The crux of the split was a farcical attempt in early 1993 by Dr Chee to hold a hunger strike to protest his dismissal from the National University of Singapore. Chee, then a psychology lecturer, was accused of wrongful use research funds. In April that year, Chee began his hunger strike, and by this he meant having one large meal early in the day and supplementing his diet for the rest of the day with glucose solution.
Concerned that Chee's actions would harm the party's image, Mr Chiam tabled a motion to the SDP executive committee on 17 May to censur Dr Chee. Unfortunately for Chiam, Chee's faction shot him down. Realizing that he had just lost control of the party he spent 13 years building up, Mr Chiam resigned the very same day as SDP secretary-general in May 1993.
The truth is that this unfortunate incident was motivated by a bitter power struggle between the veteran Chiam and the newly appointed SDP members of parliament Cheo Chai Chen and Ling How Doong. In the 1991 general election, Cheo had wrested away the Nee Soon Central seat from the incumbent People's Action Party (PAP), while Ling had won in Bukit Gombak. Chiam, as secretary-general of the party, had wanted to centralize control of all town councils under the SDP, but Ling and Cheo had other ideas and wanted to run the townships themselves. When Chiam tabled his motion against Chee, Cheo and Ling saw the opportunity to oust Mr Chiam from his own party. They prevailed, but Cheo and Ling's subsequent mismanagement of their town councils resulted in the return of Nee Soon Central and Bukit Gombak to the PAP.
Shortly after Chiam resigned as secretary-general, he was summoned to appear on 28 Jul 1993 before the SDP CEC, now led by Chee. In that session, he faced a barrage of attacks from the members, who unilaterally expelled him from the party at the end of the session. Chiam sued, arguing that their move was invalid. The High Court ruled in favour of Chiam, who returned to the party where an uneasy calm settled between the warring factions.
This peace was broken again in May 1995, shortly after Chee was elected SDP secretary-general. Mr Chiam spoke out in parliament against Chee for accepting a dubious offer from Williams College, Massachusetts, to attend an alternative panel discussion which opposed the conferring of an honorary degree on then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. Chiam opposed Chee's attendance at the event, which he felt was an American attempt to belittle Singapore's political and judicial system. Chiam believed that responsible politicians should not use the western press to unfairly attack Singapore.
Chiam famously said of Chee: "It saddens me that the SDP is now run by a megalomaniac. This man wants centre-stage all the time. I think it is this character which sends him to Williamstown... Mr Speaker, Sir, but what is more important that has happened in Williamstown is that there are certain people there who would like to see Singapore being run down and attacked Singapore. The issue here is not just about people like Chee Soon Juan who come and go in any event but about the survival of Singapore. Singapore's survival is at stake because there is an attack on the basic institution of Singapore and on the system of Singapore. And it is the duty of loyal Opposition to defend Singapore."
For this, Chee and the CEC publicly shamed Chiam in the press, accusing him of being a puppet to the PAP, acting as an authoritarian, and attempting to destroy the SDP because of his own jealousy and thirst for power. Chiam sued Chee and the CEC for libel and won $120,000 in damages. He later left the SDP to join the Singapore People's Party in 1996.
This sordid piece of history serves as a warning to our voters today. In general election 2015, Chee Soon Juan has returned to stand as secretary-general of the SDP in Holland-Bukit Timah, while his former ally, Mr Cheo Chai Chen is contesting under the National Solidarity Party ticket in MacPherson.
While I am genuinely excited for the increased opposition presence against the PAP, I cannot help but feel uneasy about Chee and Cheo's past misdeeds. From Chee's ruthless treatment of former mentor Chiam to his history of maniacal outbursts, voters need to consider whether having Chee in parliament would truly enrich the level of debate for the benefit of all Singaporeans. Lest we forget, voters should likewise consider whether Cheo Chai Chen, whose reckless personal ambition cost Mr Chiam his position in the party, and whose bungling of his town council duties cost the opposition their hard won seat in parliament, has become a more capable man in the past decade.
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