People’s Action Party (PAP) Secretary-General Lee Hsien Loong has accepted Ivan Lim’s withdrawal from the coming General Election (GE), describing the controversy over Mr Lim’s candidature was “unfortunate”.
Mr Lim – who was introduced as a PAP candidate on 24 June – has withdrawn from the GE soon after he made clarifications about the various allegations that have been made against him on social media.
The PAP had also confirmed his withdrawal on Saturday (27 June), along with an exchange of letters between Mr Lim and Mr Lee.
Mr Lim noted in his letter that the controversy has eclipsed the core issues of what the election should be about – Singapore’s future and the difficult steps the country has to take to emerge from the pandemic – and insisted that new allegations emerged after his clarifications were “baseless”.
“Following my clarification this morning, further allegations have emerged against me. These new allegations are baseless,” he wrote, without specifying what the allegations were about.
Mr Lee accepted Mr Lim’s decision to drop out from the GE, noting that “the controversy over his candidature was unfortunate”.
“The allegations spread like wildfire online, eclipsing the serious life and death issues we must grapple with,” Mr Lee said in his reply to Mr Lim’s letter.
He added, “Ideally, there would have been a fair and deliberate consideration of these allegations. Unfortunately, the nature of the campaign is such that we do not have time for a thorough investigation.”
Mr Lee also noted that he regrets Mr Lim and his family have had to “bear such stress” during this period, and hopes that Singaporeans will give them “peace and privacy to recover”.
“I hope Singaporeans will give you and your family the peace and privacy to recover, and welcome your continued contribution to our society,” he wrote.
Previously, Mr Lim was criticized on social media over his conduct and behaviour after he was introduced as a potential candidate of the PAP.
Most of the criticisms centered on his “arrogant, selfish and elitist” attitude as a commanding officer (CO) in military service, as well as his uncompassionate ill-treatment of colleagues and subordinates as assistant general manager (AGM) and general manager (GM) at the shipyard organisation.
Mr Lim made clarifications on Saturday (27 June) after the PAP’s First Assistant Secretary-General Heng Swee Keat urged him to “clarify these complaints and comments”. He also noted that he is “determined to stay the course.”
However, not long after that, the ruling party confirmed that Mr Lim will be dropping out of the GE as a candidate.
