Prof Tambyah
Prof Tambyah

Professor Paul Anantharajah Tambyah is set to join the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

A familiar face at the party’s activities the last few years, Prof Tambyah’s membership has raised the prospects of his candidacy in the upcoming general elections under the SDP banner.

Speaking to the media yesterday, Prof Tambyah said that he is at the moment an activist and would be handing over his duties at human rights group, Maruah, before joining the SDP.

Maruah does not allow political party members to join it.

Prof Tambyah is an infectious diseases specialist at the Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), where in 2013 he was granted full tenure.

Besides being Professor of Medicine, he is also Senior Consultant ID Physician.

According to the Doctors of Tomorrow website, Prof Tambyah completed medical school at NUS and then after national service in the Singapore Armed Forces, went on to postgraduate training in the US under Dr Dennis Maki at the University of Wisconsin.

“Since his return to Singapore more than 15 years ago, he has been involved in a number of international and national committees. Past appointments have included founding head of the division of ID, NUS, Asst Dean, YLLSOM, and board member of the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology in America. He is currently President of the Society of Infectious Diseases (Singapore) and Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection.”

Prof Tambyah has extensive experience and has received numerous awards in his career. (See here.)

Prof Tambyah’s inclusion in the SDP team will undoubtedly give the party another boost, after its secretary-general’s return to the electoral arena after an absence of almost 15 years because of legal restrictions.

The SDP said on Thursday during its walkabout at Bukit Panjang that it will return to the constituencies it had contested before, and is also contemplating mounting a challenge in some new areas, such as Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, and the revived SMC in Bukit Batok.

What is confirmed is that the party will not be contesting Tanjong Pagar GRC, the constituency of the late Lee Kuan Yew.

“Many people in Tanjong Pagar are very keen to vote,” said Prof Tambyah, who was fronting the SDP’s door-stop interview with the media, “but at the same time, there are many other parties that have expressed interest.”

It is reported that the Singapore First Party, led by Tan Jee Say, and the Democratic Progressive Party, led by Benjamin Pwee, are interested in the GRC.

Besides Marsiling-Yew Tee and Bukit Batok, the SDP is also eyeing two other GRCs – Holland-Bukit Timah, and Sembawang – and SMCs Yuhua, and Bukit Panjang.

The opposition parties will be meeting on Monday to negotiate among themselves on which party will contest which areas so as to avoid three-cornered fights.

“It will be important for everybody to understand what is the best way to give Singaporeans an alternative, to provide a check and balance and perhaps even to ensure we deny the People’s Action Party a two-thirds majority in Parliament,” Prof Tambyah said.

The SDP has introduced several policy papers the last few years, offering alternative solutions to some of the problems faced by Singapore.

You can view them here: “SDP Alternatives.”

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Singaporeans are embracing racial diversity but minorities still face workplace discrimination – IPS report

Singapore is faring well when it comes to inter-racial and inter-religious relations,…

【冠状病毒19】新增六入境病例 四人是水手

根据卫生部文告,本地在8月13日中午12时,新增102例确诊,91例都是住宿舍工作准证持有者,六例入境病例,五例社区病例。 入境病例其中两人是新加坡人,分别在本月1日和11日,从阿联酋和菲律宾返国。入境后即履行居家通知,并接受冠病检测。 其余四人是菲律宾水手,与早前确诊的同船水手有关联,他们都是在本月8日乘船从印度入境新加坡。抵境后都没有下船,因出现症状而在船上接受检测。 至于社区病例方面,包括一名本地永久居民以及四名工作证件持有者,国籍分别是孟加拉、印度、缅甸和马来西亚。他们都未出现症状,而是在当局积极检测下发现。 与此同时,也有216人康复出院,康复人数增至5万0736人。

Calling out for Male Volunteers from AWARE for theatre production

Calling Male Volunteers for Forum Theatre! AWARE is collaborating with Drama Box to produce its…