Is a veteran People's Action Party (PAP) MP going to join the Opposition?

This was the impression many got when they first saw Tan Cheng Bock sitting beside Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan at the opposition party's headquarters on July 29.

Granted, the 78-year old retired from parliamentary duty in 2006.

He is also no longer a PAP member because he resigned in 2011 to run in the Presidential Election of the same year.

But PAP was his party of more than 30 years.

In fact, Tan was a member of the PAP Central Executive Committee, its highest decision-making body for nine years from 1987 to 1996.

What do we make of this news?

It is not the first time Tan has met the opposition leaders though.

During the last General Election in 2015, Tan was seen in opposition party rallies, shaking hands with Chee:

As well as with Reform Party Chief Kenneth Jeyaratnam:He also attended the Workers' Party (WP) rallies:

So we shouldn't be surprised he joins the opposition?

Yes, we shouldn't be.

But history tells us that it has been a long, long time since a PAP politician decided to switch sides.

The last time this happened was before our independence when PAP sacked a number of Legislative Assembly members in 1961 for abstaining on the motion of confidence of the government.

What should we make of the meeting then?

We can overanalyse Tan's Facebook post for a start.

He posted a long reply on the meeting, a day after SDP's press release of the event.

In a post titled, "Singapore's interest must always come first", Tan said that he was "invited as an observer".

He concluded that there is a small window of opportunity to effect change and mentor the next generation team for "the good of the nation".

But there are many lines left open to interpretation

i) Exhibit A: "But I think some may also need to stand down and serve from the backroom if it is for the good of the country."

Who are the opposition party leaders Tan was referring to?

After all, he pointed out that the parties have "something in common: they are all political veterans without a single seat in parliament for the last decade."

Ouch.

ii) Exhibit B: "They (the seven opposition parties) are not the only ones who have spoken to me. I think I must help but in what capacity, I have not decided."

Is Tan hinting to the PAP to commit to engaging him first?

Or is he hinting to the WP to court him harder?

Tan better not hold his hopes high, for WP gave this rather nonchalant reply to Mothership.sg in addressing Tan's meeting with opposition parties.

"WP is going through a leadership transition and is focused on organisation building to better serve Singaporeans."

If former WP chief Low Thia Khiang, 61, had already made way for his younger leaders aged in their 40s and 50s, why would they want a septuagenarian to lead a conglomerate of opposition members in the next GE?

iii) Exhibit C: "One commentator recently said these 7 parties are 3rd, 4th and 5th rate politicians, and that if I mix with them, my reputation will be tarnished. I’m curious what yardstick the commentator has used to measure these men. I know men like Paul Tambyah is a 1st rate human being and doctor who cares for the country. I find it hard to label him otherwise."

In case you are wondering, Tan was referring to political observer Derek da Cunha's Facebook comments.

Da Cunha said that he respected Tan, but felt that mixing with these opposition politicians would "simply be tarnishing his reputation".

Da Cunha added that he had analysed elections in Singapore long enough to know that one cannot "underestimate the Singapore voter’s visceral distaste for a number of opposition personalities".

Interestingly, Tan rebutted da Cunha by highlighting SDP's GE 2015 candidate Paul Tambyah -- "a 1st rate human being and doctor who cares for the country" -- as an example of a good politician.

But Tambyah happened to be the only person who was not present in the group photo that had SDP's logo in the background.

Finally, a few more things that we observe

Importantly, SDP would have to do its utmost to ensure that it is being fair to all parties and not be seen as spearheading this effort.

While someone like Chee can "see SDP's role as a facilitator", the press release and photos indicated otherwise.

Chee led the opening and concluding remarks in the press release and was quoted five times.

In contrast, Tan and three other opposition party leaders -- Lim Tean, Goh Meng Seng, Ben Pwee -- were quoted once.

In fact, RP secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam was not quoted in the press release but was quoted by The Straits Times.

Jeyaretnam said that RP "would be delighted to stand under his leadership", if Tan decided to return to his old constituency.

As we know, the Trump-Kim Summit did not take place in the United States or North Korea.

Hence, the opposition party leaders may want to consider a more neutral venue and let relations blossom away from the media glare.

[related_story]

In his press release, Chee warned that there will be powerful forces that will do their utmost to ensure that their effort fails and that the opposition remains divided and dysfunctional.

But these powerful forces may well be the egos of the opposition leaders in attendance.

For it may take even more diplomatic skills to organise an opposition coalition for the next GE than a Trump-Kim Summit.

Top photo from Singapore Democratic Party website.