Sin Kek Tong

Sin Kek Tong
Sin Kek Tong
	沈克棟
	Sin at a nomination centre in 2011
1st Secretary-General of the Singapore People's Party
	In office; June 1994 – December 1996
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong; Lee Hsien Loong;
Succeeded by	Chiam See Tong
Personal details
Born	Sin Kek Tong; June 1944; Singapore, Straits Settlements
Died	27 February 2017
Citizenship	Singapore
Nationality	Singaporean
Other political; affiliations	Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) ; Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA)

Sin Kek Tong (Chinese: 沈克棟; pinyin: Shén Kèdòng; June 1944 - 27 February 2017) was a Singaporean politician who founded the Singapore People's Party.[1]

Political career

Sin was active in politics for more than 20 years, and contested in six general elections in Singapore. In 1988, under the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) helmed by Chiam See Tong, Sin contested in his first GE. Running in the Braddell Heights constituency, Sin lost to the People's Action Party (PAP) Goh Choon Kang, garnering 41.2 per cent of the votes.

In 1991, Sin stood against Goh again at Braddell Heights. This time, he narrowly lost to Goh by nearly 1,200 votes, scoring 47.73 per cent. Sin would later leave the SDP, along with a faction of pro-Chiam supporters, after a disagreement erupted between Chiam and his protégé Chee Soon Juan. On Nov. 21, 1994, Sin founded the SPP, and served as its temporary leader until Chiam came onboard in 1996 to take over the party's reins for the 1997 GE. During GE 1997, Sin contested against Tan Cheng Bock of the PAP in Ayer Rajah SMC. He lost to Tan, faring poorly with 26.83 per cent of the votes.

Sin was contesting in a GRC for his first and only time. Under the Singapore Democratic Alliance banner, which Sin's SPP was a part of, his team in Jalan Besar GRC lost to the PAP, scoring 25.51 per cent of the votes. Sin would stand in two more GEs - 2006 and 2011 - in MacPherson Single Member Constituency and Hong Kah North Single Member Constituency respectively, and losing in both to the PAP candidates.

In 2011, Sin who was SPP's chairman, announced that he was stepping down, due to health reasons and for the party's leadership renewal.

Death

Sin died on 27 February 2017 at the age of 72. Prior to his death, Sin was said to have prostate cancer.[2]

References

"Opposition veteran Sin Kek Tong has died. We look back at his political career. - Mothership.SG".
Chong, Zi Liang (2017-03-01). "Opposition veteran and Singapore People's Party founder Sin Kek Tong dies". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2020-12-15.

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[1] "Opposition veteran Sin Kek Tong has died. We look back at his political career. - Mothership.SG".

[2] Chong, Zi Liang (2017-03-01). "Opposition veteran and Singapore People's Party founder Sin Kek Tong dies". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2020-12-15.