Chee Soon Juan dines with Tan Wah Piow, jokingly invites ISD to ‘PM’ him for ‘more info’
Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) secretary-general Dr Chee Soon Juan recently had lunch with Tan Wah Piow, a long-time political exile from Singapore, during his ongoing book tour in the United Kingdom (UK).
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (5 Nov), Dr Chee shared photos of the meeting, quipping that he was doing so to “save . . . time” for his “friends” in the Internal Security Department (ISD).
Source: Chee Soon Juan on Facebook
Visit to Tan Wah Piow during UK tour
Dr Chee is currently promoting his new book, ‘Unbroken: The Power of Resilience’, which he describes as a blend of personal reflection and psychological insight.
His first official stop on the tour is scheduled for Friday (7 Nov) at the London School of Economics.
Source: Chee Soon Juan on Facebook
Before that, he stopped by Tan’s London home for a meal that included “Iberico pork, monkfish, and warm Mediterranean salad”, accompanied by champagne.
Source: Chee Soon Juan on Facebook
Dr Chee praised his host’s culinary skills, stating that Tan’s “mushroom soup is to die for”.
In his post, Dr Chee also noted that Tan continues to have an outstanding warrant of arrest nearly 50 years after fleeing Singapore.
Source: Tan Wah-Piow on Facebook
Tan, who has lived in exile since 1976, was accused of leading a so-called Marxist conspiracy in 1987 — a charge Dr Chee described as “nonsense”.
He ended his post on a light-hearted note, writing:
In the meantime, if ISD needs any more info, just [PM] me.
Tan becomes fugitive after evading National Service
Tan was born in Singapore in 1948 and became a prominent figure as the president of the University of Singapore Students’ Union (USSU).
In February 1975, he was convicted alongside two former American marine workers for their role in a riot in October 1974.
The judge described the latter two as “pawns” of Tan, accusing the trio of fabricating evidence.
Source: The Straits Times on NewspaperSG
Tan was sentenced to one year in prison, but he told the judge:
You can imprison my body but not my spirit.
After serving eight months, he was granted a brief release for a weekend at home.
However, he failed to report for National Service (NS) on 27 Oct 1975 and went into hiding for several months instead, eventually fleeing Singapore in April or May 1976.
He reached London later that year and applied for political asylum.
As a result of his NS evasion, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) issued an order for Tan to be arrested on sight.
Tan accused of masterminding Marxist conspiracy in Singapore
In 1987, the ISD arrested a total of 22 individuals under the Internal Security Act (ISA), accusing them of being part of a “Marxist conspiracy” to overthrow Singapore’s political system.
The government alleged that Tan, operating from the UK, was the mastermind behind the conspiracy and intended to return to Singapore in 10 to 15 years, when Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was “no longer around”.
Source: The Straits Times on NewspaperSG
Tan, whose Singaporean citizenship was revoked in 1987, has consistently denied any involvement in the alleged Marxist conspiracy.
Also read: 5 lesser-known facts about Chee Soon Juan, the SDP chief who once sold mashed potatoes for funds
5 lesser-known facts about Chee Soon Juan, the SDP chief who once sold mashed potatoes for funds
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Featured image adapted from Chee Soon Juan on Facebook.
