(TL;DR – PAP MP David Ong just resigned due to “personal reasons”.)
Did you think this would be just another swarmy, sweltering hot, yes, and boring Saturday? Well, this news broke slightly after 4pm today.
Here, the resignation letter from (ex) PAP MP, David Ong, to PM Lee, who is the Secretary-General of the People’s Action Party (PAP).
10 Fast Facts about David Ong’s Story
1. He’s the PAP MP serving the Bukit Batok SMC. His political career as PAP MP:
7 May 2011 to 24 Aug 2015
MP for Jurong GRC (Bukit Batok)
11 Sep 2015 to 12 Mar 2016
MP for Bukit Batok SMC
2. David Ong is a managing director of a publishing firm, and was first elected as an MP for the Bukit Batok ward under Jurong GRC in 2011.
3. During GE2011, Bukit Batok was under the Jurong GRC (Group Representation Constituency). Bukit Batok had existed as an SMC from 1972 to 1991.
4. Bukit Batok was carved out from Jurong GRC during GE2015 as an SMC.
5. The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) had challenged the incumbent PAP in the 1988 and 1991 polls, losing the latter by a slim margin of 858 votes, with 48.2% of the ballots.
6. There was a three-cornered fight at Bukit Batok SMC during GE2015. Contesting the PAP were SDP and also an independent candidate.
7. PAP’s David Ong had won with 72.99% of the vote during GE2015. The results were PAP (72.99%), SDP represented by Sadasivam Veriyah (26.4%) and independent candidate Samir Salim Neji (0.6%).
8. Yes, PM Lee has said that he’ll be calling for by-election.
9. In PM Lee’s note and also in David Ong’s resignation letter, they both cited personal reasons. Hmmm… Wonder if we’re supposed to read between the lines. Like, how personal are these personal reasons?
Regardless, most Singaporeans would have learned by now and through experience that the PAP is a party that tries to toe every line. When it comes to standards, theirs seem pretty high. It’s probably safe to assume everything’s in good hands and that they will soon put up a credible candidate for the by-election.
10. Oh, in the usual PAP’s ‘We’ve got this’ manner, PM Lee said that in the meantime, the Senior Minister of State, Desmond Lee, MP for Jurong GRC, will take care of the Bukit Batok residents.
So, the six million dollar question is,
Will SDP run?
If you need more background info,
As the story unfolds, who said what?
9 Things about the woman Ex MP had an indiscretion with
Covering the David Ong x Wendy Lim story
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