Roy Ngerng, M. Ravi to run in Ang Mo Kio?

Blogger Roy Ngerng and his one-time lawyer, Mr M. Ravi, are said to be in the running to contest Ang Mo Kio GRC in the coming general election under the Reform Party (RP) ballot.

Sources familiar with RP said that Mr Ravi, Mr Ngerng and activist Gilbert Goh will probably be part of the opposition party's six-member team that will be fielded in Ang Mo Kio at the next polls.

The three are said to have joined other potential candidates on Sunday to get their portrait photos taken for the campaign, which is expected to be held next month. This is even though they have yet to be confirmed as party members.

The constituency is helmed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who had successfully sued Mr Ngerng for defamation, with damages to be assessed. Mr Ravi represented Mr Ngerng until he was suspended in mid-February from practising law after concerns about his mental health. When contacted, Mr Ravi and Mr Ngerng declined to comment about their plans.

RP secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam had said that his party will contest Ang Mo Kio and West Coast GRCs as well as Radin Mas SMC. Yesterday, he put paid to rumours circulating last week that his party may not have the numbers to field candidates in those wards by revealing that he has seen a "surge in membership".

A statement released yesterday said former RP member Osman Sulaiman has rejoined the party and could spearhead its Ang Mo Kio GRC team. He is likely to be joined by Ang Mo Kio resident Siva Chandran and RP treasurer David Tan to contest in the area.

Mr Sulaiman was fielded in Ang Mo Kio GRC when RP contested there in the 2011 General Election. The RP team managed to gain about 30 per cent of the votes.

Mr Osman, who runs a renovation business, quit RP last year for the National Solidarity Party but left it earlier this year. He then volunteered with the Singapore Democratic Party and Singapore People's Party before returning to RP.

On Sunday, RP said in a post on its Facebook page: "Siva will be introduced at our press conference." The comment was accompanied by a photo of Mr Ngerng, Mr Ravi, Mr Goh, Mr Siva and Mr Osman donning the party's yellow shirts.

When asked if Mr Ngerng was a party member, Mr Jeyaretnam said: "Roy's membership is expected to be approved shortly." He added that Mr Ngerng would bring "much-needed knowledge" of Ang Mo Kio, where his father runs a hawker stall.

Mr Jeyaretnam also confirmed that RP chairman Andy Zhu, who stood in West Coast GRC in the last polls, will contest again.

This article was first published on Aug 25, 2015.
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