Tan Cheng Bock and Lee Hsien Yang meet over breakfast again, this time at Ang Mo Kio market
Former presidential candidate Dr Tan Cheng Bock met Lee Hsien Yang, younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, on Saturday (2 February) morning, according to the Today newspaper.
This follows their first public meeting in November, and is fuelling speculation about a possible political alliance between the duo.
Today reported that Saturday’s breakfast meeting took place at Ang Mo Kio Market and Food Centre in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, located within Ang Mo Kio GRC, which is represented by PM Lee and five other People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Members of Parliament.
Both declined to be interviewed when approached by Today journalists at around 9.15am. Lee would only say, “Breakfast was good.”
Dr Tan and Lee were accompanied by four other men, who are believed to be the former’s advisors. According to Today, the group went on a short walkabout around Teck Ghee, the ward inside the Ang Mo Kio GRC helmed by PM Lee.
Met for breakfast in West Coast on 4 November
Dr Tan and Lee were last seen publicly together at West Coast hawker centre on 4 November last year. The hawker centre is located in Dr Tan’s former Ayer Rajah constituency where he was a PAP MP from 1980 to 2006.
Dr Tan later wrote on his Facebook page, “This morning I had breakfast with Lee Hsien Yang. We wanted to catch up with each other as we have not met for quite a while.
“It was a good breakfast, not only the food, but the sharing we had on world affairs and the current state of politics in Singapore.”
Return to politics, applied for new political party
Dr Tan, 78, had announced his intention to return to politics on 18 January, revealing that he had filed an application to the Registry of Societies on 16 January to register a new political party, which would be known as the Progress Singapore Party. The party is awaiting approval from the Registry of Societies.
His move comes amid speculation that the next General Election, which is due by early 2021, could be held as early as this year.
Dr Tan contested the Presidential Election in 2011, narrowly losing to Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam. At the end of last year, he announced his retirement as a doctor after practising for 50 years.
Lee backing Tan’s bid to contest in GE
On 24 January, Lee put up a Facebook post backing Dr Tan’s bid to contest in the upcoming General Election, saying that Dr Tan is the “leader Singapore deserves”.
Lee was most recently the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. He and his sister Lee Wei Ling were embroiled in a dispute with PM Lee over the Oxley Road property of their late father, Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Related stories:
Tan Cheng Bock applies to form new political party along with some ex-PAP cadres
Tan Cheng Bock, Lee Hsien Yang seen having breakfast at hawker centre
Tan Cheng Bock open to leading proposed opposition coalition
I am prepared to mentor aspiring politicians: Tan Cheng Bock
