Singapore Democratic Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Singapore Democratic Party Parti Demokratik Singapura (Malay) 新加坡民主党 (Chinese) சிங்கப்பூர் மக்களாட்ச (Tamil)
Abbreviation	SDP
Chairman	Paul Tambyah
Secretary-General	Chee Soon Juan
Vice Chairman	Bryan Lim
Founder	Chiam See Tong
Founded	6 August 1980; 45 years ago (1980-08-06)
Headquarters	21 Bukit Batok Crescent #29-84 WCEGA Tower Singapore 658065
Newspaper	The New Democrat
Youth wing	Young Democrats
Women's wing	Women Democrats
Ideology	Liberalism Social liberalism
Political position	Centre to centre-left
Regional affiliation	Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats
International affiliation	Liberal International
Colors	Red
Slogan	Competent, Constructive, Compassionate
Parliament	0 / 104

The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is a social liberal political party in Singapore. It was started in 1980 by Chiam See Tong. The party first won a seat in Parliament in 1984 when Chiam became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Potong Pasir.

In the 1991 general election, the SDP had its best results, winning three seats in Parliament. However, disagreements within the party led to Chiam leaving in 1996 to form a new party. Chee Soon Juan then became the Secretary-General, a role he has held since.

The SDP sees itself as a party that is in the middle to slightly left of the political spectrum. They believe in ideas like liberalism and social democracy. Over the years, the party has focused more on promoting human rights and making democratic changes.

The SDP wants to change laws to make civil liberties stronger and to offer more social support for people. They also support liberal ideas for important issues in Singapore, such as education, healthcare, and housing. The party wants to increase spending on social welfare and have a more controlled immigration policy. The SDP is connected to international groups like Liberal International, which shows its commitment to democratic values.

History of the SDP

How the SDP Started and Grew (1980–1992)

The SDP was founded on August 6, 1980, by lawyer Chiam See Tong. He had run in elections before as an independent candidate. Other founders included engineer Fok Tai Loy and businessman Ernest Chew Tian Ern. They wanted to remove old ways of thinking and protect parliamentary democracy.

In October 1980, the party showed its emblem: a red circle with an arrow. The circle stands for unity among Singapore's different groups, and the arrow means political progress. Red shows courage and determination. The party officially started on September 21, 1981.

In 1984, Fok Tai Loy passed away, and Ling How Doong became the party chairman. In the 1984 general election, the SDP used the slogan "Singaporeans for Singapore." They talked about the need for opposition MPs in Parliament to bring more democracy. They also discussed reforming education and the national savings system, and they opposed the idea of an Elected President. Only four candidates ran for the SDP in that election.

During the election campaign, the ruling party, People's Action Party (PAP), criticized SDP leaders. Despite this, Chiam See Tong won the seat for Potong Pasir. He became only the second opposition MP ever elected in Singapore. The SDP did well in the areas they contested, getting 45.2% of the votes there.

After another opposition MP left Parliament in 1986, Chiam was the only opposition voice. He said he would not oppose just for the sake of it, but would "fearlessly" speak up if the government did things that were not good for Singapore.

In the 1988 general election, the SDP was the only opposition party to win a seat, with Chiam re-elected in Potong Pasir. The party got 39.5% of the votes in the areas they contested.

The 1991 general election was called early. The SDP highlighted its concerns about government policies, like the high salaries of ministers and the cost of healthcare and education. They also worked with other opposition parties to contest fewer than half the seats. This strategy aimed to encourage voters to elect more opposition voices without fearing a change in government.

The 1991 election was the SDP's best performance since Singapore became independent. Three SDP candidates were elected to Parliament: Chiam See Tong, Ling How Doong, and Cheo Chai Chen. This brought the total number of opposition MPs to four, which was the largest number since 1963.

Changes in Leadership and Challenges (1992–2000)

In 1992, Chiam See Tong invited Chee Soon Juan, a psychology lecturer, to be an SDP candidate in a special election. Even though the SDP did not win, Chee's involvement created a lot of public interest. Soon, differences began to appear between Chiam, Chee, and other party leaders.

In 1993, these internal disagreements became very serious. Chiam resigned as Secretary-General after the party's committee did not support his attempt to criticize Chee. Chiam then made demands that the committee felt were against the party's democratic rules. This led to a disciplinary hearing, and after much discussion, the committee decided to remove Chiam from the party.

Following these events, some of Chiam's supporters left the SDP. They formed the Singapore People's Party (SPP) in 1994. Chiam officially left the SDP in December 1996 and joined the SPP, continuing his political career there. This period was a big moment for the SDP, showing the challenges of managing a party and sticking to democratic principles.

After becoming the acting leader in 1993, Chee Soon Juan started sharing his views on the lack of democracy in Singapore with the media. In 1996, he published his second political book. Before the 1997 general election, Chee publicly challenged a ruling party MP to a debate.

In the 1997 general election, the SDP faced major setbacks. They did not win any seats, including for their existing MPs, Cheo and Ling, and for Chee. Their overall vote share also dropped. However, Chiam See Tong kept his seat in Potong Pasir under his new party, and another opposition MP also won his seat.

In 1999, Chee gained national attention when he gave a public speech without a permit.

More Challenges for the SDP (2001–2010)

During the 2001 election campaign, Chee Soon Juan had a public exchange with the Prime Minister. Chee questioned the government's economic policies. The ruling party demanded an apology from Chee, which he later gave. However, the SDP continued to criticize the ruling party's economic plans and suggested a minimum wage. The ruling party disagreed, saying these policies would harm Singapore's economy.

The SDP's overall vote share dropped again in 2001, and they did not win any seats. Due to financial issues that prevented him from running in elections, Chee Soon Juan could not participate in elections again until 2015.

In March 2006, before the general election, there were reports of internal disagreements within the SDP. The party chairman, Ling How Doong, was quoted saying the party could do well without Chee. However, Chee's sister, also a party member, confirmed the party remained united.

The SDP continued preparing for the 2006 general election. They focused on issues like a public scandal involving a charity. The party published an article questioning the ruling party's credibility on the issue. The ruling party then sued the SDP for defamation, and the SDP had to apologize and pay damages.

Despite these challenges, the SDP successfully nominated seven candidates for the election. Their vote share improved slightly compared to 2001, but they still did not win any seats.

Tak Boleh Tahan Protest

On March 15, 2008, Chee Soon Juan and 18 others held a protest near Parliament House. They wore red T-shirts that said Tak Boleh Tahan, which means "Cannot Take It" in Malay. The police warned them to stop, and when they did not, the protesters were arrested.

The trial for this protest began in October 2008. The people involved argued that they had a right to freedom of assembly and expression under Singapore's Constitution.

Party Improvements (2011–2020)

A SDP walkabout in Yuhua SMC, 17 April 2011

Before the 2011 general election, the SDP held rallies and released a "Shadow Budget" and a campaign plan called "The SDP Promise." They also continued to work in various neighborhoods.

The party announced its 11 candidates for the election. These included former civil servant Tan Jee Say, teacher Michelle Lee Juen, psychiatrist Ang Yong Guan, and social activist Vincent Wijeysingha. The SDP planned to contest several areas.

The party raised issues like the large number of foreigners in Singapore and the costs of a major youth event. However, these issues were overshadowed when a ruling party minister criticized the SDP team over a video. The SDP quickly denied these claims. On election day, all SDP candidates were successfully nominated.

On May 7, 2011, the SDP lost in all the areas they contested. However, their team in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC achieved their best result since 1997, getting close to the national average vote share for opposition parties.

After the election, Tan Jee Say left the SDP to run for president, as presidential candidates must not be part of a political party. He finished third in the election.

In November 2012, Chee Soon Juan was cleared of his financial issues, which meant he could run in elections again. He considered running in a special election in 2013 but decided not to, to avoid a three-way contest and supported another opposition party.

A SDP poster during the 2015 general election

In the 2015 general election, the SDP contested five areas. Chee Soon Juan led a team in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC, which included professor Paul Tambyah. Although they did not win any seats, Chee's team performed well. Chee was noted for changing his political style to be less confrontational. While the SDP's overall vote share was lower than the previous election, they were less affected by a general drop in support for opposition parties.

In August 2015, the SDP moved its headquarters to Ang Mo Kio.

In March 2016, the SDP announced that Chee Soon Juan would run in a special election for Bukit Batok SMC. He faced the ruling party's candidate. Despite losing, Chee achieved his best result since 1997, with a significant increase in votes for the SDP. His campaign drew a lot of attention.

In August 2017, a ruling party MP left her seat to run for president. The SDP filed a lawsuit to ask for a special election to be held for that seat. However, in April 2018, the court dismissed their request, stating that a special election is only needed if all seats in a group constituency are empty.

In July 2018, the SDP attended a meeting with other opposition parties to discuss forming a group for the next election. The SDP wanted to work with another opposition party, but that party did not join the meeting.

In February 2019, the SDP was the first party to start its election campaign, even though the election had not been announced yet. They said they would contest the same areas as in 2015. Their goal was to prevent the ruling party from winning a very large majority of seats in Parliament. The party also announced plans to release policy papers on housing, cost of living, healthcare, and population issues.

In June 2019, the party confirmed that Chee Soon Juan would run again in Bukit Batok SMC. They also confirmed their plans to contest the same areas as in the last election. On June 30, their 11 candidates were confirmed, including three new faces and the return of Tan Jee Say.

On July 3, SDP chairman Paul Tambyah made a statement about workers' testing, which was later denied by a government minister.

When the results were announced on July 10, the SDP did not win any seats. However, Paul Tambyah came very close to winning in Bukit Panjang, and Chee Soon Juan also performed well in Bukit Batok. Their overall vote share in the contested areas was 37.04%.

In November 2019, the SDP held its committee election. Chee Soon Juan and Paul Tambyah were re-elected as Secretary-General and Chairman, respectively.

Recent Developments (2021–Present)

The SDP remained determined after the 2020 elections, especially with the good campaign they ran and the strong presence of Paul Tambyah. Former chairman Ling How Doong passed away in April 2021.

In 2023, the party began preparing for the next general election, which is expected before November 2025. They announced their intention to contest Sembawang GRC for the first time since 2011. In April, the party announced they would move their headquarters to a new location in the western part of Singapore. The party also suggested working with another opposition party in June.

On May 11, 2024, the SDP held an event at their headquarters to launch their campaign for the upcoming election. Led by Chee Soon Juan and Paul Tambyah, the party highlighted key issues affecting people's lives, such as the cost of living, inequality, and national identity. They also shared their views on immigration and manpower policies.

A SDP rally in Bukit Panjang during the 2025 general election.

On February 20, 2025, the SDP announced that Chee Soon Juan would run in Bukit Batok SMC for the third time. However, after changes to electoral boundaries, Bukit Batok SMC became part of a new group constituency. So, on March 23, 2025, Chee announced he would instead contest in the new Sembawang West SMC, while Paul Tambyah would run in Bukit Panjang SMC. Despite their efforts, the party did not win any seats. Chee came very close to being elected, getting 46.81% of the votes in his area. Chee respected the results, even though he was not elected as a non-constituency MP.

How the SDP is Organized

The SDP is managed by a twelve-member Central Executive Committee (CEC). These members are chosen by the party's special members during a meeting held every two years.

Current Leaders (2024–2026)

On February 3, 2024, the SDP announced its new Central Executive Committee (CEC) members. This committee will serve for two years.

Dr. Paul Tambyah, the Chairperson of the SDP, said that the new committee has a good mix of experienced members and energetic young people. He believes they are all dedicated to making Singapore more democratic. He also expressed confidence that the team would manage local councils well and address important issues in Parliament with new ideas.

Secretary-General Dr. Chee Soon Juan stressed how important it is for the party to have a united plan for talking to the public and preparing for the next General Election. He emphasized the need for good communication and groundwork in the coming weeks and months to have a strong election campaign.

Party Leaders Over Time

Secretaries-General

Chairmen

Former Elected Members of Parliament

Election Results

The Singapore Democratic Party has participated in many general elections in Singapore. Here's a summary of their performance over the years:

• In the 1980 election, the SDP did not win any seats.
• In 1984, Chiam See Tong won a seat, making the SDP the only opposition party with a representative in Parliament at that time.
• In 1988, Chiam See Tong was re-elected, and the SDP remained the only opposition party in Parliament.
• The 1991 election was the SDP's best, with three members elected to Parliament.
• After 1991, the SDP faced challenges and did not win any seats in the general elections from 1997 to 2025.
• Despite not winning seats, the party has continued to contest elections and has seen varying levels of support in the areas they run in. For example, in 2011, their team in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC had a strong showing. In the 2016 special election, Chee Soon Juan achieved his best personal result since 1997. In the 2025 election, Chee also came very close to winning his seat.

Affiliations

The SDP works with several groups that share similar goals:

• Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia
• World Movement for Democracy
• Sweden-Singapore Initiative for Democracy
• Community of Democracies NGO Process

The Young Democrats, which is the SDP's youth group, are members of:

• International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY)
• Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia (YLDA)

See also

In Spanish: Partido Demócrata de Singapur para niños