Former PSP members file application to form new political party Red Dot United
Ravi Philemon Michelle Lee
Mr Ravi Philemon (left) and Ms Michelle Lee have submitted an application to register Red Dot United as a political party. (TODAY file photo)
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SINGAPORE: Former members of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), Mr Ravi Philemon and Ms Michelle Lee, have filed an application to form a new political party named Red Dot United.
A group of like-minded individuals aged from 25 to 55 have come together to form the new party, said Mr Philemon in a virtual press conference on Friday (May 29). Mr Philemon will be the secretary-general of the party, while Ms Lee will be the chairman.
There are more than 10 people in the group that filed the application to form the party, some of whom are former members of other political parties. Besides Ms Lee and Mr Philemon, two others are former PSP members, Mr Philemon said.
Ms Lee quit as vice-chairman of PSP in March, citing family commitments while Mr Philemon resigned on May 12. Before joining PSP, Ms Lee was once part of the Singapore Democratic Party and had contested in the 2011 GE.
Mr Philemon, who ran as a member of the Singapore People’s Party in the 2015 elections, said that he had been planning to start a political platform for “many years” but when PSP was formed, he put his plans on hold to join Dr Tan Cheng Bock’s party. However, after some time, they decided to “part ways amiably”.
“As to why we left PSP, it is possible that we asked too many questions,” he added.
Said Ms Lee of the new party members: “These are people who reached out to us, to ask us about future plans, and in the discussion of going ahead with this, they expressed a lot of enthusiasm and support. We wish PSP the best, we are not trying to pull people over.”
He indicated that many of the party members are below 35 years old and they will focus on engaging youths. The members include professionals and business owners, Mr Philemon added.
READ: Members resigning, expelled 'no big deal' for Progress Singapore Party: Tan Cheng Bock
When asked why they did not want to join an existing political party, Ms Lee said: “There's a need for a new perspective, new ideas and new methods to be brought into this space."
Mr Philemon also said in a statement to the media that their goal is to "build a political-social platform and not just another political party".
"Red Dot United will be present, not only in times of general elections, but also in the years in between them. We will work for change on the ground with our fellow Singaporeans, to enable thought leadership and active citizen participation in the decisions and plans that affect our lives and the path of our nation," he said.
He indicated that the party, whose registration has yet to be approved, is interested in working with other political parties.
“We have also spoken to some other party leaders in the opposition space and will always seek to build each other and fellow Singaporeans up,” he said.
