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SINGAPORE – The Chairman of the Singapore People’s Party (SPP), José Raymond, is retiring from politics to focus on expanding his business.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (December 22), Raymond, 49, announced his “political farewell” and thanked his supporters and volunteers for their efforts in his campaign for the 2020 General Election in Potong Pasir.
“The time has come to focus on things that will help me create impact in other ways, help others in different ways, and run my regional firm, something I have wanted to do since I started the firm in 2016,” said Raymond, principal. of strategy consulting firm SW Strategies.
“I am very sorry if I have disappointed any of you in any way with my decision. Those who need my help can continue to reach out and I will do all I can within my ability to help as much as possible. My life purpose is to serve the humanity remains intact. “
Raymond ran for the first time as a candidate in the July 10 election earlier this year.
He lost to Potong Pasir incumbent MP Sitoh Yih Pin of the Popular Action Party, who won 60.67 of the votes in the single-seat constituency.
After joining the SPP in 2017, Raymond became its president in November last year, following the retirement of the party’s former leader, veteran opposition politician Chiam See Tong, a month earlier.
Raymond told The Straits Times that his firm opened an office in Malaysia last year and has been exploring the possibility of expanding into Indonesia and Thailand.
“I spent half my time in Malaysia before Covid-19, and now we are also starting on the Jakarta chapter, so I need to focus on what I have to do,” he said.
He added that he informed the SPP of his decision last Thursday and that he will officially resign next month after delivering a 30-day notice.
SPP Secretary General Steve Chia confirmed that the party’s central executive committee had received Raymond’s resignation, adding that it would “make a decision” at its next meeting.
Said Mr. Raymond: “This is the end of my political journey. I ran for the election because I wanted to fulfill one of my father’s wishes for me … he told me that when I was 13. I was my caregiver. father until he passed away in 2018, so I wanted to fulfill that wish. “
Former SPP deputy general secretary Ariffin Sha also resigned from the party in August this year, and the position has not been filled, according to Raymond.
When contacted by Ariffin, 23, he confirmed that he had resigned in August, but did not elaborate on why he did so.
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