Jeremy Chen resigns from the SDP; an SDP official gives the party's side

[PoliticalDialogue]

Jeremy Chen resigns from the SDP; an SDP official gives the party's side as to what happened
January 28, 2015 at 10:05pm, Facebook

An assistant secretary-general of the SDP, Mr Christopher Ang, has listed a number of reasons why the party had some issues with Mr Jeremy Chen -- who has now resigned from the SDP -- including that he apparently was reported to have, in some Facebook postings, said a number of unflattering things about some political parties and personalities. (See:
http://therealsingapore.com/content...ral-clarifies-why-jeremy-chen-had-leave-party)

I read this with incredulity and I concluded that the SDP must be desperate in scouring around for even the slightest, inconsequential reasons to bat away Mr Chen’s strong – and justified -- criticism of SDP secretary-general Dr Chee Soon Juan.

One should not forget that it was the SDP under Dr Chee who had proposed to the WP just before the Punggol East by-election that the two parties should collaborate in the by-election, with a winning SDP candidate taking the seat in Parliament while the WP would engage in the less glamorous work of town council management.

Very many Singaporeans viewed the SDP’s proposal as being a deliberate and gratuitous insult to the WP -- an insult that only someone with the perverse mentality of Dr Chee could have conjured up.

Putting aside the SDP’s hare-brained Punggol East by-election proposal, one just needs to go back to 2007 and the International Bar Association (IBA) symposium in Singapore to be aware of the seeds of the animosity that Dr Chee’s SDP has had towards the WP since it started being led by Mr Low Thia Khiang.

At the IBA symposium, WP chairman Sylvia Lim argued that Singaporeans were more than capable of handling domestic legal issues on their own, including that of the rule of law, and that they did not require support from the international community. Her remarks drew the ire of the SDP, whose senior members took to its party portal to take a pot-shot at Ms Lim, not once but twice. The first article was titled, “SDP disappointed with WP's IBA comments”, 21 Oct 2007
(http://yoursdp.org/news/sdp_disappointed_with_wp_s_iba_comments/2007-10-21-5059) The second article was titled, “Observations at the IBA symposium”, 22 Oct 2007
(http://yoursdp.org/publ/perspectives/observations_at_the_iba_symposium/2-1-0-938)

From the IBA symposium to the Punggol East by-election, the SDP under Dr Chee has been nothing but at loggerheads with the WP. Apparently, the SDP and its leader seem perfectly fine with their behaviour over these incidents, or the party spin-machine will turn these incidents on their head to ensure that the party and its leader appear virtuous.

And after causing unnecessary offence to another opposition party, the SDP will then pretend as if nothing had happened, and subsequently attempt to seek inter-party cooperation so as to improve its electoral chances.

As I had stated publicly at a talk at the Singapore Management University on 19 April 2011, just weeks before the 7 May 2011 general election, some of the opposition parties in Singapore are more in opposition towards each other than they are towards the PAP.

At the same talk, I had also said that whichever opposition party that emerged strongest out of GE2011 should no longer sit down with other minor aspirants to agree on areas where each will have a straight fight with the PAP. Instead, the strongest opposition party should just announce where it will field candidates and let the rest work things out among themselves.

The reason why I said this was that for the strongest opposition party to continue sitting down with minor parties would ensure the perpetual fragmentation of the opposition in Singapore, and that is simply not good for political development in a small city-state. It was also to highlight, and not paper over, the very real differences across the opposition parties. As I have said before, the opposition in Singapore is not monolithic.
(See: https://www.facebook.com/notes/derek-da-cunha/the-opposition-is-not-monolithic/10152115502853797)


Dr Derek da Cunha is author of the books: Breakthrough: Roadmap for Singapore’s Political Future (Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies, 2012), 288pp; Singapore Places its Bets: Casinos, Foreign Talent and Remaking a City-state (Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2010), 192pp; and, The Price of Victory: The 1997 Singapore General Election and Beyond (Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1997), 150pp.

Copyright © Derek da Cunha


https://www.facebook.com/notes/dere...-side-as-to-wha/10153610274593797?pnref=story

 

[yellowarse]

Jeremy is the real Judas, not Heng Swee Keat. A guy who's pathologically jealous and who doesn't hesitate to badmouth just about everybody and every party in the opposition camp only deserves to join one party: the PAP. Oops, forgot that he's a plant already ...

---

SDP ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL CLARIFIES WHY JEREMY CHEN HAD TO LEAVE THE PARTY

Post date:
28 Jan 2015 - 4:23pm




Jeremy Chen's FB posts reason for SDP action

We have, in the past, received numerous complaints with screenshots from our members and netizens regarding Jeremy Chen's Facebook posts. Some of these include Jeremy:

• calling Roy Ngerng “deceitful”, saying that the funds that he raised were “ill-gotten”, mentioning ISIS murderers' and rapists' justifications with Roy's matter, and comparing him to Yang Yin,
• writing that Vincent Wijeysinghe should “stop pretending to be hurt for personal publicity”,
• making uncalled for remarks against other opposition parties such as saying that the NSP lacked principles, questioning the general character of SingFirst, and calling out WP's Sylvia Lim's argument as being “very silly”,
• likening PAP's Heng Swee Keat to Judas Iscariot
• putting up a tasteless caption of a photo of Lee Kuan Yew
• saying that, “some religious people are stupid”
• casting aspersions on SMU's teaching system
• saying that one “...can rob, rape, murder...just say that you are against the PAP and anything also can. No need to take responsibility.”

Dr Chee Soon Juan and other members had repeatedly cautioned Jeremy from making such offensive posts but to no avail.The party then conveyed to Jeremy that if he continued with such Facebook posts, he cannot play a prominent role in the party. This is the only point of contention the party has with him. SDP members and activists are expected to conduct themselves with decorum, whether online or off.Jeremy tended his resignation as a member of the SDP on 27 January 2015.

Christopher Ang
Assistant Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party​

​

 

[Cosmos10]

Jeremy is the real Judas, not Heng Swee Keat. A guy who's pathologically jealous and who doesn't hesitate to badmouth just about everybody and every party in the opposition camp only deserves to join one party: the PAP. Oops, forgot that he's a plant already ...

Hi brother, here is a nice article by Den Gogh:

JEREMY CHEN IS WRONG ABOUT DR CHEE SOON JUAN, I CAN VOUCH FOR HIS CHARACTER

I refer to the article: "JEREMY CHEN: WHY I LEFT THE SINGAPORE DEMOCRATIC PARTY"

I will state this. I am a member of SDP. I have not been attending recently due to my work schedule. Hence, as I indicate here and later, I have very little clue as to what caused Jeremy to leave. But whatever the reason may be, there can not be a reason good enough to justify what he has been doing and is still doing.

I am also writing this on my own accord and neither SDP or Dr Chee has prior knowledge that I am writing this. It has been very hard to refrain from responding to Jeremy as I am sure it must have been for the other members. However, the vindictiveness and arrogance has gone beyond disturbing. This is wrong in principle and integrity, on so many levels.

People involved in organisations do not sit down and do nothing. Everyone plays a role. It may be in doing the research before writing the paper, or crafting the policy, or go on walkabouts, be the event planner, or the one who sees to the food and drink during gatherings, some go to meetings and contribute with lots of ideas and some maybe not so many, and some with more commitments, may only be able to attend the occasional activity. The point is, every person does something and that is valued.

Whoever each person is or contributes, is appreciated by everyone. Every member has his or her own gift and each brings to the table that ability and that is celebrated. The fact that someone wants to be there willingly to contribute, is enough reason to be celebrated and our contributions, big or small, have always been received with gratitude.

What none of us do, is to go and write and tell everyone what he or she has done to contribute because it does not matter. A person comes, he or she comes freely. We are there because we believe that we are doing it for the greater good. We want to be able to serve, to make a change. it does not matter to any one of us, who does what or if anybody recognise any of what I do. It simply does not matter.

Many of those in the party would, I am sure, like to tell the truth about this whole mess that Jeremy and only Jeremy has made. Until now, SDP and even Dr Chee has remained silent. In the face of Jeremy's vicious, unwarranted, unprofessional attacks, they have stayed silent and allowed the PAP supporters and some opposition supporters to gleefully use the unsupported accusations of one person to ridicule Dr Chee and SDP and to goad Jeremy into repeatedly attacking them.

People along the way, in any organisation, political party, or any group where the complexities of relationships, social interactions, and communication of ideas and opinions, are involved, there will inevitably be conflicts. This is part of being humans and being individuals and as such, you will find conflicts occurring in every party, PAP or alternative.

As Ronald Regan once said, "Peace is not the absence of conflicts, it is the ability to handle conflicts by peaceful means".

And if a person finally feels that what he wants is not aligned with what the party's direction is, there are always mature avenues to take. People leave social, political, religious, groups all the time, Jeremy's disagreement with the party or Dr Chee is not the first and will not be the last. This is because if an organisation is going to be able to function, discussions must occur, disagreements will happen, and decisions have to be made, regardless of whether there was full agreement to that decision. And no one should ever expect a leader to not stand firm on certain principles, to not have the courage to change a course or direction once started, for the bigger good, and to be once in a while, human and make mistakes.

Dr Chee is a good man. He is passionate but more than that, he is compassionate. He is a peaceful man (it is a shame that the media and the PAP has tried so long and hard to not let Singaporeans see that side of him). He is a principled man. He is humble. People have always mistaken his passion for arrogance. And he has sacrificed more than most of the politicians we have today, yet none more bullied and demonised.

As I said above, I do not fully know what transpired. However, the ways and words, in which, Jeremy used to attack Dr Chee and SDP, signalled for me, at least, certain things:

That Jeremy felt slighted.

That his anger was personal.

His agenda was revenge.

He did not publicly write all those things to whistle blow on the party or Dr Chee. He wanted to assassinate the characters of Dr Chee and members of the party.


And that was the folly and even, arrogance of Jeremy. I expected the arrogance. I never expected the foolishness and most of all, I am shocked at the viciousness.

And contrary to what Jeremy would like people to think of Dr Chee as being an autocrat or an authoritarian, I will, in my experience with Dr Chee and the party) put my personal views here.

Dr Chee is the least authoritarian head of an organisation I have ever come across in my life. Sure, sometimes tough decisions have to be made, whether one likes it or not but only when truly necessary. However, Dr Chee will go out of his way, sometimes, even meeting each member individually, to explain the reason why that decision had to be taken.

When I attended one of SDP's conferences and another SDP workshop, I was very new to anything politics. I, of course, had heard about the reputation of Dr Chee, fed to me, courtesy of the media and PAP. The Dr Che I saw, was not one bit like all the media had reported and PAP had accused him of being.

But the most amazing thing to me was, how he allowed members and even volunteers to participate, make decisions, and even control the activities. He once said during a meeting, "I have often been asked why do I let non-SDP volunteers be involved in the planning and implementing of SDP's activities. My answer is, if we say that this is a democratic party and we tell people that this is your party, then, how can we not practice what we say and believe in?"

That was some 4 years back and I still remember those words because it was in that moment, that I truly saw the sincerity, integrity, and passion of this man. I still see those traits in Dr Chee and more because he has always consistently demonstrated those behaviours and conducted himself that way.


Den Gogh

​*Article first appeared as a comment on: http://therealsingapore.com/content/jeremy-chen-why-i-left-singapore-dem...

 

[yellowarse]

Absolutely. People who have worked or interacted with CSJ will tell you that he's very democratic as a boss ... to a fault. What he could and should learn from the Workers' Party and LTK is party discipline.

There's all the difference in the world between party discipline and democracy. While channels within the party should remain open for feedback and criticism, there's a line there should not be crossed. By going to town with all his grievances, and launching into a vicious personal attack on the party leader, Jeremy has crossed the line.

When I was posting in Delfi, I remember GMS posting under his real name on party matters against LTK's orders. I knew it was a matter of time before he was asked to go. And I was right.

Jeremy should have been expelled a long time ago.

 

[vtran2684]

We shall see which party Jeremy joins/votes for in 2015.

 

[tanwahp]

Disagree with Derek. Derek is pro-WP like me. He doesn't see SDP in a favourable light, but his reasons for not seeing SDP in an unfavourable light is different from Jeremy's reasons.

Jeremy also doesn't like WP and according to SDP's Christopher Ang insulted Sylvia Lim. In the Punggol East BE, Jeremy helped SDP draft some strategies. Therefore the BE cannot be a true reason for Jeremy resigning.

Jeremy was part of SDP and left because his suggestions were not all accepted. Derek wouldn't never touch SDP with a 10 foot pole. Derek shouldn't support someone like Jeremy, who is very like GMS. The egoistic type who will not fit into any party until he becomes the top man of the party.

 

[3_M]

Disagree with Derek. Derek is pro-WP like me. He doesn't see SDP in a favourable light, but his reasons for not seeing SDP in an unfavourable light is different from Jeremy's reasons.

Jeremy also doesn't like WP and according to SDP's Christopher Ang insulted Sylvia Lim. In the Punggol East BE, Jeremy helped SDP draft some strategies. Therefore the BE cannot be a true reason for Jeremy resigning.

Jeremy was part of SDP and left because his suggestions were not all accepted. Derek wouldn't never touch SDP with a 10 foot pole. Derek shouldn't support someone like Jeremy, who is very like GMS. The egoistic type who will not fit into any party until he becomes the top man of the party.

There are 2 angles which we can look at it. Firstly is it right for Jeremy to wash the dirty linen to the public? I do think that it unwise to do so. If the party doesn't suit you, just move on to the next.

Second point if there is any justification for his criticism on CSJ and if his points valid? I do agree with Jeremy. Whether we like it or not, CSJ is a dud leader who should have step down long ago. I just can't find any example of a party leader who can stay on for so long after suffering crushing defeats one after another. What does it tell us about this party?

In any case Jeremy denied that he ever insulted SL.

A Reply to the SDP's Deceitful Claims About My Departure -

 

[hammer]

http://jeremy-chen.org/blog/201501/reply-sdps-deceitful-claims-about-my-departure

Writing to The Real Singapore in his capacity as SDP Assistant Secretary General, Christopher Ang made claims that my departure from the party was due to poor conduct on social media. Those claims are deceitful and a poor attempt to deflect.

Briefly, this is why:

1 My resignation letter stated that I was offended by SDP Secretary General Chee Soon Juan lying about a CEC decision on 29 Jul 2014, but almost all the examples (the screenshots) were of items after that date. (Yes, Assistant Secretary General Ang is suggesting that macro-scale time travel has been achieved. Olso awaits.)
2 I had essentially left the party two days after that date. My communications with the party were typically met with radio silence. (Such as sending them the strategy brief I prepared way before that meeting.)
3 The statement failed to address the charge of lying, which I would not have known about without some CEC members notifying me.

- See more at: http://jeremy-chen.org/blog/201501/...laims-about-my-departure#sthash.iAt9bWYe.dpuf

Jeremy said Chris Ang's reply is a poor attempt to deflect. Likewise, Jeremy's reply to Chris Ang is no better, also a poor attempt to deflect. Regardless, whether it was before or after CEC decision on 29 Jul 2014, Jeremy's behavior in the cyberworld is unprofessional and tasteless. Someone said no party will touch Jeremy with a 10 foot pole. Jeremy's political career is kaput, the slipper guy is even better than Jeremy.

 

[tanwahp]

There are 2 angles which we can look at it. Firstly is it right for Jeremy to wash the dirty linen to the public? I do think that it unwise to do so. If the party doesn't suit you, just move on to the next.

Recently, Jeannette ran for NSP president and her close ally Ravi Philemon ran in her previous secretary-general post. After both failed, they assured that things were still cordial between the factions. That's the BASIC of how it's done. Only Jeremy and GMS would burn bridges in a childish way. That doesn't mean Jeannette's gang will remain with NSP since none of them (including Bryan Long and James Teo) ran for any CEC post and I expect it will happen soon.

Second point if there is any justification for his criticism on CSJ and if his points valid? I do agree with Jeremy. Whether we like it or not, CSJ is a dud leader who should have step down long ago. I just can't find any example of a party leader who can stay on for so long after suffering crushing defeats one after another. What does it tell us about this party?

Sorry, I do agree with Jeremy, just that agree very little when it comes to his particular resignation note and the subsequent, all which stinks of verbal diahorrea.

In any case Jeremy denied that he ever insulted SL.

Jeremy supported NEA against AHPETC in the recent trade fair case (sounds familiar?). That would be fine if he didn't compare Sylvia Lim's adamancy to Lee Kuan Yew's corruption. Not insult?

 

[vtran2684]

Will Jeremy join WP or another party in GE 2015? Will that party accept him? Will he run against Chee?

 

[yellowarse]

Will Jeremy join WP or another party in GE 2015? Will that party accept him? Will he run against Chee?

Jeremy's finished. He's persona non grata not just with the SDP, but with all the other opposition parties as well. Who'd want such a vicious, petty and vindictive Judas?

 

[methink]

Jeremy's finished. He's persona non grata not just with the SDP, but with all the other opposition parties as well. Who'd want such a vicious, petty and vindictive Judas?

Only the Papzis can identify with such characters. I too do not see any oppos willing to accept such a flawed character.

 

[yellowarse]

Only the Papzis can identify with such characters. I too do not see any oppos willing to accept such a flawed character.

Maybe he's already with the Pappies.

 

[methink]

Maybe he's already with the Pappies.

Yes could be. More likely this Jeremy rat was oredi with the PAP and planted there. This is the kind of dirty tricks we can expect from the papzis.

 

[liongsum]

Yes could be. More likely this Jeremy rat was oredi with the PAP and planted there. This is the kind of dirty tricks we can expect from the papzis.

Did you read what Jeremy wrote?
He is too good for SDP.

 

[methink]

Did you read what Jeremy wrote?
He is too good for SDP.

Really? How come no political parties want him? Maybe he is good only for the PAP?

The good ones prefer to join the oppositions. The bad are in PAP. Jeremy qualifies as a pappy dog!

 

[liongsum]

Really? How come no political parties want him? Maybe he is good only for the PAP?

Of course he is a political disaster, but he is sharp and what he writes makes sense.
If you read properly, SDP wanted him, but they can't tolerate a maverick.

 

[yellowarse]

Of course he is a political disaster, but he is sharp and what he writes makes sense.
If you read properly, SDP wanted him, but they can't tolerate a maverick.

Those who've worked with him find him egotistical and self-centred. He's not a team player at all, and likes to take all the credit for himself. Zero EQ, zero political nous. In addition, he's also now shown himself to be petty, vicious, and extremely vindictive. No political party would ever want him, save as a mole.

As for making 'sense', if you read his writings carefully, you'll notice that he likes to use high-flown language and resort to pseudo-intellectual arguments to impress his audience. But look deeper and you'll find that his premises are not very clearly enunciated, and his assumptions can be quite immature and naïve, especially when he comments on socio-political issues, e.g. the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The most brilliant minds are usually able to formulate and communicate their thoughts in clear, direct and simple prose. It's the inferior mind that tries to obfuscate the issue and resorts to highfalutin reasoning to confuse and silence its critics. Jeremy belongs to the latter.

 

[tanwahp]

Of course he is a political disaster, but he is sharp and what he writes makes sense.
If you read properly, SDP wanted him, but they can't tolerate a maverick.

What is so special about Jeremy? Look around the opposition camp and you will see so many sharp people writing sense. You can count them by thousands, definitely more than enough to cover the 87 seats.

The number of sharp people who write sense and stand with the opposition has increased since the fear factor started stepping away in the late 90s, and now the opposition doesn't lack people. In 2011, we nearly had a full contest save for Tanjong Pagar. No one can now say the opposition cannot contest all the seats because Singaporeans had the NIMBY syndrome.

The opposition needs to move a step further and look for virtues like integrity, rationality and calmness, virtues Jeremy (and people like Kenneth Jeya and GMS) lack. If opposition continue to open their arms to such people despite having such a large pool to tap on, they show a failure to check themselves.