PSP's Francis Yuen takes over from Tan Cheng Bock as party chief
SINGAPORE — Ex-Republic of Singapore Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Francis Yuen has been appointed the new secretary-general of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).
He was previously the party's assistant secretary-general.
PSP founder and its first secretary-general Tan Cheng Bock was appointed chairman during a meeting of the party's new central executive committee (CEC) on Wednesday (31 March).
The reshuffle comes after the party held its party conference on 28 March, which saw six new faces elected into the CEC. They are Dr Ang Yong Guan, Kayla Low Shu Yu, Jess Chua, Wendy Low, Phang Yew Huat and Harish Pillay.
The new CEC office holders are:
Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Chairman
Wang Swee Chuang, Vice Chairman
Francis Yuen, Secretary General
Kayla Low Shu Yu, Treasurer
Phang Yew Huat, Asst Treasurer
New CEC members:
Peggie Chua
Hazel Poa
Leong Mun Wai
Dr Ang Yong Guan
Jess Chua
Wendy Low
Harish Pillay
Taufik Supan
Kumaran Pillai
Two members co-opted
In a statement, the party’s spokesperson said that Taufik Supan and Kumaran Pillai were coopted into its highest decision making body by the CEC on Wednesday night. This brings the total number of those in the CEC to 14.
The position of treasurer, previously held by S Nallakaruppan, is now occupied by Kayla Low. Nallakaruppan was one of the party's candidates for the Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the 2020 general elections while Low was the candidate for Yio Chu Kang Single Member Constituency (SMC).
The party’s only two Non-Constituency Members of Parliament, Hazel Poa and Leong Mun Wai, remain as members of the CEC.
The 12 CEC members were elected from 26 nominations following two hours of deliberations by PSP cadres at the party conference. They will serve until March 2023.
In last year's polls, PSP lost all 24 seats to the incumbent People’s Action Party in the four GRCs and five SMCs that PSP contested in.
In West Coast GRC – which Dr Tan ran in – PSP took 48.31 per cent of the vote share against PAP’s 51.69 per cent.
Yuen, 71, contested as part of the PSP's slate of candidates in Chua Chu Kang GRC. The PSP team there received 41.36 per cent of the vote share, against PAP's 58.64 per cent.
Commenting on the party’s overall performance then, Dr Tan had said that he was "quite proud" of the achievement. He had said during the campaign run last July that he would not be handing over leadership of the team "so fast", and that the party had a succession plan in place with a ready pool of young talent.
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