facto Leader of the Opposition between 1986 and 1993 and between 1997 and 2006. A former member of Singapore People's Party (SPP), Chiam was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Potong Pasir Single Member Constituency (SMC) and served between 1984 and 2011.
A lawyer by profession, Chiam contested the 1976 general election and 1979 by-elections as an independent candidate in Cairnhill SMC and Potong Pasir SMC but lost both.[2][3][4] He founded and led the SDP to contest in the 1980 general election, only to be defeated again.[5] Chiam was elected on his fourth attempt during the 1984 general election, winning in Potong Pasir SMC against People's Action Party candidate Mah Bow Tan.[6] He joined J. B. Jeyaretnam from the Workers' Party as one of only two opposition MPs in Singapore at the time. After Jeyaretnam was removed from his seat in 1986, Chiam became the sixth de facto Leader of the Opposition and the only opposition MP at the time. He continued his leadership of the opposition after the 1991 general election, in which he led the SDP to contest in three SMCs.
In 1993, after a falling-out with the SDP's central executive committee, Chiam resigned as the SDP's secretary-general and consequently lost his leadership of the opposition. Chiam later joined and successfully ran for election as a member of the Singapore People's Party, regaining his position as the opposition leader after the 1997 general election.[7] In 2001, Chiam convinced three other opposition parties —National Solidarity Party, Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura and Singapore Justice Party — to join the SPP in forming the Singapore Democratic Alliance, and served as SDA's chairman between 2001 and 2011.[8] He withdrew the SPP from the SDA in the lead up to the 2011 general election, leading the SPP in a contest in Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC, but eventually lost to the PAP team.[9][10]
Chiam retired after 39 years in politics at the age of 80 prior to the 2015 general election for health reasons.[11][12][13] He was the longest-serving opposition MP until he was surpassed by Low Thia Kiang in 2018.[14] He remains the longest-serving de facto Leader of the Opposition in Singapore.
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