Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan has reiterated his call for a general election not to be called in Singapore so soon in the wake of Malaysia's recent announcement of a lockdown.

Chee said on March 17 that holding an election "in light of the latest announcement in Malaysia and our own deteriorating circumstances" would be "unconscionable".

Chee had previously urged the government to only hold an election when there are "clear signs that the situation has abated", referring to the Covid-19 outbreak around the world.

Chee made his comments on a Facebook post on March 17, saying that there is now more reason why the Singapore government should not call for a general election.

SDP statement questioning health conditions of Malaysians

A statement by SDP also said that the Movement Control Order by Malaysia imposed from March 18 to 31 could result in "tens of thousands of workers" who "may be infected" making their way into Singapore before the lockdown took effect.

The SDP statement read: "It may take a couple of weeks more before their health deteriorates by which time they may have spread the disease even wider among Singaporeans."

SDP also questioned if those under quarantine or Stay Home Notice would be "denied their right" to vote for their members of parliament (MPs).

The elderly may also be deterred from coming out to vote, SDP said, as they may be more susceptible to the virus.

The SDP statement also argued:

But an election held in the midst of a chaotic pandemic will only cause confusion among the people. The collective anxiety will obscure grave and long-term issues such as foreigner influx, housing, job security and the cost of living that need to be nationally debated.

A government elected under such circumstances based on political opportunism will cause much unhappiness among the electorate. This will further divide the nation.

PM Lee said elections could be called early

Prior to SDP's statement and Chee's comments, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a Facebook post on March 14 that there is "no certainty" that the Covid-19 situation will be over before the end of term of the current government.

The alternative is to call elections early and elect "a new government with a fresh mandate and a full term ahead of it", he said.

"If we have to hold elections before Covid-19 is over, we will take all the precautions necessary, so that parties can campaign effectively, and people can vote safely."

Chee and at least seven other opposition political party chiefs had earlier called for election not to be called so soon.

Chee said in a March 14 post that the election should only be held after the Covid-19 situation "has clearly turned around and Singaporeans are no longer under serious threat".