PSP founder Tan Cheng Bock to retire from electoral politics, not leaving party
"PSP is not going to run away," said secretary-general Leong Mun Wai.
Progress Singapore Party chair Tan Cheng Bock speaks to reporters at West Coast Market on May 10, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
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SINGAPORE: Progress Singapore Party (PSP) founder and chairman Tan Cheng Bock confirmed on Saturday (May 10) that he will retire from electoral politics.
He will, however, remain in the party, he told journalists before a walkabout at West Coast Market Square with about 20 PSP members and volunteers, including those who contested in West Coast-Jurong West GRC and Pioneer SMC.
"At the end of the day, we didn't do that well. I don't want to blame anybody now," Dr Tan added.
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The PSP will not have a parliamentary presence following the General Election, as the results meant that the party loses its five-year hold over the Non-Constituency MP seats occupied by secretary-general Leong Mun Wai and first vice-chairperson Hazel Poa.
The party lost in all the constituencies it was contesting. It also received a smaller vote share in the ones it was re-contesting, including West Coast-Jurong West GRC, which saw the closest contest between PSP and the ruling People's Action Party in the 2020 General Election.
PSP went on a series of walkabouts on Saturday to thank Singaporeans who voted for them, said Dr Tan, who turned 85 in April.
"And also to show to those who didn't vote for us, we are not running away. We'll be back soon. We'll be back in maybe five years time," he added.
"By then, I hope a younger team will take over and we hope the people will look at us in a different way."
The party is looking forward to seeing how it can train its younger members to understand what politics is and "what is it like to represent the people", Dr Tan added.
He stood as a candidate in the 2025 General Election because he hoped to bring more young people into parliament, he said, noting that he had already been a Member of Parliament before.
"I tried my best. I think maybe they think we're not ready. But it's ok, because if Workers' Party took about 60 years to just gain 10 seats, I told them, don't be discouraged," Dr Tan said.
Mr Leong echoed Dr Tan's message, saying: "PSP is not going to run away. We will reflect, regroup and return."
"At this moment, we cannot share much because we are still doing our internal deliberation. When we are ready, we promise that we'll give a full presentation to all of you as to what PSP is going to do," he added.
Party representatives declined to take further questions, citing their packed schedule for the rest of the day.
