Dr Ang Yong Guan: SDP split is pure fabrication by PAP media

Who says there is a split in the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), asked its candidate, Dr Ang Yong Guan, on Sunday night.

He was referring to news reports in The New Paper, Lianhe Wanbao and the online portal OMY.sg that said SDP chief Dr Chee Soon Juan had planned to organise a protest march after Friday's rally in Jurong. "Other party members intervened to stop it," according to The New Paper.

As a bankrupt, Dr Chee is prohibited under Singapore law from taking part in the General Election or from giving public speeches. "Utter nonsense," said Dr Ang at an SDP rally in Clementi on Sunday night.

Dr Ang is one of the SDP candidates for the Holland-Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

"He (Dr Chee) cannot deliver any speech, but after the rally, he's allowed to mingle with the crowd.

It so happened that at Jurong East, when he moved forward to the front of the stage … there were two or three enthusiastic SDP supporters with flags and … he was garlanded.

"And that - they (the newspapers) called a 'demonstration'. That is not a demonstration. That is not a protest."

The SDP website even provided a video of Dr Chee signing autographs after the Woodlands rally. "Does it look like a protest march?" ran the message on the website.

"At no point did Dr Chee or anyone else plan to do a march. The newspaper should refrain from gutter journalism and spreading such untruths ... At no point did Dr Chee have any intention to get up on stage," the message added.

"So ladies and gentlemen, there is no split within SDP," Dr Ang said.

"I wonder if this is another tactic to dilute the show of force that is happening in Holland-Bukit Timah, Sembawang, Yuhua and Bukit Panjang." These four constituencies are being contested by the SDP in the May 7 polls.