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‘I am my own person’: Lina Chiam

Singapore People's Party candidate Lina Chiam, who will contest in Potong Pasir SMC, speaks on her style of politics. (Yahoo! Photo/Alicia Wong)
Singapore People's Party candidate Lina Chiam, who will contest in Potong Pasir SMC, speaks on her style of politics. (Yahoo! Photo/Alicia Wong)

Her husband may be an icon for opposition politics, having helmed the Potong Pasir single-seat ward since 1984, and she may have worked alongside him all these years, but to some residents, she is still a 'new face' who will have to prove herself to win their vote in the coming General Election (GE).

Lina Chiam, 62, who will contest in Potong Pasir under the Singapore People's Party (SPP), recognises this.

Her husband, five-term Member of Parliament (MP) Chiam See Tong, 76, has expressed interest in contesting in the Bishan-Toa Payoh group representation constituency (GRC).

"It does help that you're Chiam See Tong's wife," she admits in an interview with Yahoo! Singapore. "But in the end, you still have to prove yourself, your brand of politics."

Chiam, who is the SPP's second vice-chairwoman, tries to do house visits up to four times each week: "(The) walkabout is important for me, because I need to let them see my face and who I am."

Contesting in Potong Pasir is not an act of "nepotism", she stresses. "I'm willing to serve, take care of the residents. It's not because of money or power or prestige."

She cites a multi-story carpark, fitness centres for seniors, a polyclinic and children's library as some amenities she will lobby for as an MP.

Chiam's brand of politics

To Chiam, "Politics is serving people, the interest of the country — economically, socially. I'm in opposition politics and I want to ensure (there is) democracy. It's very important and it must survive."

"I'm a woman so my working style might be more gentle, more motherly, more understanding," said the former nurse, comparing her working style to that of her husband.

Yet she also describes herself as a "very forthright" and "very strong-willed" person.

Drawing from her nursing experience, Chiam said,"Even my husband, when I'm taking care of him when he's sick, I have to be very strict with him, if not, they are being mollycoddled. They don't get well."

Addressing the news reports of disputes between the SPP and Singapore Democratic Alliance, Chiam reflected, "It's just one part of political life."

"It's just like a family, you have quarrels then you get back. We learn to be forgiving and compassionate and have graciousness."

However, she declined to comment on the relationship between the Chiams and Mr Chiam's former protegee Desmond Lim, who recently quit the party after a much publicised disagreement with the couple.

"I want to focus on the elections now and how to win the hearts and minds of my residents. I think that is past already," she said. "I believe all of us are able to have our own objectives and agenda, and move forward from there."

Why not retire?

In moving forward, some residents and observers have wondered if Mr Chiam should retire as the long-reigning MP for Potong Pasir, rather than contest in a GRC and possibly lose.

"If Singapore, by chance, had a lot of opposition members, I think my husband would have retired. As it is, he is already not that well," responded Chiam, referring to the mild stroke Mr Chiam suffered in 2008.

"But as you can see there is still two. ... So somebody has to take the sacrifice, who better to do (it) than my husband, who is a veteran," she said, adding that he is "mentally prepared" for the challenge.

She knows this will be "one of the toughest" elections the couple will face, since both are contesting, but she believes their years of election experience will help.

"Whether we win or not, we don't know," she said. But the risk is "worth it".

"At least my husband can say 'I've tried'.'"

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